The association of dispositional anxiety with the NoGo N2 under relaxation instruction vs. speed/accuracy instruction

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • André Beauducel - , University of Bonn (Author)
  • Vera Scheuble-Cabrera - , University of Bonn (Author)
  • Jürgen Hennig - , Justus Liebig University Giessen (Author)
  • Johannes Hewig - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Andrea Hildebrandt - , University of Oldenburg (Author)
  • Corinna Kührt - , Chair of Engineering Psychology and Applied Cognitive Research (Author)
  • Leon Lange - , University Osnabruck (Author)
  • Erik Malte Mueller - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Roman Osinsky - , University Osnabruck (Author)
  • Katharina Paul - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Elisa Porth - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Anja Riesel - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Johannes Rodrigues - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Christoph Scheffel - , Chair of Differential and Personality Psychology (Author)
  • Cassie Short - , University of Hamburg (Author)
  • Jutta Stahl - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Alexander Strobel - , Chair of Differential and Personality Psychology (Author)
  • Jan Wacker - , University of Hamburg (Author)

Abstract

Prior research suggests that cognitive control, indicated by NoGo N2 amplitudes in Go/NoGo tasks, is associated with dispositional anxiety. This negative association tends to be reduced in anxiety-enhancing experimental conditions. However, anxiety-reducing conditions have not yet been investigated systematically. Thus, the present study compares the effect of a relaxation instruction with the conventional speed/accuracy instruction in a Go/NoGo task on the correlation of the NoGo N2 with two subconstructs of dispositional anxiety, namely anxious apprehension and anxious arousal. As the test of differences between correlations needs considerable statistical power, the present study was included into the multi-lab CoScience Project. The hypotheses, manipulation checks, and the main path of pre-processing and statistical analysis were preregistered. Complete data sets of 777 participants were available for data analysis. Preregistered general linear models revealed that the different instructions of the task (speed/accuracy vs. relaxation) had no effect on the association between dispositional anxiety and the NoGo N2 amplitude in general. This result was supported by Cooperative-Forking-Path analysis. In contrast, a preregistered latent growth model with categorical variables revealed that anxious arousal was a negative predictor of the NoGo N2 intercept and a positive predictor of the NoGo N2 slope. Non-preregistered growth models, allowing for correlations of anxious apprehension with anxious arousal, revealed that higher anxious apprehension scores were associated with more negative NoGo N2 amplitudes with increased relaxation. Results are discussed in the context of the compensatory error monitoring hypothesis and the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number108850
JournalBiological psychology
Volume192
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 39074541
ORCID /0000-0002-6418-6479/work/175746072
ORCID /0000-0002-9426-5397/work/175749536

Keywords

Keywords

  • Anxious apprehension, Anxious arousal, Cognitive control, Dispositional anxiety, NoGo N2