TY - JOUR
T1 - Future-oriented decision-making in Generalized Anxiety Disorder is evident across different versions of the Iowa Gambling Task
AU - Mueller, Erik M.
AU - Nguyen, Jennifer
AU - Ray, William J.
AU - Borkovec, Thomas D.
N1 - Funding Information:
Erik Mueller is now at Marburg University, Marburg, Germany. The stay of Erik Mueller at the Pennsylvania State University was supported by a scholarship from the ‘Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst’ (DAAD) and from the Marburg University – Pennsylvania State University exchange program.
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and excessive worrying are characterized by a preoccupation with the future. Thus, enhanced identification of potential future punishments or omissions of reward may be related to the disorder. To test this hypothesis, n = 47 students meeting GAD criteria according to the GADQ-IV (GAD analogues) or not (control participants) performed the Iowa Gambling Task, which has been related to sensitivity to future consequences. In order to disentangle sensitivity to future loss and sensitivity to high short-term loss magnitudes, which could also lead to enhanced Iowa Gambling Task performance, participants also performed a modified version of the task with reversed contingencies. In both versions, GAD analogues learned to avoid decisions with high probability of long-term loss significantly faster than control participants. Results, therefore, indicate that GAD is characterized by enhanced processing of potential future losses rather than sensitivity to large short-term loss.
AB - Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and excessive worrying are characterized by a preoccupation with the future. Thus, enhanced identification of potential future punishments or omissions of reward may be related to the disorder. To test this hypothesis, n = 47 students meeting GAD criteria according to the GADQ-IV (GAD analogues) or not (control participants) performed the Iowa Gambling Task, which has been related to sensitivity to future consequences. In order to disentangle sensitivity to future loss and sensitivity to high short-term loss magnitudes, which could also lead to enhanced Iowa Gambling Task performance, participants also performed a modified version of the task with reversed contingencies. In both versions, GAD analogues learned to avoid decisions with high probability of long-term loss significantly faster than control participants. Results, therefore, indicate that GAD is characterized by enhanced processing of potential future losses rather than sensitivity to large short-term loss.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jbtep.2009.12.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jbtep.2009.12.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 20060098
AN - SCOPUS:76349091578
SN - 0005-7916
VL - 41
SP - 165
EP - 171
JO - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
IS - 2
ER -
