Papers by Howard Berenbaum
Behaviour Research and Therapy, Feb 1, 2007
The relation between worrying and individuals' concerns was examined in a sample of 197 college s... more The relation between worrying and individuals' concerns was examined in a sample of 197 college students. Participants described the five undesirable outcomes that they thought about most often, indicated how likely they thought the outcomes were, and how upset they would be by them. Worry severity was measured using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. The relation between worry severity and the life domains about which individuals were concerned was quite weak. In contrast, as predicted, greater worry was associated with higher probability and cost estimates. In addition, cost estimates moderated the relation between worry severity and probability estimates. The potential importance of perceived threat for understanding worrying is discussed.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 1996
We explored the relationship between alexithymia and interpersonal behavior, particularly the exp... more We explored the relationship between alexithymia and interpersonal behavior, particularly the expression of anger. Ninety-eight college students completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. A median split was used to divide participants into a low-alexithymia and a high-alexithymia group. The experimenter intentionally engaged in a series of anger-provoking behaviors. Compared to individuals in the low-alexithymia group, individuals in the high-alexithymia group were more interpersonally avoidant and exhibited more nonverbal anger, yet there was a trend for them to describe their lab experience as more pleasant. Among individuals in the high-alexithymia group, the different measures of anger and interpersonal behavior were less strongly associated than they were among individuals in the low-alexithymia group. The results provide evidence of a complex association between alexithymia and anger, and of the lack of coherence in the communication of individuals with high levels of alexithymia.
Journal of Research in Personality, Oct 1, 2009
The relation between affective instability and two facets of emotional awareness, attention to em... more The relation between affective instability and two facets of emotional awareness, attention to emotion and clarity of emotion, was examined in two community samples (Ns = 303, 101) and one student sample (N=409). Affective instability was positively associated with attention to emotion and negatively associated with clarity of emotion. The two facets of affective instability, affect intensity and emotional variability, were differentially associated with the two components of emotional awareness. As hypothesized, affect intensity was uniquely associated with attention to emotion, whereas emotional variability was uniquely (inversely) associated with clarity of emotion even after taking into account shared variance with neuroticism and gender.
Journal of Clinical Psychology, Apr 9, 2014
Researchers have recommended examining trajectories of recovery from aversive events, including s... more Researchers have recommended examining trajectories of recovery from aversive events, including sudden gains and spikes. We examined rates, attributions for, and outcomes associated with substantial symptom improvements and brief exacerbations after aversive events. Method: Sixty-three women completed questionnaire measures of mood, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. They used a Life History Calendar (LHC) to draw the trajectory of symptom levels from the event to the present, and were interviewed regarding the course of their symptoms. Based on the LHC and interview, we coded whether each participant experienced substantial improvements and/or brief exacerbations and reasons for them. Results: Participants frequently experienced substantial improvements and brief exacerbations, most of which they attributed to external events. Substantial improvements-but not substantial brief exacerbations-were associated with significantly lower symptom levels. Conclusion: Substantial improvements are similar to sudden gains in therapy samples. Substantial improvements in avoidance and mood have positive, bidirectional effects on each other.
Journal of Affective Disorders, Nov 1, 2016
Background-Although there has been extensive research showing that depression is associated with ... more Background-Although there has been extensive research showing that depression is associated with executive function (EF) deficits, the nature of these deficits is not clearly delineated. Specifically, previous reviews on this topic have yielded different conclusions about the particular domains of EF that are disrupted in depressed individuals. Further, research on whether these deficits persist after depressed mood has remitted is less prevalent and not consistent. Methods-In two independent samples of college students, we examined associations between clinical ratings of current and past symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and difficulties in two domains of EF: inhibition and shifting. In Study 1 (n=162), EF was measured using behavioral tasks shown to index these two domains. In Study 2 (n=95), EF was measured using a self-report questionnaire believed to capture EF difficulties experienced in daily life. Results-In both studies, past MDE symptoms were associated with worse shifting. In contrast, current MDE symptoms were associated with worse inhibition, though only on the behavioral measure (in Study 1). Limitations-Both studies used college samples and retrospective assessments of past symptoms. Further, only two domains of EF were examined, and the EF measures employed in each study have their own unique methodological limitations.
