Patterns and Correlates of Emotional Arousal in Laboratory Training

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Abstract
Emotional arousal, defined by Anxiety, Depression, and Hostility scores on the Zuckerman-Lubin Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL), was monitored during week-long laboratory training seminars for government employees. Lab participants (N = 52) were compared to control Ss (N = 33) who completed the MAACL on each of 5 workdays. Results suggest that laboratory training is distinguished from work activity more by the pattern and range of reported affect than by differences in average or in peak levels of experienced stress. For laboratory Ss, arousal indices initially rose, then progressively decreased through the training week. Participants who by independent criteria appeared to gain most from the experience showed steeper gradients of arousal reduction than Low-gain subjects. Stress (negative affect) was also related to high bureaucratic orientation and to low sociometric status within the T Group.