On Having the Teeth Set on Edge: Preliminary Inquiry

Abstract

385 undergraduates filled out a questionnaire about the experience of “having the teeth set on edge.” Analysis indicated a clear split between Ss interpreting the phrase as applying to sensation-based as opposed to emotion-based experiences, about two-thirds of Ss falling into the former category and about one third into the latter. This finding may have implications about the process of learning terms to describe one's psychological state and also illustrates a distinction between direct and interpretative modes of responding.