Temperament, anxiety, and attentional control
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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
Published on: July 19, 2017
1Department of Psychology, Plymouth State University, 17 High Street, Plymouth, NH 03264, USA.
Abstract:
To regulate attention has been a significant component of individual differences in temperament, and other research supported a relation between measures of attentional control and anxiety, i.e., high scores on trait anxiety were correlated with inability to regulate attention in response to the environment, so enhanced attentional control may interact with dimensions of temperament to modify the effects of generalized anxiety. To test this hypothesis, 69 undergraduates completed the Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey, the Burns Anxiety Scale, and the Derryberry and Reed measure of Attentional Control. Analysis suggested attentional control may be a significant factor in modifying reported anxiety. Further research is warranted, given the present small sample tested with numerous measures.
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