Perceived threat and perceived control as predictors of the degree of fear in physical and social situations

Abstract

Seventy-one nonclinical subjects indicated their degree of anxiety or fear in response to five physical threat situations and four social threat situations. In addition, for each situation, they rated the probability and consequences of danger or threat generally associated with each situation and the degree of perceived control that they believed they would personally have in each situation. Multiple regressions indicated that only general probability of threat predicted fear in physical situations while the general consequences of threat and the degree of personal control predicted fear in response to social situations.