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Inflated responsibility and the use of stop rules for catastrophic worrying
1School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|March 20, 2003
Summary
High worriers exhibit greater responsibility, which causally influences perseveration in catastrophic worrying, particularly when experiencing negative moods. This supports the mood-as-input theory of anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Catastrophic worrying is a key feature of anxiety disorders.
- The mood-as-input hypothesis suggests emotions influence cognitive processes.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the mechanisms linking responsibility, mood, and perseveration in worrying.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test predictions from the mood-as-input explanation of catastrophic worrying.
- To investigate if individuals prone to worrying have characteristics supporting strict closure rules in catastrophizing.
- To examine the causal role of inflated responsibility in perseveration during catastrophizing tasks.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted to assess mood-as-input predictions.
- Experiment 1 measured self-reported responsibility in high versus low worriers before a catastrophizing task.
- Experiment 2 manipulated responsibility and mood to assess their causal effects on perseveration.
Main Results:
- High worriers reported higher levels of responsibility than low worriers.
- Inflated responsibility causally increased perseveration in catastrophizing.
- The exacerbation of catastrophizing by inflated responsibility was contingent upon negative mood.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the mood-as-input account of catastrophic worrying.
- Inflated responsibility plays a causal role in perseveration, mediated by negative mood.
- A complex interplay between responsibility and mood influences the persistence of catastrophic thoughts.