ArticleJournal of anxiety disorders2022
The naturalistic reinforcement of worry from positive and negative emotional contrasts: Results from a momentary assessment study within social interactions.
Article in Journal of anxiety disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dampening of positive affect as an emotional contrast avoidance strategy: An experimental test of the contrast avoidance model.Behaviour research and therapy · 2026Trial
- A brief ecological momentary intervention for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial of the worry outcome monitoring app.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2026Trial
- Savoring changes novel positive mindset targets of GAD treatment: Optimism, prioritizing positivity, kill-joy thinking, and worry mediation.Behaviour research and therapy · 2024Trial
- Reducing contrast avoidance in GAD by savoring positive emotions: Outcome and mediation in a randomized controlled trial.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2023Trial
- Dampening of Positive Affect Serves an Emotional Contrast Avoidance Function: Preliminary Evidence From an Adult Community Sample.Journal of clinical psychology · 2026Article
- Development and validation of the eight item contrast avoidance questionnaire-general emotion scale (CAQ-GE-8): An item-response theory analysis.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2026Article
- Examining the Contrast Avoidance Model to Understand the Association between Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Sleep Difficulties.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2026Article
- [Why do people feel anxious and worried? Development of the Japanese version of the Contrast Avoidance Questionnaire].Shinrigaku kenkyu : The Japanese journal of psychology · 2026Article
- Thought suppression worsens mood and obsessions but improves them subsequently: First evidence of a contrast avoidance effect for the maintenance of thought suppression.Behaviour research and therapy · 2026Article
- Validation of the Chinese version of the Contrast Avoidance Questionnaires.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Wait for It: Defensive Reactivity and Individual Differences in Contrast Avoidance in the NPU-Reward Task.Psychophysiology · 2025Article
- Why do individuals with generalized anxiety disorder and depression engage in worry and rumination? A momentary assessment study of positive contrast enhancement.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2025Article
- Contrast avoidance as a diagnostic feature of OCD: A receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis of the contrast avoidance questionnaires.Journal of affective disorders · 2025Article
- Treatment condition as a moderator and change in trait mindfulness as a mediator of a brief mindfulness ecological momentary intervention for generalized anxiety disorder.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2024Article
- An initial test of the contrast avoidance model in bipolar spectrum disorders.Journal of psychiatric research · 2024Article
- The Contrast Avoidance Model: Conclusion and synthesis of new research in the special issue.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2024Article
- Introduction to a special issue on the contrast avoidance model.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2024Article
- Incremental validity of the contrast avoidance model: A comparison with intolerance of uncertainty and negative problem orientation.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2023Article
- The transdiagnostic use of worry and rumination to avoid negative emotional contrasts following negative events: A momentary assessment study.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2023Article
- The mediating effect of stress reactivity in the 18-year bidirectional relationship between generalized anxiety and depression severity.Journal of affective disorders · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe Contrast Avoidance Model (Newman & Llera, 2011) proposes that worry is reinforced by avoiding a negative contrast and increasing the likelihood of a positive contrast.
objectiveTo determine if reinforcement of worry occurs naturalistically via contrasts in both negative and positive emotion.
methodUsing event-contingent momentary assessment we assessed social interactions, pre-interaction state worry and pre-post interaction positive and negative emotion. Participants with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; N = 83) completed an online questionnaire after social interactions lasting at least 1 min for 8 days. Three-level multilevel models were conducted.
resultsHigher worry was concurrently associated with increased negative emotion and decreased positive emotion. Regardless of pre-interaction worry level, negative emotion decreased, and positive emotion increased from before to after interactions, suggesting that most interactions were benign or positive. At lower levels of pre-interaction worry, participants experienced increased negative emotion and decreased positive emotion from before to after interactions. At higher levels of pre-interaction worry, participants experienced decreased negative emotion and increased positive emotion from before to after interactions.
conclusionAmong persons with GAD, worrying before social interactions may be both negatively and positively reinforced; furthermore, not worrying before social interactions may be both negatively and positively punished.
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