Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...

Horney's Sociocultural Approach

Horney's Sociocultural Approach

Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as dependence on...

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Pregnancy following a prior pregnancy loss: exploring symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Journal of affective disorders·2026

Same author

The effect of face interpretation training on social anxiety symptoms.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Same author

Commentary: When should we designate negative autobiographical memories as key to symptom onset and when is treatment needed?

Clinical psychology : a publication of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association·2026

Same author

Development and evaluation of a digital single-session reappraisal intervention to shift negative self-focused social media interpretations.

Behaviour research and therapy·2026

Same author

A mixed methods evaluation of a pilot open trial of a mentor-guided digital intervention for youth anxiety.

PLOS digital health·2026

Same author

Wearable Sensor-based Multimodal Physiological Responses of Socially Anxious Individuals in Social Contexts on Zoom.

IEEE transactions on affective computing·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

Modifying interpretations among individuals high in anxiety sensitivity.

Shari A Steinman¹, Bethany A Teachman

¹Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, United States. sas6sy@virginia.edu

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

|September 15, 2009

Summary

Cognitive bias modification effectively reduced negative interpretation biases and anxiety sensitivity symptoms. This supports the causal link between cognitive biases and anxiety disorders.

More Related Videos

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents

Published on: July 10, 2017

Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety

Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety

Published on: November 11, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents

Published on: July 10, 2017

Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety

Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety

Published on: November 11, 2022

Area of Science:

Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a key factor in anxiety disorders.
Cognitive models suggest interpretation biases contribute to anxiety.
Bias modification paradigms offer a way to test causal relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the causal role of interpretation biases in anxiety sensitivity.
To examine if reducing negative interpretation biases alleviates AS symptoms.
To test the efficacy of a positive interpretation bias modification paradigm.

Main Methods:

A bias modification paradigm was employed with 75 participants high in AS.
Participants were randomized into Positive training, Neutral training, or No training control groups.
Training involved imagining ambiguous scenarios and resolving them positively.

Main Results:

Positive training significantly shifted interpretation of ambiguous scenarios towards positive outcomes.
Self-reported anxiety sensitivity symptoms were reduced in the Positive training group.
Emotional vulnerability showed mixed results: reduced fear but not avoidance.

Conclusions:

Findings support a causal relationship between interpretation biases and anxiety.
Bias modification is a viable method for targeting cognitive mechanisms in anxiety.
Further research is needed to fully understand the impact on emotional vulnerability.