Systematic information processing and decision-making under uncertainty are key constructs of new conceptions explaining the severity of pathological worry. The current study attempted to analyze their usefulness in subclinical and clinical groups. In the first phase of the study (N = 251) participants were examined with the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), a GP consultationrelated survey, and a screening survey for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In the second phase (N = 220), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the PSWQ, and tasks measuring systematic information processing (SIP) versus heuristic reasoning (HR) were applied. In the third phase (N = 60), GAD (n = 30) and healthy control (n = 30) groups were examined with the above methods and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). In the low risk group, a relationship between mood and the representativeness heuristic (ρ = 0.50), as well as anchoring and adjustment heuristic (anxiety-related stimuli) was found (ρ = -0.53). In the GAD group, significant correlations between the PSWQ score, the IGT loss avoidance score (ρ = 0.40), and total IGT score (ρ = 0.48) were found. The results did not confirm a particular usefulness of the systematic/heuristic information processing construct in subclinical and clinical groups. Theory-consistent results were rather found in the nonclinical groups. Nevertheless, the data revealed some interesting findings supporting potential explanatory power of some theoretical models.

中文翻译：

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病理性担忧者的信息处理和决策及其在广泛性焦虑症机制中的潜在作用。

不确定性下的系统信息处理和决策是解释病理性担忧严重性的新概念的关键构建。当前的研究试图分析其在亚临床和临床组中的有用性。在研究的第一阶段（N = 251），参加者接受了宾州州忧虑调查表（PSWQ），全科医生咨询相关调查以及针对广泛性焦虑症的筛查调查（GAD）。在第二阶段（N = 220），应用了状态特质焦虑量表，PSWQ和测量系统信息处理（SIP）与启发式推理（HR）的任务。在第三阶段（N = 60），使用上述方法和爱荷华州赌博任务（IGT）检查了GAD（n = 30）和健康对照组（n = 30）组。在低风险人群中 发现情绪与代表启发法（ρ= 0.50）之间的关系，以及锚定和调整启发法（与焦虑有关的刺激）之间的关系（ρ= -0.53）。在GAD组中，发现PSWQ得分，避免IGT损失得分（ρ= 0.40）和总IGT得分（ρ= 0.48）之间存在显着相关性。结果并未证实系统/启发式信息处理构建体在亚临床和临床组中的特殊用途。在非临床组中发现了理论上一致的结果。然而，数据显示一些有趣的发现支持了某些理论模型的潜在解释力。发现PSWQ得分，避免IGT损失得分（ρ= 0.40）和总IGT得分（ρ= 0.48）之间存在显着相关性。结果并未证实系统/启发式信息处理构建体在亚临床和临床组中的特殊用途。在非临床组中发现了理论上一致的结果。然而，数据显示一些有趣的发现支持了某些理论模型的潜在解释力。发现PSWQ得分，避免IGT损失得分（ρ= 0.40）和总IGT得分（ρ= 0.48）之间存在显着相关性。结果并未证实系统/启发式信息处理构建体在亚临床和临床组中的特殊用途。在非临床组中发现了理论上一致的结果。然而，数据显示一些有趣的发现支持了某些理论模型的潜在解释力。