NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ807700
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Sep
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0005-7894
EISSN: N/A
An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Worry on Responses to a Discrimination Learning Task
Salters-Pedneault, Kristalyn; Suvak, Michael; Roemer, Lizabeth
Behavior Therapy, v39 n3 p251-261 Sep 2008
The current study examined the impact of both the tendency to worry (trait worry) and the process of worry (state worry) on subsequent behavioral responding in a schedule discrimination learning task. High and low trait worriers were randomly assigned to a state worry or relaxation incubation condition and completed a test of executive functioning and a dual contingency learning task that utilized neutral discriminative cues over the course of 2 contingency phases. Although state and trait worry did not impact executive functioning, the state worry condition was associated with diminished sensitivity to learning task contingencies over the course of the first contingency learning trials in comparison to the relaxation condition. This relationship was unique to the state worry condition above and beyond shared variance with subjective anxiety level. Results suggest that state worry may lead to a decrement in selective behavioral responding to neutral discriminative cues in the environment. The findings suggest that the process of worry may lead to less adaptive responding to neutral cues and interfere with adaptive behaviors, which may thereby contribute to and maintain anxiety. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)
Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A