The specific traits of anxiety in the Anxiety Situations and Responses Inventory (ASRI): construct validity and relationship to depression

Abstract

The main purpose of this research was to gain information about the construct validity of Miguel and Cano's Anxiety Situations and Responses Inventory (ASRI; Miguel & Cano, 1988). Nine questionnaires completed by 157 undergraduate psychology students yielded 17 different psychological measures which enable one to obtain data about psychometric properties of specific traits of anxiety in the ASRI: convergent validity with other measures of the same specific traits of anxiety, and divergent validity with respect to other specific traits of anxiety and other personality constructs. The analysis of correlation matrices and the results of factor analyses indicated that: a) Factors I (evaluation anxiety) and II (interpersonal anxiety) of the ASRI showed an adequate convergent validity; b) the ASRI presented a good balance between a high cohesion and an adequate discriminant power among specific traits of anxiety; c) the subscales of the ASRI enable one to differentiate anxiety from other personality variables, and to better discriminate between anxiety (and its facets) and depression constructs. Finally, these results are discussed with reference to validation of Endler's multidimensional interaction model of anxiety and to psychometric differentiation between anxiety and depression.