[Intensity of subjective responses in "agari" and cardiovascular and respiratory responses]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the intensity of subjective responses, called "agari" (stage fright) and psychophysiological reactions. We considered "agari" as an internal state of psychological and physiological arousal which occurs in performance situations. In this study, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and respiration rate (RR) were recorded in the rest period, the preparation period, before and after the task, together with some subjective measurements. Each of 31 students gave a speech in front of observers (experimental condition). They were divided into two groups, the high-arousal group (H-group) and low-arousal group (L-group), by the median of "Agari" scores, obtained at the preparation period. A different group of 16 students read an essay aloud without observers (control group). No differences were found on SBP, DBP and RR between H-group and L-group. As for HR, taken in the preparation period, H-group and the control group indicated significantly different values, but L-group and the control group did not. These results suggest the possibility that the intensity of subjective and physiological response of "agari" may be discrepant.