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Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
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Episodic future thinking in generalized anxiety disorder.

Jade Q Wu1, Karl K Szpunar2, Sheina A Godovich1

  • 1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 648 Beacon St. 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215 USA.

Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|September 24, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is linked to a negativity bias in episodic future thinking (EFT). Individuals with GAD show deficits in generating detailed future imagery, impacting cognitive processes.

Keywords:
CognitionEmotionEpisodic future thinkingGeneralized anxiety disorder

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) research often overlooks episodic future thinking (EFT), focusing instead on worry.
  • EFT, an imagery-based cognitive process, plays a crucial role in future-oriented cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize episodic future thinking (EFT) in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
  • To investigate the impact of repeated simulations on EFT generation in GAD and healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the experimental recombination procedure with 21 GAD and 19 healthy participants.
  • Participants simulated novel future events (positive, neutral, negative) once or repeatedly.
  • Assessed phenomenological experience and plausibility ratings of episodic future thinking (EFT).

Main Results:

  • Healthy controls showed more detailed EFT with repeated simulations.
  • Both groups found EFT easier after repetition, except GAD participants simulating positive events.
  • GAD participants perceived negative future events as more plausible than positive or neutral events, indicating a negativity bias.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals with GAD exhibit a negativity bias in episodic future cognition.
  • GAD is associated with a relative deficit in generating vivid episodic future thinking.
  • Findings have implications for GAD theory and treatment strategies.