Percep~rraland Motor Skills, 1979, 49, 529-530. @ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1979
PERSONALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH DENTAL ANXIETY JUAN N . F R A N C 0 A N D D O N B. CROFT
N e w Mexico State University1
St~7n~r1ary.-94 adult dental patients' anxiety was assessed. Scores on Spielbcrgtr, et al.'s inventory showed attractiveness of the waiting room, agc. and Edwards' Harmavoidance were significantly related to anxiety. I n recent years much attention has been focused o n dental anxiety. Many individuals experience stress when visiting the dentist and are often unwilling to cooperate during treatment (Shoben & Borland, 1954). A study by Robbins (1962) suggests that people even worry more about dental treatment than they do about the condition of their teeth. The purpose of this study was to identify variables associated with dental anxiety. The subjects were 94 randomly selected dental patients who visited one of five dental clinics. Only patients who had not been administered anxiety-reducing drugs were used in the study. Spielberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene's State-Trait Anxiery Inventory (1970) was used to measure variations in the subjects' anxiety level. Anxiety levels were measured o n three occasions: in the waiting room (Period I ) , immediately after treatment (Period 11), and at home (Period 111). Inventory scores obtained at home, when the patient's anxiety level was at its normal level, served as a base rate. T h e mean A-State scores for each period are presented in Table 1. TABLE 1 MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONSFOR A-STATE SCORESFOR PERIODSI, 11, AND 111 (N = 94)
M
Period
SD
An analysis of variance was computed o n the A-State and A-Trait scores to determine if there was a significant difference in scores between time periods. As prior research had suggcsred, the waiting room A-Stare scores were higher than the post-treatment o r base-rare A-State scores. This analysis is summarized in Table 2. N o significant difference was found between periods on A-Trait scores. TABLE 2 ANALYSISOF VARIANCE:A-STATE SCORESFOR PERIODS I, 11, AND 111 ( N = 94) Source
df
SS
MS
F
Periods Error
2 279
1168.91 23898.39
58.46 85.66
6.82
P
PERSONALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH DENTAL ANXIETY JUAN N . F R A N C 0 A N D D O N B. CROFT
N e w Mexico State University1
St~7n~r1ary.-94 adult dental patients' anxiety was assessed. Scores on Spielbcrgtr, et al.'s inventory showed attractiveness of the waiting room, agc. and Edwards' Harmavoidance were significantly related to anxiety. I n recent years much attention has been focused o n dental anxiety. Many individuals experience stress when visiting the dentist and are often unwilling to cooperate during treatment (Shoben & Borland, 1954). A study by Robbins (1962) suggests that people even worry more about dental treatment than they do about the condition of their teeth. The purpose of this study was to identify variables associated with dental anxiety. The subjects were 94 randomly selected dental patients who visited one of five dental clinics. Only patients who had not been administered anxiety-reducing drugs were used in the study. Spielberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene's State-Trait Anxiery Inventory (1970) was used to measure variations in the subjects' anxiety level. Anxiety levels were measured o n three occasions: in the waiting room (Period I ) , immediately after treatment (Period 11), and at home (Period 111). Inventory scores obtained at home, when the patient's anxiety level was at its normal level, served as a base rate. T h e mean A-State scores for each period are presented in Table 1. TABLE 1 MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONSFOR A-STATE SCORESFOR PERIODSI, 11, AND 111 (N = 94)
M
Period
SD
An analysis of variance was computed o n the A-State and A-Trait scores to determine if there was a significant difference in scores between time periods. As prior research had suggcsred, the waiting room A-Stare scores were higher than the post-treatment o r base-rare A-State scores. This analysis is summarized in Table 2. N o significant difference was found between periods on A-Trait scores. TABLE 2 ANALYSISOF VARIANCE:A-STATE SCORESFOR PERIODS I, 11, AND 111 ( N = 94) Source
df
SS
MS
F
Periods Error
2 279
1168.91 23898.39
58.46 85.66
6.82
P
