Anxious symptomatic volunteers in the Twin Cities: sociodemographic description and MMPI psychodiagnosis

This paper underscores the need for true sample selection before statistical inference of any value can be made. Its findings suggest that the sample selection strategy of symptomatic volunteers can produce samples of anxious subjects with remarkable demographic similarity across the country. Anxiety as a constitutional rather than pathognomonic symptom is illustrated by the heterogeneity of its psychometric evaluation in our volunteers. Expecting a drug to safely relieve the anxiety of all anxious symptomatic volunteers is akin to expecting a drug to safely relieve the headaches of all headache sufferers. We feel that careful psychodiagnosis remains the best sample selection strategy.