Figure 2
Validation of the online version of the threat of scream paradigm as a tool to induce experimental anxiety. (A) Distress scream rating: Subjective rating of the aversiveness of the selected distress scream on a visual analogue scale. (B–D) Emotional activation: Sum scores of subjective ratings (on visual analogue scales) of the current level of anxiety, stress and emotional arousal prior to the start of the experiment (Baseline), after the first or second announcement of threat or safety conditions. Each bar represents the median and interquartile range [Mdn + IQR] of corresponding visual analog scale ratings. Numbers within the bars indicate the sample size of the experimental condition. P-values given refer to Kruskal–Wallis tests for independent samples. Abbreviations: S-S: Safety-Safety condition; T-T: Threat-Threat condition; S-T: Safety-Threat condition; T-S: Threat-Safety condition. (E–H) Within-group dynamics of emotional activation during the baseline measurement and after threat or safety announcements for the four experimental conditions. Each bar represents the median and interquartile range [Mdn + IQR] of corresponding visual analog scale ratings. P-values given refer to Wilcoxon signed rank tests for dependent samples. Abbreviations: S-S: Safety-Safety condition; T-T: Threat-Threat condition; S-T: Safety-Threat condition; T-S: Threat-Safety condition.
