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The utilisation of working memory by worry

¹Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

|July 1, 1993

Summary

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Worry significantly interferes with tasks using the phonological loop of working memory, like generating random letters. This suggests worry primarily uses the central executive’s sound-based processing.

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience

Background:

Worry is a common cognitive process.
Understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying worry is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the cognitive load and working memory demands of worry.
To determine which aspects of working memory are engaged during worry.

Main Methods:

Sixty-eight undergraduates were randomly assigned to worry while performing one of four tasks.
Tasks varied in their potential to interfere with cognitive processes: random letter generation, articulatory suppression, visuo-spatial tasks, and a control condition.
Participants' ability to worry during task performance was assessed.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

The random letter generation task significantly interfered with the ability to worry.
Articulatory suppression showed a nonsignificant trend toward interference.
Visuo-spatial tasks did not significantly affect worry.
No differences were found between self-reported worriers and non-worriers.

Conclusions:

Worry appears to primarily utilize the phonological component of the central executive within working memory.
These findings have implications for understanding the cognitive architecture of anxiety and developing targeted cognitive therapies.