Worry activation impairs intelligence test performace only under ego depletion

Englert, Chris; Bertrams, Alex (2016). Worry activation impairs intelligence test performace only under ego depletion. Swiss journal of psychology, 75(4), pp. 161-166. Huber 10.1024/1421-0185/a000179

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Detrimental effects of anxiety on cognitive performance have been explained by the activation of worry, detracting attention away from the task at hand. However, recent research has shown that anxiety is only related to performance when self-control capacity is low (i.e., ego depletion). The aim of the present work has been to extend these findings by showing that activation of worry will interfere with cognitive performance more strongly when self-control capacity is momentarily depleted compared to intact. After manipulations of self-control capacity and worry activation, 70 undergraduates completed a standardized intelligence test. As expected, activation of worry was associated with lower performance when self-control capacity was depleted, but had no effect when self-control capacity was intact. The findings implicate that worry may play a causal role in the anxiety–performance relationship, but only when its regulation by self-control is momentarily hindered.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Education > Educational Psychology
07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Education

UniBE Contributor:

Englert, Christoph, Bertrams, Alexander Gregor

Subjects:

300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 370 Education

ISSN:

1421-0185

Publisher:

Huber

Language:

English

Submitter:

Christoph Englert

Date Deposited:

12 Jul 2016 11:53

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:56

Publisher DOI:

10.1024/1421-0185/a000179

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.82433

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/82433

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