title: Interpretive bias, repressive coping, and trait anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  According to vigilance-avoidance theory, repressors have an avoidant interpretive bias, i.e., they interpret ambiguous self-relevant situations in a nonthreatening fashion. This study sought to demarcate the range of situations associated with avoidant interpretive bias in repressors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of participants, representing the four combinations of low- and high-trait anxiety and defensiveness, were identified. Those low in trait anxiety and high in defensiveness were categorized as repressors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 163) rated their likelihood of making both threatening and nonthreatening interpretations of 32 ambiguous scenarios over four domains: social, intellectual, physical, and health. Half the scenarios were self-relevant and half were other relevant. Brief measures of state anxiety were taken after each likelihood rating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repressors displayed an avoidant interpretive bias for ambiguous threats in the social and intellectual domains but not the health or physical domains. This was due to repressors' low level of trait anxiety rather than their high defensiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals high in trait anxiety are especially sensitive to situations involving social evaluation but not those characterized by danger to their health or physical well-being.
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology , University of East London, Water Lane, Stratford , London E15 4LZ , UK.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.forename: Ancy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skariah
authors.forename: Ayesha A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Eysenck
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: interpretive bias; physical threats; repressive coping; social threats; trait anxiety