Worry

Worry is a form of negative repetitive thinking in which individuals focus on potential negatively valenced future events. In a systematic review of the literature on repetitive thinking, Ed Watkins has theorized that the degree to which repetitive thought is either adaptive or maladaptive depends on two overarching factors: (1) its affective valence (i.e., how negative or positive it is) and (2) its level of construal (i.e., how abstract or concrete it is). Worry has been shown to primarily elicit negative emotions, most predominantly anxiety and depression. Worry is also thought to be characterized by reduced concreteness of thought, which ultimately interferes with adaptive functioning. During periods of worrisome thinking, participants experience mental activity that is significantly more abstract and less concrete than during a ...