Worry propensity and the perception of risk

This paper examines how the tendency to worry impacts risk estimation for an upcoming, stressful event. Students in a statistics class completed worry, anxiety, and subjective risk questionnaires on the first day of class. State-anxiety and subjective risk questionnaires were again administered immediately before their first examination. Subjects showed significant increases in anxiety and the perceived risk of poor academic performance in the class. Risk domains unrelated to the examination (e.g., physical threats) remained stable across measurement periods. Regression analysis was used to determine the independent contribution of worry propensity in predicting elevations in the perceived risk of poor academic performance. The analysis showed that worry propensity predicted subjective risk bias, even after variance attributable to current mood and trait anxiety had been removed. Results from a second series of regression equations suggested subjective risk biases partially mediated the relationship between worry propensity and current mood. These results are used to argue that the elevations in state anxiety observed when worriers are confronted with a stressful event are largely a function of risk inflation.