Sources of behavioral variance as measured by the S-R Inventory of Anxiousness.

Abstract

A reanalysis, which partitions the proportions of variance from the various main sources and their interactions, of previously reported data from the S-R Inventory of Anxiousness and from a new sample, suggests that the debate over the relative importance of individual differences and of situations is largely a pseudoissue. While it is true that the mean squares for situations are regularly much larger than the mean squares for individual differences, a partitioning of the variance shows, at least for the trait of anxiousness, that each of these main sources contributed only about 5% of the total variation (sum of the component variances), modes of response about 25%, and that nearly 4 of the variance comes from simple interactions (Subjects with Situations about 10%, Subjects with Modes of Response about 11%, and Situations with Modes of Response about 7%). These proportions are highly stable across samples of Ss. The fact that such a substantial portion of the total variance comes from interactions confirms the suggestion that personality description might be improved by emphasing what kinds of responses individuals make with what intensity in various kinds of situations.

Measurement of social-evaluative anxiety.

“…Table 4 presents the correlations of FNE and SAD with Taylor's (1953) Manifest Anxiety (MA) scale, Rotter's (1966) Locus of Control scale (LC), Alpert and Haber's (1960) Achievement Anxiety scale, divided into debilitating and facilitating anxiety subscales (AH-and AH+), the social and evaluative parts of the Endler-Hunt (1966) S-R Inventory of Anxiousness (E-H), Paivio's (196S) Audience Sensitivity Index (ASI), and 11 of the subscales of Jackson's (1966aJackson's ( , 1966b Personality Research Form (Social Approval, Affiliation, Desirability, Autonomy, Defendence, Achievement, Aggression, Dominance, Abasement, Exhibitionism, and Impulsivity), The table presents only significant or borderline correlations.…”

Alienation and Emotional Maturity

“…But the data indicate that neither of these extreme viewpoints is supported. In a number of studies the average amount of variance attributable to persons is in the order of five percent, and the amount of variance due to situations is similar (Endler and Hunt 1966). Interactions between persons and situations, however, did account for comparatively large amounts of variance .…”

Measurements of computer anxiety: A review

“…The author chose to develop scale items related to specific computer experiences because anxiety scale development indicated that scale items referring to specific situations have better predictive validity than do items with more general content (Endler & Hunt, 1966). The 20 scale items were chosen from a set of 54 items by a panel of professors who used computers in their courses.…”