The error related negativity (ERN) is an event-related brain potential that is sensitive to errors. It reflects individual differences in the extent to which individuals recruit neural systems involved in monitoring errors and systems for cognitive control that then make adjustments to future behavior. It has been closely linked to anxiety through diverse disorders and symptoms, but recently evidence highlights the role of anxious apprehension as a key individual difference related to error monitoring. Diverse hypotheses have emerged to explain this relationship. While some views emphasize the role of motivation and emotion, others suggest that a transient compensatory control is responsible for this relationship. Although both theories recognize the potential for state anxiety to potentiate the ERN, there is limited literature that allows a comparison of these competing hypotheses. The present study investigated the interaction of state and trait anxiety on the ERN by comparing ERN amplitude before and after a five minute worry induction period that specifically targeted each individual's greatest current worries. Results did not unequivocally support one specific theory, but rather provide some preliminary evidence of how trait and state worry may interact and affect the ERN. Suggestions for future research are provided, including using worry induction paradigms in which the worries increase threat or significance of errors.

No description available.

According to leading psychosocial models of worry, the reduced imagery and concreteness of worries may prevent emotional processing and ultimately maintain fear. Given that Pennebaker’s written emotional disclosure paradigm may facilitate emotional processing, the present study investigated whether writing about potential problems about which individuals were worried had physical and psychological health benefits similar to the benefits of writing about other emotionally meaningful topics (e.g., decreased physician visits, reduced symptoms of psychopathology). Participants were randomly assigned to write either emotionally or objectively about a potential problem worrying them or a neutral topic (a 2 x 2 between-participants design). Each group completed four 15-min writing sessions on four consecutive days. Physician visits, generalized anxiety symptoms, trait worry, and problem appraisals were monitored six weeks before (visits), immediately after (all variables), one month after (symptoms, worry, and appraisals), and 3 months after (visits) writing. Contrary to past research, the present research revealed no beneficial effects of written emotional disclosure about potential problems. However, among emotional disclosure participants who wrote about the same worry across all four writing sessions, there was a subsequent decrease in trait worry scores one month later. Affective data suggested that disclosure facilitated slight fear activation and habituation, although these effects were small. Potential reasons for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

According to leading psychosocial models of worry, the reduced imagery and concreteness of worries may prevent emotional processing and ultimately maintain fear. Given that Pennebaker’s written emotional disclosure paradigm may facilitate emotional processing, the present study investigated whether writing about potential problems about which individuals were worried had physical and psychological health benefits similar to the benefits of writing about other emotionally meaningful topics (e.g., decreased physician visits, reduced symptoms of psychopathology). Participants were randomly assigned to write either emotionally or objectively about a potential problem worrying them or a neutral topic (a 2 x 2 between-participants design). Each group completed four 15-min writing sessions on four consecutive days. Physician visits, generalized anxiety symptoms, trait worry, and problem appraisals were monitored six weeks before (visits), immediately after (all variables), one month after (symptoms, worry, and appraisals), and 3 months after (visits) writing. Contrary to past research, the present research revealed no beneficial effects of written emotional disclosure about potential problems. However, among emotional disclosure participants who wrote about the same worry across all four writing sessions, there was a subsequent decrease in trait worry scores one month later. Affective data suggested that disclosure facilitated slight fear activation and habituation, although these effects were small. Potential reasons for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 73 p. : col. ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-59).

No description available.

Despite the ostensible prevalence of academic worry at the college and university level, there is a paucity of research in this area. In addition, there is an even greater dearth of research investigating treatments for excessive and uncontrollable academic worry. Further, the research on non-pharmacological treatment strategies for reducing pathological worry (as seen in its most severe form in generalized anxiety disorder; GAD) is limited. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the potential benefits of two self-administered interventions for reducing pathological academic worry. Participants experiencing pathological academic worry (N = 113) were randomized to one of four conditions: (a) worry exposure (WE), (b) expressive writing (EW), (c) a credible placebo control, consisting of pulsed audio-photic stimulation (APS), and (d) wait-list control (WLC). Participants were instructed to practice their interventions three times per week for one month. Participants in all three of the intervention conditions showed significant improvement on self-report measures, while no such changes were observed for the control group. Findings were mixed on the objective measures. In general, neither the WE nor EW conditions consistently outperformed placebo, and in some cases, EW failed to outperform the waitlist control group at post-treatment. Overall, those assigned to WE showed greater improvement than those assigned to EW at posttreatment, but few significant differences between the three intervention groups emerged at follow-up. These mixed findings suggest that either the efficacy of each of the treatments does not go beyond the that which would be expected of non-specific treatment effects, or that the pulsed audio-photic stimulation did in fact exert more of an effect than a typical placebo, suggesting there may have been an unanticipated active treatment component. Despite this, several participants in WE and EW showed marked improvement, and even continued improvement by follow-up, suggesting that, while perhaps not highly potent treatments when delivered in isolation, these may be easy, costeffective interventions for pathological worry. Further research is needed with clinical GAD samples, and research is also needed on the placebo response rate in GAD. / text

