Situational anxiety and everyday life experiences of mildly mentally retarded adults.

Situational (A-state) anxiety reactions of mildly mentally retarded adults were studied using a self-report anxiety inventory under four sets of conditions ranging from presumed high to low stress. The effects of work experiences and social activity on situational anxiety were also examined, as was the relationship between anxiety and performance on an observational task. Significant results show higher overall anxiety under stressful conditions and lower anxiety scores for individuals who are employed and who are socially active. A high positive correlation was found between anxiety level and performance. The implications of these findings for understanding the emotional life and everyday competence of retarded adults were discussed.