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The Influence of Affect Intensity and Cognitive Avoidance on Worry

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate factors influencing worry. To establish the role of negative life stress, affect intensity, and cognitive avoidance in worry, two studies were carried out. Study 1 explored the relationships among negative life stress, affect intensity, cognitive avoidance, and worry. To accomplish this, 330 undergraduate students were asked to complete Life Stress Scale-Revised(LSS-R), Affect Intensity Measure (AIM), Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Worry was significantly correlated with life stress, affect intensity, and cognitive avoidance. Affect intensity distinguished high-worriers from depressive people. Furthermore, life stress, affect intensity, and cognitive avoidance significantly predicted worry. Affect intensity had a moderating effect on the relationship between life stress and worry, while cognitive avoidance had a mediating effect on the relationship between affect intensity and worry, especially in the low life stress group. Study 2 was designed to test the hypothesis that worry and anxiety could be reduced by manipulating cognitive avoidance, as well as to investigate whether a specific reduction in the level of worry and anxiety could distinguish a high affect intensity group from a low affect intensity group. Specifically, a high affect intensity group (N=30) and low affect intensity group (N=30) were selected based on the AIM score. Respondents were then were randomly assigned to either an acceptance condition or avoidance condition experiment group and asked to answer the pre- and post-experiment questionnaire. Acceptance significantly reduced worry and anxiety, with a greater reduction occurring in the high affect intensity group than in low affect intensity group. Overall, cognitive avoidance, especially affect intensity, is significantly related to worry and acceptance of aversive inner experience may be an effective clinical intervention in worry.

keywords
Worry, Generalized anxiety disorder, Life stress, Affect intensity, Cognitive avoidance, Acceptance, 걱정, 범불안장애, 생활 스트레스, 정서강도, 인지적 회피, 수용

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