Background. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) requires the ongoing self-management of blood glucose to minimize the likelihood of serious morbidity and premature mortality. Adherence to clinical recommendations is challenging and is influenced by serious short-term complications of self-management (e.g., hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia) and long-term vascular pathology (e.g., eye disease, heart attack). Worry of hypoglycemia (WoH) and worry of vascular complications (WVC) are two cognitive and behavioural constructs that have important implications for blood glucose control. Although researchers have argued that avoidance behaviour explains the relationship between diabetes-related worry and blood glucose, data supporting this assertion is lacking. Furthermore, the impact of diabetes-related worry and worry-driven behaviour on important health-related quality of life (HRQoL) dimensions is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to provide the first test of this avoidance behaviour mediation hypothesis, and to examine the relationships between diabetes-related worry, avoidance behaviour and HRQoL (perceived impact; self-management satisfaction). Method. One hundred and fifty two individuals with T1DM completed a self-report questionnaire package, and 129 participants had blood glucose values (i.e., A1C) available for analysis. Results. Avoidance behaviour did not mediate the relationships between diabetes-related worry and blood glucose. However, WoH was associated with avoidance behaviour, which in turn, was associated with higher blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemia avoidance behaviour mediated the positive relationship between WoH and the perceived impact of having diabetes, and WVC and hyperglycemia avoidance behaviour were independently associated with the perceived impact of having diabetes. While WoH and WVC were associated with lower satisfaction with self-management practices, hypoglycemia subtle avoidance behaviour, hyperglycemia avoidance behaviour, and complication vigilance/risk behaviour avoidance was associated with greater satisfaction. Discussion. In the majority of cases, the avoidance behaviour mediation hypotheses were not supported by these data. However, these results highlight the differential impact of diabetes-related worry and worry-driven behaviour on blood glucose and HRQoL among individuals with T1DM. Strengths and limitations of the present study are discussed, and directions for future research are offered.

Background. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) requires the ongoing self-management of blood glucose to minimize the likelihood of serious morbidity and premature mortality. Adherence to clinical recommendations is challenging and is influenced by serious short-term complications of self-management (e.g., hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia) and long-term vascular pathology (e.g., eye disease, heart attack). Worry of hypoglycemia (WoH) and worry of vascular complications (WVC) are two cognitive and behavioural constructs that have important implications for blood glucose control. Although researchers have argued that avoidance behaviour explains the relationship between diabetes-related worry and blood glucose, data supporting this assertion is lacking. Furthermore, the impact of diabetes-related worry and worry-driven behaviour on important health-related quality of life (HRQoL) dimensions is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to provide the first test of this avoidance behaviour mediation hypothesis, and to examine the relationships between diabetes-related worry, avoidance behaviour and HRQoL (perceived impact; self-management satisfaction). Method. One hundred and fifty two individuals with T1DM completed a self-report questionnaire package, and 129 participants had blood glucose values (i.e., A1C) available for analysis. Results. Avoidance behaviour did not mediate the relationships between diabetes-related worry and blood glucose. However, WoH was associated with avoidance behaviour, which in turn, was associated with higher blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemia avoidance behaviour mediated the positive relationship between WoH and the perceived impact of having diabetes, and WVC and hyperglycemia avoidance behaviour were independently associated with the perceived impact of having diabetes. While WoH and WVC were associated with lower satisfaction with self-management practices, hypoglycemia subtle avoidance behaviour, hyperglycemia avoidance behaviour, and complication vigilance/risk behaviour avoidance was associated with greater satisfaction. Discussion. In the majority of cases, the avoidance behaviour mediation hypotheses were not supported by these data. However, these results highlight the differential impact of diabetes-related worry and worry-driven behaviour on blood glucose and HRQoL among individuals with T1DM. Strengths and limitations of the present study are discussed, and directions for future research are offered.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007. / "May 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-86). Online version available on the World Wide Web.