Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Psychology
First Advisor
Sarah A. Bilsky
Second Advisor
Laura J. Dixon
Third Advisor
John Young
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Given that validation and invalidation have been linked to internal factors contributing to anxiety disorders, it is important to further explore how validation and invalidation are associated with experiences of anxiety. The current study was designed to assess the association between validation/invalidation and anxiety among college students. Significant omnibus regression models emerged revealing that perceived invalidation accounted for 25.7% of the variance in self-reports of physiological anxiety symptoms and 27.6% of the variance in self-reports of generalized anxiety symptoms. A series of mixed-factorial ANOVAs revealed no main effect of experimental condition on emotional responses (anxiety, anger, arousal, valence), indicating that levels of distress were similar for those who experienced both validating and invalidating responses. Between the timepoints right before and after receiving a validating or invalidating response, no significant interaction effect between time and condition emerged for anxiety, anger, arousal, or valence. Finally, a between-subjects ANOVA revealed no significant associations between experimental condition and willingness to repeat a stressful task. Therefore, while more pervasive experiences of perceived invalidation were associated with increased levels of anxiety, it appeared that the experiences of validation and invalidation from an experimenter were not associated with momentary states of distress or with willingness to repeat a stressful task.
Recommended Citation
Sachner, Leila, "The Effects of Validating and Invalidating Responses on Self-Reported Levels of Anxiety" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3375.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3375