[Environmental factors and adolescent fears and anxiety].
OBJECTIVE
The following article aims to show the significant part that the environmental factor plays in developing fears and anxiety in adolescence. Both literature and psychological practice underestimate the role of that factor, emphasising at the same time the influence of sex, age or various types of stimulants causing negative emotional states.


METHODS
In order to verify the suggested hypotheses, 540 adolescents in 18 groups of 30 people divided according to sex (270 girls and 270 boys), age (90 individuals of both sex in the following age groups: 12.0-13.0, 15.0-16.0 and 18.0-19.0) originating from three different environments: big city, town and village (180 individuals from each place) were examined. The following instruments of research have been used: MPi-64 of H.J. Eysencek, STAI of C.D. Spielberger and original Questionnaire of Anxiety.


RESULTS
The results of the examination have confirmed the authenticity of the suggested hypothesis which stated that intensity of fears and anxiety depends on the types of stimulants, sex, age and particularly--on the kind of environment the individuals under examination have originated from. The second hypothesis was partially confirmed. In the group of boys the level of courage corresponded with the level of fear; in the group of girls in general the level of fear exceeded the level of courage.


CONCLUSIONS
Socially-educational environment has a decisive influence on developing fears and anxiety, particularly on the intensification of those disorders. The village environment is the most conducive to developing strong fears, when the environment of a big city--the least. Other variables (sex, age, type of stimulant) have indirect influence on the substance and level of fears experienced by adolescents.
Fenczyn
Jan
J
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011044:Poland; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population