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Characteristics of Worriers as a Function of Individual Differences in Effortful Control

Chriki, Lyvia
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3730-5273
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1436434892

Abstract Details

2015, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of life issues. Despite the fact that GAD has high prevalence rates and often presents with additional comorbid complaints and disorders, less research has been conducted on the underlying cognitive and regulatory processes of GAD compared to other mental disorders, and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear. One prominent theory of GAD is the cognitive avoidance model of GAD proposed by Borkovec and colleagues (2004), which proposes that worry is a cognitive form of avoidance of images related to the worry topics. Worry is maintained because it allows for suppression and avoidance of the experience of a full-blown fear response. An implication of this theory is that individuals with GAD should necessarily report experiencing fewer physiological hyperarousal (PH) symptoms as they successfully avoid their feared response, and a significant body of research has supported this. Nevertheless, some debate exists in the field about the level of association between worry and PH and there are also studies that have not found this relationship to be significant. Based on this latter body of research, Newman and Llera (2011) propose the contrast avoidance model of GAD and suggest that worry is not in the service of completely avoiding PH but that worry is utilized in the service of avoiding the experience of the contrast between positive or euthymic “worry-free” states of emotion and a negative state of emotion. Previous research conducted in our lab suggests that the strength of the relationship between worry and PH is moderated by effortful control (EC), which represents the capacity to override one’s automatic tendencies and substitute an adaptive alternative response. The current study investigated the idea that the discrepancies that exist in the literature on the association between worry and PH can be attributed to EC. An additional primary purpose of the current study was to characterize worriers low and high on levels of EC on several variables that have been associated with worry. A sample of 123 individuals in Psychology 1100 at The Ohio State University completed an in-lab performance task, a clinical interview and measures that assessed worry, EC, PH, tolerance of uncertainty, meta-cognitions about worry, experiential avoidance, and OCPD personality dimensions. Results indicated that EC moderated the association between worry and PH symptoms. With several noteworthy exceptions, EC had little if any impact on most correlates of pathological worry. However, findings suggested that the impact of worry on broader aspects of adaptive functioning may vary in important ways at lower versus higher levels of EC. For example, whereas higher levels of EC predicted reduced impact of worry on general functioning, they predicted stronger associations between worry and OCPD personality traits. While EC is protective of heightened PH and depressive symptoms, worriers with higher EC do pay a price for their worries in the long run, as they are cold, aloof, and detached in relationships and approach the world in a rigid and inflexible manner. An integrative model of GAD is proposed. While the cognitive avoidance model of GAD may best characterize worriers high in EC, those lower on EC may fit better under the depiction of GAD in Newman and Llera’s contrast avoidance model. Treatment implications are discussed.
Michael Vasey (Advisor)
Mary Fristad (Committee Member)
Julian Thayer (Committee Member)
124 p.
Psychology
Worry, Effortful Control, Attentional Control, Physiological Hyperarousal, Physiological arousal, OCPD

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Chriki, L. (2015). Characteristics of Worriers as a Function of Individual Differences in Effortful Control [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1436434892

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Chriki, Lyvia. Characteristics of Worriers as a Function of Individual Differences in Effortful Control . 2015. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1436434892.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Chriki, Lyvia. "Characteristics of Worriers as a Function of Individual Differences in Effortful Control ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1436434892

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1436434892
586
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.