Feelings of Competence amongst Individuals Experiencing Different Levels of Anxiety Sensitivity

Anxiety sensitivity which refers to a fear of anxiety sensations can be better understood if it is studied in relation to other relevant factors. The present research is concerned with studying anxiety sensitivity in the context of feelings of competence experienced by individuals. The sample comprised of 140 subjects, 70 males and 70 females. Anxiety was measured through The Reiss-Epstein-Gursky Anxiety Sensitivity Index scale(ASI) developed by Peterson and Reiss (1991), and competence through scale constructed by author (Khan, 2003). On the basis of score obtained, on anxiety sensitivity, three groups were formed, high anxiety sensitivity, moderate anxiety sensitivity, low anxiety sensitivity. Inter group comparisons revealed that subjects having high anxiety sensitivity are high on competence, when compared to low anxiety sensitivity subjects. Some differences in the two gender groups were also found.