An Objective Method of Assessing a Stress Syndrome Related to Achievement Motivation

An approach to the definition and assessment of a stress syndrome related to achievement motivation is described. Because of the importance it has assumed in some recent psychosomatic hypotheses and because of its broader implications for personality theory and research, a relatively simple and objective means of measuring the intensity of stress referable to this syndrome seemed necessary. Toward this end a standard psychophysiological test procedure was devised. The method yields objective measures of degree and duration of heart-rate elevation in response to tasks emphasizing speed and accuracy pressures. An initial experiment demonstrated the validity of some theoretical constructs underlying the procedure. A retest study demonstrated its replicability and its potential for measuring adaptation to stress. The results indicate that the sustained heart-rate response, as utilized in this procedure, is a sensitive and convenient measure of stress associated with achievement motivation. It is suggested that the test battery and methodology described may be useful in research concerning striving-induced stress and its role in psychosomatic disorders.