The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of varied types of control on anxiety responses. Fifty-four paired subjects were randomly assigned into the four experimental groups varied in the probabilities of self-administration and desired outcome. These groups were named, respectivly, SELF (N = 9), OTHER (N = 11), OR (N = 10), and AND (N = 11). The subjects were initially asked to state their preferences for the four avoidance conditions by the method of paired comparisons. After the collections of preference data, the subjects were connected in a series circuit and their anticipatory arousal was measured directly by physiological and subjective indices while waiting for a controllable or an uncontrollable electrical shock under their avoidance conditions. An experimental session consisted of two types of anticipatory periods, the first being the period while waiting for press the button (30 seconds), and the second being while waiting for the onset of electrical shock (30 seconds). The results were as follows; In preference, AND was the most aversive of the four groups, and SELF was more preferred than OTHER. A significant difference among four groups meant that the subjects preferred the condition in which higher probabilities of desired outcome and self-administration were expected. But in anticipatory arousal, SELF was higher than the three other conditions, and OTHER was lower significantly than that of AND and OR in both physiological and subjective indices. The level of anticipatory arousal was not determined soley by the probability of desired outcome nor self-administration. The effect of personal control on anticipatory arousal might depend upon whether a better outcome would be expected commensurate with increased costs which were involved in self-administration.