Experimentally induced and real-world anxiety have no demonstrable effect on goal-directed behaviour

Tools

Gillan, C. M., Vaghi, M. M., Hezemans, F. H., van Ghesel Grothe, S., Dafflon, J., Brühl, A. B., Savulich, G. and Robbins, T. W. (2021) Experimentally induced and real-world anxiety have no demonstrable effect on goal-directed behaviour. Psychological Medicine, 51 (9). pp. 1467-1478. ISSN 0033-2917

[thumbnail of Gillan_etal_2021_PsychologicalMedicine]
Preview
 PDF (Gillan_etal_2021_PsychologicalMedicine) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (628kB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: Goal-directed control guides optimal decision-making and it is an important cognitive faculty that protects against developing habits. Previous studies have found some evidence of goal-directed deficits when healthy individuals are stressed, and in psychiatric conditions characterised by compulsive behaviours and anxiety. Here, we tested if goal-directed control is affected by state anxiety, which might explain the former results. Methods: We carried out a causal test of this hypothesis in two experiments (between-subject N = 88; within-subject N = 50) that used the inhalation of hypercapnic gas (7.5% CO2) to induce an acute state of anxiety in healthy volunteers. In a third experiment (N = 1413), we used a correlational design to test if real-life anxiety-provoking events (panic attacks, stressful events) are associated with impaired goal-directed control. Results: In the former two causal experiments, we induced a profoundly anxious state, both physiologically and psychologically, but this did not affect goal-directed performance. In the third, correlational, study, we found no evidence for an association between goal-directed control, panic attacks or stressful life events over and above variance accounted for by trait differences in compulsivity. Conclusions: In sum, three complementary experiments found no evidence that anxiety impairs goal-directed control in human subjects.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Related URLs:
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 04 Oct 2022 16:30
Last Modified: 06 Feb 2025 10:59
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/88841
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291720000203

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item