On anxiety-specific actions of tranquilizers

Abstract

Abstract The paper is concerned with the question: Can different kinds of emotions be influenced by tranquilizers which according to several theories (e.g., Gray, 1982) should only affect anxiety? In order to examine the kind of emotional effects of tranquilizers 144 female students received either 5 mg diazepam, 2 mg of the triazolobenzodiazepine GP 55129, or placebo and were then assigned to one of four conditions designed to induce anxiety, anger, happiness, or no emotional changes (neutral control). Self-reports of anxiety, anger, and elation were considered as indicators of specific emotional states; questionnaire measures of general excitement and of bodily arousal symptoms, heart rate, and blood pressure were regarded as indicators of nonspecific emotional changes. All three emotion conditions induced increases in arousal which were most pronounced in the anxiety situation. The anxiety and the happiness situation but not the anger situation proved to be effective in inducing the intended specific e...