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The Cognitive Avoidance Theory of Worry
Abstract
This chapter contains section titled: The Primary Avoidant Function of Worry The Nature of Worry Secondary Avoidant Functions of Worry Origins of Pathological Worry and GAD Core Fears in GAD? Epilogue Acknowledgement References
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“thus learned as “a negatively reinforced avoidant behavior” [17].”
From Clinical Efficacy and Psychological Mechanisms of an App-Based Digital Therapeutic for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
In the citing paper
“As uncertainty-related worry mostly concerns future events and situations with an uncertain outcome [127], the aversive uncertainty generated by the appraisal process of media news hinges on the person’s mental construction of some possible future state of affairs implied by the news item.”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [127]
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“The content of worry typically concerns future events whose outcomes are uncertain, but contain the possibility of one or more negative outcomes (Sibrava & Borkovec, 2006).”
BackgroundKoerner, N., & Dugas, M. J. (2008) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-007-9125-2 · Cited by 301
Anniko, M. K., Boersma, K., & Tillfors, M. (2018) · Anxiety Stress & Coping · doi:10.1080/10615806.2018.1549657 · Cited by 194
Metadata
- Authors
- Sibrava, N. J., & Borkovec, T. D.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- ORCID
- Sibrava, Nicholas J.
- Venue
- Worry and its Psychological Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-01
- Pages
- 239-256
- OpenAlex
- W1502275563
- Cited by
- 149
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 10
- Type
- other
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Keywords
- worry, generalized anxiety disorder, avoidance, pathological worry, anxiety
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