The Relationship between Cognitions and Anxiety

Abstract

Six agoraphobics were assessed repeatedly in regard to their cognitions and anxiety level while exposed to a shopping mall. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were calculated for each subject for: (1) percentage of negative or maladaptive thoughts and self-reported anxiety level during exposure, and (2) percentage of positive or adaptive thoughts and anxiety. In the majority of cases, results showed a significant, positive relationship between negative thinking and anxiety, with larger percentages of maladaptive thoughts corresponding with higher ratings of anxiety. In addition, there was some evidence of an inverse relationship between positive thinking and anxiety, with larger percentages of these thoughts corresponding with lower ratings of anxiety.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Psychiatric Association . (1980). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd edition). Washington, DC: Author.

Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: International Universities Press.

Beck, A. T. , & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of anxiety and phobic disorders. Philadelphia: Center for Cognitive Therapy.

Beck, A. T. , Laude, R. , & Bohnert, M. (1974). Ideational components of anxiety neurosis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 31, 319-325.

Borkovec, T. D. (1978). Self-efficacy: Cause or reflection of behavioral change? Advances in Behavioral Research and Therapy, 1, 163-170.

Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy. New York: Stuart.

Last, C. G. (1984). Cognitive treatment of phobia. In M. Hersen , R. M. Eisler , & P. M. Miller (Eds.), Progress in behavior modification: Volume 16. New York: Academic Press.

Last, C. G. , Barlow, D. H. , & O'Brien, G. T. (1984). Cognitive change during treatment of agoraphobia: Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches. Behavior Modification, 8, 181-210.

Last, C. G. , & Blanchard, E. B. (1982). Classification of phobias versus fearful nonphobics: Procedural and theoretical issues. Behavioral Assessment, 4, 195-210.

10.

Mahoney, M. J. (1974). Cognition and behavior modification. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.

11.

May, J. R. (1977a). Psychophysiology of self-regulated phobic thoughts. Behavior Therapy, 8, 150-159.

12.

May, J. R. (1977b). A psychophysiological study of self and externally regulated phobic thoughts. Behavior Therapy, 8, 849-861.

13.

Meichenbaum, D. (1977). Cognitive behavior modification. New York: Plenum.

14.

Rimm, D. C. , Janda, L. H. , Lancaster, D. W. , Nahl, M. , & Dittmar, K. (1977). An exploratory investigation of the origin and maintenance of phobias. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 15, 231-238.

15.

Wade, T. C. , Malloy, T. E. , & Proctor, S. (1977). Imaginal correlates of self-reported fear and avoidance behavior. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 15, 17-22.

16.

Watson, J. P. , & Marks, I. M. (1971). Relevant and irrelevant fear in flooding: A crossover study of phobic patients. Behavior Therapy, 275-296.

17.

Williams, S. L. , & Rappoport, A. (1983). Cognitive treatment in the natural environment for agoraphobics. Behavior Therapy, 4, 299-313.