title: The effects of rational and irrational self-verbalizations on performance efficiency and levels of anxiety.
abstract: Investigated the effects of rational vs. irrational belief systems (as measured by the Ellis Irrational Values Scale) and rational vs. irrational self-verbalizations on levels of anxiety and persistence on a performance task. Ss (N = 40) were instructed to assemble a virtually insolvable task call Soma. The variables of interest were how long each S would persist on this task and how much anxiety (as measured by the A-State portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) was aroused in working on this task. Following a baseline trial trying to solve Soma, Ss were assigned to either a rational or irrational self-talk condition and were led to believe that such self-talk would help in a second attempt to solve Soma. In line with cognitive models of psychology, it was found that rational self-talk Ss showed a significant decrease in levels of state anxiety compared to irrational self-talk Ss in attempting to solve Soma in the second trial. Contrary to cognitive models of psychology, scores obtained from the EIVS and the A-Trait portion of the STAI were not found to be related to persistence.
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012718:Set, Psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior