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Gender differences in worry and associated cognitive-behavioral variables
Abstract
Research has shown that there is a significant gender difference in the worry report of women and men, with women often reporting more worry than men. The present study investigated this phenomenon by looking at gender differences in cognitive variables associated with worry; namely, intolerance of uncertainty, negative problem orientation, positive beliefs about worry, and cognitive avoidance. The sample consisted of 217 female and 100 male university students who completed six questionnaires assessing worry and associated cognitive variables. Women reported more worry than men on two measures of the tendency to worry, as well as more worries about lack of confidence issues. Women also reported a more negative problem orientation and engaging in more thought suppression, a type of cognitive avoidance. Thought suppression and negative orientation were found to make a significant contribution to the prediction of worry scores. Moreover, when both variables were controlled, the significant prediction of gender to worry disappeared. Hypotheses accounting for gender differences in thought suppression and negative problem orientation are discussed.
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“Third, several studies have reported higher levels of worry in females than in males (Molina & Borkovec, 1994;Robichaud, Dugas & Conway, 2003;Rodríguez-Biglieri & Vetere, 2011;Dugas, Freeston, & Ladouceur, 1997)”
From The Argentinian version of the cognitive fusion questionnaire: Psychometric properties and the role of cognitive fusion as a predictor of pathological worry (2022) · cites this paper as Robichaud, Dugas & Conway, 2003
In the citing paper
“Studies indicate that women often exhibit higher levels of IU [108] and score higher in constructs related to health anxiety and IU [109,110], showing a stronger relationship between IU and negative future orientation.”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [108]
In the citing paper
“Research into gender differences in the cognitive processes influencing GAD in the adult population demonstrates that women report relatively higher levels NPO and thought suppression, which is a type of CA (Robichaud et al., 2003).”
From Applicability of the intolerance of uncertainty model to Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms in young people (2021) · cites this paper as Robichaud et al., 2003
In the citing paper
“This was partially consistent with the findings of Robichaud et al. (2003), who reported relatively higher levels of CA and NPO in adult females, but that the correlation between PBW and worry was stronger in males than females.”
From Applicability of the intolerance of uncertainty model to Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms in young people (2021) · cites this paper as Robichaud et al. (2003)
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Metadata
- Authors
- Robichaud, M., Dugas, M. J., & Conway, M.
- Affiliations
- Concordia University (CA)
- Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Dugas, Michel J
- Venue
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 501-516
- ISSN
- 0887-6185 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1989990228
- Cited by
- 298
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 3.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Keywords
- gender differences, worry, intolerance of uncertainty, negative problem orientation, cognitive avoidance, thought suppression, university students
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Avoidance Learning, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Defense Mechanisms, Female, Gender Identity, Humans, Male, Personality Inventory, Problem Solving, Students
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