Anxiety reactivity and anxiety perseveration represent independent dimensions of anxiety vulnerability: an in vivo study

Abstract

Trait anxiety is a relatively stable disposition reflecting an individual's tendency to experience anxious symptomatology, typically measured using questionnaires such as the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T). While trait anxiety commonly is considered a unitary construct, recent questionnaire research suggests that two different dimensions of anxiety vulnerability account for independent variance in trait anxiety scores. These dimensions are anxiety reactivity (AR), reflecting the intensity of anxiety reactions to stressors, and anxiety perseveration (AP), reflecting the persistence of anxiety symptoms. This study investigated whether in vivo measures of these two facets independently contribute to anxiety vulnerability. Seventy-two participants were exposed to a novel stress task designed to yield measures of AR and AP. Regression analysis determined that these in vivo measures were unrelated to each other, and each accounted for independent variance in trait anxiety scores. The implications of these findings for the assessment and understanding of anxiety vulnerability are discussed.

Relationships between dimensions of emotional experience, rumination, and nonsuicidal self‐injury: An application of the Emotional Cascade Model

“…This might be achieved through the development of a more sensitive self‐report measure that accurately tap into the dimensions of emotional reactivity, intensity, and perseveration. Alternatively, assessing responding to laboratory‐based emotion‐induction tasks that specifically target each dimension of emotion could be a worthy line of inquiry (Rudaizky & MacLeod, 2014).…”

Emotional reactivity and perseveration: Independent dimensions of trait positive and negative affectivity and differential associations with psychological distress

“…However, the current findings are preliminary and further research examining the utility of individual differences in emotional reactivity and perseveration in predicting symptoms of psychological distress is clearly needed. and perseveration predict both immediate responses (self-reported and psychophysiological) to, and sustained emotional responses following, experimentally induced positive and negative emotional states (Gross & Levenson, 1995;Kalokerinos, Greenaway, & Denson, 2015;Rudaizky & MacLeod, 2014). Such research would further validate these dimensions of emotional experience.…”

Impact of the Combination of Second Language Acquisition and the Reduction of Students' Study and Test Anxiety

“…The present examination's short psychoeducation, orderly desensitization, and individual advising for test uneasiness were viable in decreasing understudies' test tension, amotivation, and mental misery. The mediations likewise helped increment GPA, and additionally characteristic and outward inspiration, contrasted with understudies who did not get these mental intercessions (Rudaizky and MacLeod, 2013). Generally speaking, colleges and understudy advocates should need to investigate the mental mediations utilized as a part of this examination to deal with understudies' test uneasiness, mental trouble, and absence of scholarly inspiration.…”