(provided by candidate): The proposed study will contribute to a better understanding of the nature and consequences of the worry process. The vast literature in worry and GAD suggests that pathological worry may be associated with inflexibility in a number of domains. Cognitive, attentional, physiological, behavioral, and emotional correlates of worry demonstrate narrowed responding. However, no studies have directly examined the consequences of state and trait worry on flexible and adaptive responding. This project aims to contribute to our understanding of the process of worry in service of more effective intervention. High and low worriers will be assigned to either a worry or relaxation condition, and will complete two computerized tasks designed to measure cognitive flexibility and ability to detect and adapt to contingency changes. A better understanding of inflexible responding in worry and worriers may lead to more efficacious treatments, as these rigid response patterns may have a wide impact on functioning for individuals with GAD. If worry causes inflexible responding and insensitivity to important environmental information, treatments that specifically target these features of GAD by increasing awareness and flexibility may be indicated. ? ?
| Salters-Pedneault, Kristalyn; Suvak, Michael; Roemer, Lizabeth (2008) An experimental investigation of the effect of worry on responses to a discrimination learning task. Behav Ther 39:251-61 |
