Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026
16:08
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
Published on: February 1, 2012
Emotional avoidance: an experimental test of individual differences and response suppression using biological
M T Feldner1, M J Zvolensky, G H Eifert
1The University of Vermont, Department of Psychology, Anxiety and Health Research Laboratory, John Dewey Hall, Burlington 05405 0134, USA. mattfeldner@hotmail.com
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|March 20, 2003
Summary
Individuals with high emotional avoidance experience more anxiety during physical stress, especially when suppressing emotions. This highlights avoidance
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychophysiology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Emotional avoidance is a key factor in psychological distress.
- Understanding emotional avoidance during physical stress is crucial for mental health research.
- Panic disorder is often associated with heightened anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the affective outcomes of response inhibition under anxiety-provoking physical stress.
- To examine how individual differences in emotional avoidance influence responses to stress.
- To explore the role of emotion suppression versus observation in managing stress-induced anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Forty-eight non-clinical participants with varying levels of emotional avoidance were recruited.
- Participants inhaled 20% carbon dioxide-enriched air to induce a stress response.
- Emotional response was manipulated by instructing participants to either inhibit or observe their feelings.
Main Results:
- High emotional avoiders reported significantly greater anxiety and affective distress than low avoiders.
- Physiological arousal did not differ significantly between high and low avoiders.
- High avoiders experienced increased anxiety when suppressing emotions compared to observing them.
Conclusions:
- Emotional avoidance exacerbates anxiety and distress during physical stress.
- Response inhibition strategies can heighten anxiety in individuals prone to emotional avoidance.
- Findings offer insights into panic disorder mechanisms and the role of emotional processing.
