The relationship between physically and psychologically stressful experiences and the anxiety and self concept of 33 male and 11 female participants (aged 16-38 years) in a 23-day Colorado Outward Bound (OB) course was analyzed. It was hypothesized that the effects of the OB experience would: be the same for male and female participants; alter real self concept; alter the discrepancy between real and ideal self concept; change state anxiety; and increase the relationship between state and trait anxieties and real self concept. Employing pre- and post-testing procedures, tha analysis involved 23 scales of the Gough Adjective Check List to delineate both real and ideal self concept and the state and trait scales of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to determine anxiety levels. Data were analyzed via the Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Ranks test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient. Results indicated: female OB participants set higher ideals for themselves than males, but male and female anxieties and self concepts were more similar than dissimilar; OB participants experienced changes at the conclusion of the course, viewing themselves more positively and narrowing the gap between real and ideal perception; OB participants exhibited a high anxiety level just prior to the course but demonstrated a correlation between low levels of anxiety and positive self perceptions. (JC)