Anxiety and perceptual articulation

The study investigated Witkin's suggestion that low manifest anxiety is associated with relatively high perceptual articulation, whereas high anxiety is associated with relatively low perceptual articulation. Previous research typically has not provided adequate control for subjects' IQ; therefore, results may have been confounded by differences in subjects' ability. The study attempted to clarify the relationship between state and trait anxiety and perceptual articulation when IQ was controlled for 60 female subjects, who fell within a predetermined IQ range and were blocked into low, moderate and high A-Trait groups. Half of each group was assigned to either low or high ego-involving conditions. All subjects completed the Embedded-figures Test, Gestalt Completion and Concealed Words Test. Contrary to Witkin, the study yielded no significant relationship between anxiety and perceptual articulation.