The role of trait anxiety in pessimistic expectations and belief updating: an ecological momentary assessment approach Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Anxiety disorders have been associated with negative expectations and a reduced ability to correct prediction errors. However, limited research has investigated the connection between anxiety symptoms and pessimistic beliefs related to real-life experience and activities. This study utilized the ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method to extend prior investigations and explore the relationship between anxiety, expectations, and the ability to adjust these expectations based on experiential feedback. We examine the relationship between self-reported trait anxiety symptoms, as assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), state anxiety assessed through EMA, and the magnitude and frequency of inaccurate expectations (i.e. prediction error) experienced in daily life. Our findings indicate that individuals with higher levels of trait anxiety experience larger prediction errors in daily life. However, this association is not specific to positive or negative prediction errors (i.e. pessimistic or optimistic beliefs), and trait anxiety does not appear to influence an individual's capacity to adjust these expectations over time. Further, prediction error in daily life was more strongly associated with state anxiety assessed through EMA than trait anxiety. The findings from this study will offer valuable insights for the design of mental health interventions, enabling researchers and clinicians to develop more effective treatment approaches for individuals with anxiety disorders.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction 1 Method 3 Participants Sample 1: Patient/Control Sample 4 Sample 2: Community Sample 5 Materials and Procedure 5 Sample 1: Patient/Control Sample 5 Sample 2: Community Sample 6 State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) 6 Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Protocol 6 State Anxiety 7 Coding and Data Reduction 8 Statistical Analysis Plan 9 Results Trait Anxiety (STAI-T) and Experiences in Daily Life 10 Trait Anxiety (STAI-T) and Daily Life Affect Ratings 10 State Anxiety and Experiences in Daily Life 11 Prediction Error Change Over Time 13 Weekly State Anxiety and Experience in Daily Life 14 Effects by Sample 14 Trait Anxiety (STAI-T) and Experience in Daily Life 14 Trait Anxiety (STAI-T) and Daily Life Affect 15 EMA by Week 16 Daily State Anxiety and Experience in Daily Life 17 Discussion 17 Conclusion 22

References 22

Appendices 25

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Clinical Psychology
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Cognitive
关键词	EMA Belief Updating State Anxiety Trait Anxiety
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Barber, Jessica, Emory University Cooper, Jessica, Emory University
Committee Members	Treadway, Michael, Emory University An, Weihua, Emory University

最新修改

Primary PDF

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions
	File download under embargo until 24 May 2026	2024-04-11 15:16:55 -0400	File download under embargo until 24 May 2026

Supplemental Files

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions