Cognitive biases and vulnerability to emotional distress and intrusive thoughts
Cognitive biases and vulnerability to emotional distress and intrusive thoughts
The value of information processing bias measures as predictors of emotional distress and intrusive thoughts in response to stress is reviewed. Three cognitive models of anxiety and relevant research on pre-attentive, attentional and interpretative biases for negative information in anxiety are discussed. Recent studies suggest that these measures may better predict vulnerability to emotional distress than traditional questionnaire measures of anxiety-proneness (e.g., MacLeod & Hagan, 1992). Prospective studies exploring cognitive predictors of intrusive thoughts are reviewed focusing mainly on thought suppression. No study has yet examined whether cognitive biases predict intrusive thoughts. An empirical study is then reported that aims to extend previous research in two ways. Firstly, the range of information-processing bias measures is extended to include an attention deployment task capable of assessing initial vigilance toward, and subsequent avoidance of, threatening stimuli. Secondly, outcome measures are extended to include both emotional distress and short- and long- term measures of intrusive thoughts. Distressing film excerpts were used as a stressor. Findings were that attentional avoidance of threat (at 1500 ms exposures) and initial attentional bias (emotional Stroop) correlated with emotional distress and intrusive thoughts respectively, on certain outcome measures. This was independent of questionnaire measures. Trait anxiety and thought suppression questionnaire measures were also correlated with some of the emotional and intrusive thought outcome measures independently of other measures. Further research is required before firm conclusions can be made about the role of cognitive biases in mediating vulnerability to emotional distress.
University of Southampton
Joy, Deborah L.A
1dc03f5f-adfe-4994-989a-69c8556486b6
2002
Joy, Deborah L.A
1dc03f5f-adfe-4994-989a-69c8556486b6
Joy, Deborah L.A
(2002)
Cognitive biases and vulnerability to emotional distress and intrusive thoughts.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The value of information processing bias measures as predictors of emotional distress and intrusive thoughts in response to stress is reviewed. Three cognitive models of anxiety and relevant research on pre-attentive, attentional and interpretative biases for negative information in anxiety are discussed. Recent studies suggest that these measures may better predict vulnerability to emotional distress than traditional questionnaire measures of anxiety-proneness (e.g., MacLeod & Hagan, 1992). Prospective studies exploring cognitive predictors of intrusive thoughts are reviewed focusing mainly on thought suppression. No study has yet examined whether cognitive biases predict intrusive thoughts. An empirical study is then reported that aims to extend previous research in two ways. Firstly, the range of information-processing bias measures is extended to include an attention deployment task capable of assessing initial vigilance toward, and subsequent avoidance of, threatening stimuli. Secondly, outcome measures are extended to include both emotional distress and short- and long- term measures of intrusive thoughts. Distressing film excerpts were used as a stressor. Findings were that attentional avoidance of threat (at 1500 ms exposures) and initial attentional bias (emotional Stroop) correlated with emotional distress and intrusive thoughts respectively, on certain outcome measures. This was independent of questionnaire measures. Trait anxiety and thought suppression questionnaire measures were also correlated with some of the emotional and intrusive thought outcome measures independently of other measures. Further research is required before firm conclusions can be made about the role of cognitive biases in mediating vulnerability to emotional distress.
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Published date: 2002
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Local EPrints ID: 467137
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/467137
PURE UUID: c04eca3e-c7e1-436c-8bc2-1f8595d7bb5a
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 08:13
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 21:00
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Author:
Deborah L.A Joy
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