An experimental investigation of the role of negative mood in worry: the role of appraisals that facilitate systematic information processing.
OBJECTIVE
Negative mood is associated with increased worry levels, and also with deployment of a systematic information processing style. An experimental study assessed the potential role of systematic information processing in mediating the facilitative effect of negative mood on worry (e.g. Johnston & Davey, 1997).


METHODS
Participants underwent appropriate vignette-based mood inductions (negative, neutral, and cognitive priming). Participants completed visual analogue scales measuring variables that reflect a raised processing sufficiency threshold and are known to increase systematic processing (responsibility, accountability, desire for control, and need for cognition), a measure of 'as many as can' worry stop rule deployment, and two measures of worry (the catastrophising interview and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, PSWQ, Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Borkovec, 1990).


RESULTS
Experimentally-induced negative mood facilitated the endorsement of cognitive appraisals known to increase systematic as opposed to heuristic information processing. In addition, a meditational analysis showed that the systematic processing facilitators measure together with a measure of 'as many as can' worry stop rule deployment fully mediated the relationship between negative mood and a measure of worry frequency (PSWQ).


CONCLUSIONS
Future studies should develop and validate direct measures of systematic processing.


CONCLUSIONS
Similarities and differences between systematic processing and chronic worrying as effortful forms of information processing are discussed, and a role for systematic processing as an information processing style relevant to understanding worrisome thought is described.
School of Psychology, The University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK. s.dash@sussex.ac.uk
Suzanne R
SR
Dash
Graham C L
GC
Davey
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult