Who We Are

New Ways of Thinking About People

by Steven Reiss, Ph.D.

Psychology Actually Gives an Answer

Let's not ignore cognitive psychology of anxiety

Published on June 21, 2011 by Steven Reiss, Ph.D. in Who We Are

This post is a response to How Much Anxiety Is Too Much? by Srini Pillay, M.D.

When people experience anxiety, they differ in how they interpret the symptoms. Most people recognize symptoms such as a pounding heart as a harmless experience that will dissipate when the stressor is removed. These people are said to have average sensitivity to anxiety. A small percentage of people, however, misinterpret a pounding heart and other symptoms of anxiety as indicative of a pending calamity, such as heart attack.

More than 1,400 peer reviewed studies have validated the concept of anxiety sensitivity. People with high anxiety sensitivity misinterpret the symptoms of anxiety as a calmity and are at risk of Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and fearfulness. People with low anxiety sensitivity tend to have a high tolerance for anxiety as in fearlessness.

Part of the answer to the question, "How much anxiety is too much" is that it varies by individual. Anxiety sensitivity cognitions provide significant information on how much is too much. For high ASI people, even small amounts of anxiety and stress can be too much.

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At its core the anxiety sensitivity construct is about anxiety motivating some people more than others. This construct has been generalized into a comprehensive theory of 16 human needs or basic desires. Experience with the 16 human needs is consistent with the view that, like anxiety sensitivity, individual differences in the motivational value of universal reinforces are powerful predictors of human behavior in natural environments.