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The effects of active worrying on working memory capacity
Berna A Sari1, Ernst H W Koster1, Nazanin Derakshan2
1a Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
Cognition & Emotion
|April 12, 2016
Summary
Worry significantly impairs working memory capacity (WMC) by consuming limited cognitive resources, hindering attentional control and task performance. This study confirms worry
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Anxiety Research
Background:
- Attentional Control Theory posits worry, a facet of anxiety, reduces task performance by depleting working memory capacity (WMC).
- Limited resources in WMC are crucial for maintaining attentional control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between active worrying and WMC.
- To examine how worry influences cognitive performance in undergraduate students.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 64 undergraduate students was divided into a worry condition and a control condition.
- Participants completed a change detection task pre- and post-manipulation.
- Mediation analyses were employed to assess the role of self-reported worry and state anxiety.
Main Results:
- Self-reported worry levels significantly mediated the effect of the experimental condition on changes in WMC.
- The direct effect of the condition on WMC changes was non-significant, supporting the mediating role of worry.
- State anxiety measures yielded similar mediating results.
Conclusions:
- Worry directly impairs working memory capacity, supporting Attentional Control Theory.
- These findings offer novel insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying worry and anxiety's impact on performance.
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