Woldgabreal, Yilma (2010) The Influence of Worry and Intolerance of Uncertainty on Anxiety in Adults. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Contemporary cognitive theories have continued to inspire considerable interest in the investigation of factors that contribute to the onset, development, and persistence of anxiety problems. Recent empirical investigations in this area have implicated the contribution of the cognitive constructs of worry and intolerance of uncertainty as vulnerability factors to anxiety severity. To date, little is known about the extent to which these cognitive vulnerability factors predict anxiety, both individually and in combination, and whether worry mediates the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety. The present study examined these relationships in a convenience sample 150 female and 137 male adults (N = 287), using the Abbreviated Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ-A; Hopko, et al., 2003), revised short-form version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12; Carleton, Norton, & Asmundson, 2007), and short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical analyses. Results from Pearson product-moment correlations revealed that higher levels of worry and intolerance of uncertainty were associated with increased anxiety. A hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for age and gender, revealed that worry and intolerance of uncertainty collectively explained 23% of the variance in anxiety, and individually (uniquely) accounted 4% and 3% of the variance respectively, which represented small but significant effect sizes. Worry was the stronger predictor of anxiety levels compared to intolerance of uncertainty, gender, and age. Moreover, a one-way ANOVA analysis, using Tukey HSD post-hoc comparisons, identified an inverse relationship between age and anxiety, suggesting decreased anxiety levels as cohort age groups increased. A further mediation analysis revealed that worry was a partial mediator of the effect of intolerance of uncertainty on anxiety severity. Interpretation of findings was limited to descriptive and predictive associations due to limitations on the generalisability of the data. Overall, consistent with contemporary cognitive theories and recent empirical investigations, findings from the present study indicated that both worry and intolerance of uncertainty were important cognitive vulnerability factors in anxiety. A basic implication of these findings is the need to consider such cognitive vulnerability factors in tackling anxiety issues. Suggested cognitive-based clinical interventions include: (a) raising the awareness of individuals with anxiety issues about the debilitating effects of worry and intolerance of uncertainty on anxiety, (b) helping these individuals reframe negative beliefs about worry and uncertainty, and (c) helping them identify their own positive assets and positive beliefs about their own ability (self-efficacy). To enhance the effectiveness of such interventions, future research is recommended to examine the relative influences and mediating roles of other cognitive vulnerability factors in anxiety, particularly perceptual and interpretative biases.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Thompson, Murray |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology) |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Mar 2026 03:25 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Mar 2026 03:25 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52893 |
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