The Role of Auditory Cues in the Detection of State Anxiety 1

Abstract

Detecting anxiety is essential in both help‐giving settings and in everyday social relationships. The studies reported here represent a follow‐up to an earlier set of studies in which observers (raters) accurately identified others' (expressers') state anxiety using either video‐only cues or audio‐video cues. The earlier studies had included expressers who were repressors and nonrepressors, while the present studies included only nonrepressors. Observers viewedheard selected segments of previously videotaped expressers' self‐reported high and low state anxiety experiences. Surprisingly, unlike the earlier studies, state anxiety was significantly inaccurately evaluated when video‐only cues were used, but when audio cues were available, state anxiety was correctly identified. Information in video‐only cues seemed to mislead observers since low compared with high state anxiety was rated as more anxious. These studies, and the significant comparison between studies with audio cues present and with audio cues absent, indicate the impact of auditory cues in detecting state anxiety in others.