Definition of Anxiety

Spielberger (1966) quoted in Gage & Berliner (1984, p. 190) state that anxiety is divided into two parts, that is anxiety as a trait and anxiety as a state. As a trait, anxiety is a general disposition to feel threatened by wide range of no harmful conditions. As a state, anxiety is related to particular environmental situations. For example, at a particular time a person may be anxious about his or her job, spouse, child, or an examination. One’s feeling of apprehension and tension are, to some extent, focused and localized.
In addition, Frandsen (1967, p. 667) states that anxiety is a persisting fear of threat to oneself arising from severe insecurity or from dangerous impulses, and involving feelings of apprehension, dread, and uneasiness. Moreover, Travers (1970, p. 138) adds that anxiety is fear of a vague object, or no object at all. Anxiety then becomes a state of apprehension or uneasiness; it is a special kind of fear. Ferguson (1969, p. 454), clarifies that anxiety refers to less-well defined apprehensions without any logical basis, often related to internal dangers, such as loss of self-esteem, guilt feelings, or feelings of rage and destructiveness.
Additionally, Smith & Hudgins (1964, p. 90) says that anxiety is an emotional response with drive properties. Furthermore, De Cecco & Crawford (1974, p. 144) affirm that anxiety is a psychological aspect that describes the individual’s level of emotionality.
May (1950, p. 197) quoted in Carroll (1969, p. 172) elaborates the definition of anxiety; anxiety is a reaction to threat which is (1) disproportionate to the objective danger, (2) involves repression (dissociation) and other forms of intra-psychic conflict, and, as a corollary (3) is managed by means of various forms of referenchment of activity and awareness, such as inhibitions, the development of symptoms, and varied neurotic defense mechanisms, it will be noted that these characteristics are related to each other; the reaction is disproportionate to the objective danger because some intra-psychic conflict is involved.
From the experts’ definition above, the writer concludes that anxiety is a persisting fear of threat of a vague object or no object at all to oneself without any logical basis arising from severe insecurity or from dangerous impulses, and involving repression (dissociation) and other forms of intra-psychic conflict such as feelings of apprehension, dread, uneasiness, loss of self-esteem, guilt feelings, feelings of rage, and destructiveness.

References:
Caroll, Herbert A. Mental Hygiene. The Dynamics of Adjustment. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs. 1969.

De Cecco, John P., and Crawford, William R. The Psychology of Learning and Instruction. Educational Psychology. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs. 1974.

Ferguson, Elizabeth A. Social Work. An Introduction. Second Edition. Philadelphia & New York: J. B. Lippincott Company. 1963, 1969.

Frandsen, Arden N. Educational Psychology. New York/St. Louis/San Francisco/Toronto/London/Sydney: Mc Graw-Hill, Inc. 1961, 1967.

Gage, N. L., and Berliner, David C. Educational Psychology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1984.

Smith, Louis. M., and Hudgins, Bryce. B. Educational Psychology. An Application of Social and Behavioral Theory. New York: Alfred. A. Knopt. 1964.

Travers, John P. Fundamentals of Educational Psychology. Scrantom, Pensylvania: International Textbook Company. 1970.