Effects of Anxiety on Self-Monitoring

Abstract

This study investigated how one type of internal cue, anxiety, affects self-monitoring tendencies. Using a pretest-posttest, between-subjects design, with three experimental conditions (control, relaxation, and anxiety), data were collected from 152 participants. Results of an analysis of covariance provided further support for Snyder's contention that there are individual differences in self-monitoring behavior. Again, low self-monitors were consistent in their behavior across situations, while high self-monitors were unresponsive to internal cues. While these findings reinforced the idea of construing the self-monitoring construct within a trait by situation paradigm, it appeared that other processes (salience of the internal cue, the relationship of anxiety to the task, task ambiguity, anticipated social sanctions) may have influenced the results. Further research is suggested to explore the influence of such processes on self-monitoring behavior.