Performance and Exercise
Current research is investigating the role of anxiety in performance and exercise contexts. More specifically, this research seeks to examine the impact of situational pressure and social anxiety on performance and error-monitoring. Additionally, research is investigating the effects of aerobic exercise on state anxiety and measures of psychophysiology. The goal of this research is to understand the ways in which anxiety impairs attention and performance using event-related potentials. This research may also provide support for the use of exercise to reduce symptoms of anxiety and related disorders.
Social Anxiety
This study investigates the role that specific elements of social contexts play in maintaining interpersonal difficulties by using self-report, behavioral, and biological perspectives. More specifically, this research examines cognitive and interpersonal factors that may maintain functional impairments within those with social anxiety. The goal of this research is to clarify cognitive biases in attention toward threat and emotion processing within individuals who have social function impairments (e.g., those with social anxiety concerns, those who are sensitive to social rejection). Additionally, this study may provide information in how interpersonal fears contribute to performance monitoring and interoceptive awareness. This is especially important given that such difficulties are widespread (i.e., generalize to a number of situations, individuals, emotions) and impact both internalized experiences as well as overt behaviors.
Generalized Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about a number of daily events. Individuals with chronic worry perceive uncertain situations as more stressful and upsetting than non-anxious individuals, leading to a number of avoidance strategies and attentional biases. Intolerance of uncertainty is a key element of GAD; however, little research has examined cognitive biases and task performance under conditions of uncertainty. This project aims to examine differences in anticipatory processing and attention among individuals high and low in worry.
