Examining the relationship between cognitive flexibility and constructs of anxiety

Abstract

Theories addressing the links between emotion and cognition commonly specify the role of executive functions in anxiety processes. Cognitive flexibility is a component of executive functioning and is often used synonymously with shifting/switching ability. A growing area of research investigating general anxiety processes and cognitive flexibility has yielded mixed findings. As a result, a systematic review was undertaken to explore the relationships between general anxiety constructs and performance of tasks measuring cognitive shifting/switching abilities. Twenty-one studies were included in the review that measured trait and state anxiety, worry or generalised anxiety disorder symptoms, along with the use of a cognitive shifting/switching paradigm. This review found evidence that increased trait anxiety is associated with reduced shifting ability, particularly decreased processing efficiency. The review highlighted the potential for targeting cognitive flexibility in clinical interventions for anxiety.

The empirical paper explored associations between cognitive flexibility and transdiagnostic anxiety processes. Cognitive flexibility, intolerance of uncertainty and worry were measured using an online version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), questionnaire measures and a task requiring participants to generate consequences from uncertain future events. Sixty participants, recruited from the community, took part in this web-based study. Results indicated that reduced cognitive flexibility, indicated by performance on the WCST, was associated with higher intolerance of uncertainty. Implications for the addition of intolerance of uncertainty in models of emotion-cognition are discussed along with the use of transdiagnostic measures in neuropsychological settings. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to explore these relationships further.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Matthew Garner: orcid.org/0000-0001-9481-2226

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