State / Trait Anxiety

What is the difference between state and trait anxiety?

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was developed as a research tool for the study of anxiety. According to the developer of this method, Spielberger (1972 - 1983), state anxiety reflects a "transitory emotional state or condition of the human organism that is characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of tension and apprehension, and heightened autonomic nervous system activity."

Spielberger goes on to say, "Trait anxiety denotes relatively stable individual differences in anxiety proneness and refers to a general tendency to respond with anxiety to perceived threats in the environment."

So, what does all this 'psycho-babble' mean?

It means that 'state' anxiety is the anxiety state we experience when something causes us to feel appropriately and temporarily anxious and this anxiety then retreats until we feel 'normal' again.

Trait anxiety is the 'preset' level of anxiety experienced by an individual who has a tendency to be more anxious; to react less appropriately to anxiety provoking stimuli.

So, state anxiety is what we experience when a dog runs out in front of the car; an intense anxiety reaction that produces a number of strong anxiety symptoms associated with the respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems.

After the 'threat' has subsided, the anxiety state retreats and we feel 'normal' again. This is how most people feel most of the time.

Scientists developed the terms 'state anxiety' and 'trait anxiety' for scientists and are consequently they are practically irrelevant to an anxiety sufferer.

As an anxiety disorder sufferer, all you need to know is that your anxiety is inappropriate and impermanent; it can be reversed and erased completely regardless of whether you feel you have any family, genetic or other predisposition to the condition.

What can be done to eliminate state and trait anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are behavioural conditions, which are stored in the subconscious mind as 'anxious, habitual memory'. By undoing the process of learning which caused them to develop in the first place, you can permanently eliminate inappropriate anxiety and replace it with appropriate levels of state anxiety caused by any genetic or learned trait anxiety.

Discover how The Linden Method will eliminate your anxiety disorders including panic attacks, GAD, phobias, agoraphobia and OCD.

Charles Linden
Author of The Linden Method^® and
MD of The Linden Centres