Abstract
The current study addressed the functions of worry in controllable and uncontrollable stressful situations, with the purpose of testing the “truth” behind positive beliefs about worry. All participants (N=72) were immersed in a stressful situation, that of delivering a speech in front of a camera, and they were randomly allocated to two experimental conditions; in the controllable situation, participants knew the topic in advance, whereas in the uncontrollable situation, they had to give an impromptu speech. Worry was negatively associated with performance in the controllable, r(36) = −.469, p=.002, but not in the uncontrollable condition, r(34) = −.106, p>.05, and, for the participants who believed in the benefits of worry, worrying was not positively related to performance, r(32) = −.196, p>.05. Therefore, it appears that in stressful situations, worrying is not associated with increased performance, even if people might believe in its benefits.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
