How distinct is anxiety sensitivity from trait anxiety? A re-examination from a multidimensional perspective

Significant positive correlations between the Anxiety Sensitivity Index [ASI; Reiss., S., Peterson, R. A., Gursky, D. M. & McNally, R. J. (1986). Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency and the prediction of fearfulness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 1-8.] and the Trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI-T; Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R. E., Vagg, P. R. & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). The state-trait anxiety inventory, for adults manual. Palo Alto, CA: Mind Garden.] have been characterized as "moderate" and have been taken to indicate that Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) and Trait Anxiety (TA) are related but distinct constructs [e.g. McNally, R. J. (1999). Theoretical approaches to the fear of anxiety. In S. Taylor Anxiety sensitivity: theory, research, and treatment of the fear of anxiety (pp. 3-16). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.]. The present study was designed to provide a more accurate assessment of the distinction between AS and TA by taking into account the multidimensional nature and the differing symptom focus of the ASI and the STAI-T. University students (n = 317) completed both these measures and subscales representing the lower-order constructs of the STAI-T (i.e. Anxiety and Depression) and the ASI (i.e. Physical, Psychological, and Social Concerns) were created. Several comparisons were made regarding the correlations between these measures. Collectively, the results suggest that previous estimates regarding the distinction between AS and TA were reduced due to the use of a measure of TA that is best conceptualized as assessing cognitive symptoms associated with general negative affect and by the failure to consider the different content focus and multidimensional nature of the ASI. Additionally, disattenuated correlations, in which an adjustment is made for the reliability of the measures, were calculated to provide an assessment of the relationship between AS and TA rather than the measures used to operationalize them. These disattenuated correlations indicated the overlap between AS and TA is greater than previously thought. The implications of these findings are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.