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Cited by 804Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMind wandering and attentionPsychological Treatments and Assessments

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 59 of the 59 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Worry: A Cognitive Phenomenon Intimately Linked to Affective, Physiological, and Interpersonal Behavioral Processes

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Borkovec, T. D., Ray, William J., Stober, Joachim·1998·Cognitive Therapy and Research
DOI 10.1023/a:1018790003416
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Crossref · 10.1023/a:1018790003416

Cites

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  • Repetitive negative thinking includes worry and rumination and is both a risk factor for and a common symptom of anxiety and depression.

    “Repetitive negative thinking (RNT), which includes worry and rumination, is both a risk factor for and a common symptom of anxiety and depression15–17”

    From An exploration into the relationship between insomnia and repetitive negative thinking among cancer survivors. (2025) · cites this paper as [16]

    The Introduction (p. 3) identifies chronic worry as central to generalized anxiety disorder, and “Worry and Depression” (p. 12) describes depressive rumination as similar to worry and as a possible factor maintaining depression. The paper does not establish that repetitive negative thinking as a whole is a common symptom of both conditions or a risk factor for developing both. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • In the second, more important process, worries are used consciously or automatically to reduce physically experienced stress associated with intense emotions.

    “Im zweiten, wichtigeren Prozess werden Sorgen bewusst oder automatisch eingesetzt, um den mit intensiven Emotionen verbundenen, körperlich erlebten Stress zu reduzieren [Borkovec et al., 1998;Mennin et al., 2002].”

    From Wann sind Sorgen pathologisch? (2009) · cites this paper as Borkovec et al., 1998

    “Worry Suppresses Somatic Anxiety” (p. 5) reports that worry suppresses cardiovascular responses to threatening images, supporting the claim that it reduces physically experienced anxiety. The cited passages do not establish that worry is used consciously or automatically for this purpose, or characterize it as a second, more important process. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • In the superstitious variant, patients believe that thinking about a feared event beforehand lowers its probability of occurrence, feel better prepared, and gain a sense of safety and control.

    “Eine «abergläubische» Variante, bei der Patienten meinen, die Auftretenswahrscheinlichkeit eines befürchteten Ereignisses zu senken, wenn sie sich vorher darüber «Gedanken» gemacht haben.Sie fühlen sich dadurch besser vorbereitet.Dies vermittelt ein Gefühl von Sicherheit und Kontrolle.”

    From Wann sind Sorgen pathologisch? (2009) · cites this paper as Borkovec et al., 1998

    In “Worry as an Attempt to Avoid Negative Events or to Prepare for the Worst” (pp. 7–8), the paper reports that people believe worrying prepares them for the worst and can make a feared event seem less likely to occur. It describes this as a superstitious association, but does not say that it gives them a feeling of safety and control. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Reinforcement learning mechanisms have been suggested to drive anxiety disorders.

    “From a theoretical standpoint, reinforcement learning mechanisms have been suggested to drive anxiety disorders [14,15].”

    From Clinical Efficacy and Psychological Mechanisms of an App-Based Digital Therapeutic for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

    The Summary and Conclusion (p. 16) proposes that negative reinforcement can strengthen and maintain worry, and the discussion on p. 8 links learning and reinforcement principles to the origins and maintenance of worry. The paper focuses on worry and generalized anxiety disorder; it does not establish that reinforcement learning mechanisms drive anxiety disorders generally. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The prevalence of imagery-based repetitive negative thinking is at odds with models arguing that repetitive negative thinking is a verbal-based strategy to avoid distressing intrusive images, but is in line with recent empirical data demonstrating comparable effects on affect between both modalities of repetitive negative thinking.

    “Imagery-based RNT was prevalent, at odds with models arguing RNT is a verbal-based strategy to avoid distressing intrusive images (Borkovec et al., 1998), but in line with recent empirical data demonstrating comparable effects on affect between both modalities of RNT (Lawrence & Schwartz-Mette, 2019).”

    From Understanding Autistic Adults' Psychological Experiences of Anxiety Problems: A Qualitative Interview Study. (2026) · cites this paper as Borkovec et al., 1998

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Citations

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Deffenbacher, J. L. (1980). Worry and emotionality in test anxiety. In I. G. Sarason (Ed.), Test anxiety: Theory, research and application. Hillside, NJ: Erlbaum.
  2. Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1996). Chewing the cud and other ruminations. In R. S. Wyer (Ed.), Advances in social cognition(pp. 135–144). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  3. Pribram, C. (1981). Emotions. In S. Filskov & T. Boll (Eds.), Handbook of clinical neuropsychology(pp. 102–134). New York: Wiley.
  4. Schönpflug, W. (1989). Anxiety, worry, prospective orientation, and prevention. In C. D. Spielberger & I. G. Sarason (Eds.), Stress and anxiety(pp. 245–258). Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

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Metadata

Authors
Borkovec, T. D., Ray, W. J., & Stober, J.
Affiliations
Pennsylvania State University (US)
ORCID
Ray, William J.
Venue
Cognitive Therapy and Research
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
1998-12
Volume
22
Issue
6
Pages
561-576
ISSN
  • 0147-5916 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2819
DOI
10.1023/a:1018790003416
OpenAlex
W1618820470
Cited by
802
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 32
FWCI
11.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Cognitive Therapy and Research (publishedVersion)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
Keywords
worry, cognitive avoidance, anxiety, depressive affect, caregiver attachment, interpersonal problems, physiological arousal

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