THE EFFECT ON SELF DESCRIPTION OF COMBINING ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY ITEMS ON A SINGLE SCALE.

The article cites a study, which investigates the possibility that responses to personality test items might be influenced by inclusion of different item content in the same test. The subjects were mainly freshmen and sophomores enrolled in an introductory psychology class. The tests were administered as part of the regular class work. It was found that scores on a scale of manifest hostility were lowered when the total test also included anxiety items. The effect was not general for scores on a scale of manifest anxiety remained constant when hostility items were added to the total test.