Emotion, Nov 11, 2021
Previous research examining links between psychopathology and emotions in daily life have largely... more Previous research examining links between psychopathology and emotions in daily life have largely focused on disorder-specific patterns of mean-level positive and negative affect. In this study, we examined three transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology, namely depression, worry, and rumination, and their association with the intensity, frequency, and differentiation of discrete emotion categories endorsed in daily life. Three independent samples of young adults (total n = 614) completed baseline measures assessing depression, worry, and rumination followed by a 1-week daily diary procedure. Daily diaries assessed the following emotion categories: "tranquility," "contentment," "happiness," "excitement," "pride," "sadness," "boredom," "guilt," "fear," and "anger." Intensity, frequency, and differentiation were all calculated from daily emotion ratings. Psychopathology was associated with intensity and frequency of pleasant emotion, with intensity showing stronger associations. Intensity of contentment and happiness were most strongly associated with all three forms of psychopathology, whereas pride had the weakest associations. Psychopathology was associated with intensity and frequency of unpleasant emotions, with frequency tending to show stronger associations. Frequency of sadness and boredom were most strongly associated with depression, whereas the frequency and intensity of fear were similarly associated with depression and worry. Although psychopathology was associated with pleasant and unpleasant emotion differentiation, to our surprise, effect sizes were negligible to small. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Oct 1, 2014
We thank Renee Thompson for her constructive feedback and Carolyn Anderson for her invaluable sta... more We thank Renee Thompson for her constructive feedback and Carolyn Anderson for her invaluable statistical advice. We also thank Mauricio Dominguez and Aubree Henderson for their hard work and dedication to this project.
Biological Psychology, Dec 1, 2016
Despite increasing evidence suggesting interactive effects of emotion and attention on perceptual... more Despite increasing evidence suggesting interactive effects of emotion and attention on perceptual processing, it still remains unclear how their interplay influences affective learning, such as fear conditioning. In the present study, a conditioning procedure using threat-related conditioned stimuli (CSs) was implemented while executive load and attentional focus were manipulated. The modulation effects of neuroticism and contingency awareness were also examined. Results showed that fear conditioning depended on the available executive resources even with threat-related CSs. In addition, although individuals with high neuroticism showed an enhanced conditioning effect overall, this facilitation effect still depended on the availability of executive resources. Finally, the impact of attentional focus was most evident among individuals with high neuroticism who were aware of the contingency. Overall, the present study demonstrates interactive effects of emotion and attention in fear conditioning, while illuminating mechanisms of individual differences and clarifying the controversial role of contingency awareness in fear conditioning.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Aug 1, 2003
Psychophysiology, Aug 9, 2023
A large body of research indicates that exaggerated response to uncertainty of a future threat is... more A large body of research indicates that exaggerated response to uncertainty of a future threat is at the core of anxiety and related disorders, underscoring the need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Although behavioral and neuroimaging studies have suggested a close relationship between uncertainty responses and cognitive control, little is known about what elements of uncertainty are more or less vulnerable to cognitive modulation in shaping aversive responses. Leveraging a novel paradigm, an n‐back working memory task embedded within a modified threat‐of‐shock paradigm, we examined how the influences of different facets of uncertainty (i.e., occurrence and timing) on psychophysiological responses were modulated by cognitive load. Psychophysiological responses were assessed using the acoustic startle reflex. Replicating prior work, the effects of cognitive load and temporal unpredictability of threat on startle responses were evident. The effect of occurrence unpredictability appears to depend on other factors. Under low cognitive load, startle response was potentiated when both the occurrence and the timing of threat were predictable. Under high cognitive load, startle response was significantly reduced, especially when a threat context involves uncertainty in both temporal and probability domains. These observations provide a framework for refining the model of fear and anxiety and for understanding the etiology of psychological disorders characterized by maladaptive uncertainty responses.
F1000Research, Dec 13, 2011
Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 2011
The association between affective instability and both family history of mood disorders and signs... more The association between affective instability and both family history of mood disorders and signs of neurodevelopmental disturbance was examined in a sample of 303 adults. Affective instability was measured using the borderline personality disorder "affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood" diagnostic criterion as assessed dimensionally using the Personality Disorder Interview-IV. Participants were interviewed concerning family history of mood disorders, with family history coded using the Family History Research Diagnostic Criteria. Minor physical anomalies, inconsistent hand use, and dermatoglyphic asymmetries were used to index neurodevelopmental disturbance. Affective instability was associated with elevated rates of family history of mood disorders, particularly among individuals who exhibited inconsistent hand use and greater minor physical anomalies. These associations could not be accounted for by shared variance with age, gender, negative affect, or personal history of mood disorders.
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Papers by Howard Berenbaum