ON THE STATUS OF INDIVIDUAL-RESPONSE SPECIFICITY

The concept of physiological individual response specificity (IRS) was critically discussed. A review of empirical studies focused on IRS ma gnitude, stability, and personality correlates. Using difference score s, an average of 33% of the participants showed a significant IRS. IRS stability was found in only 15% of the participants. In some studies, IRS incidence was associated with neuroticism or stress coping styles . We suggest that the IRS concept should include not only purely const itutional but also situational and psychological determinants. Predict ions from this revised biopsychological model were tested with a data set comprising 48 healthy male participants who completed six tasks, w hich were replicated three times in 1-week intervals. At Session 1, 21 % of the participants displayed a significant IRS. IRS stability was f ound in only 8% of the participants. Participants with a significant I RS at Session 1 reported higher levels of fear (anger and happiness as covariates) and of pounding heart. Between-session IRS (trait-IRS) bu t not within-session IRS (state-IRS) was associated with trait anxiety .