Abstract:

Historically, broad conceptualizations of trait impulsivity have been positioned as the antithesis of anxious avoidance, despite commonly co-occurring presentations of anxiety and impulsivity. Attempts to clarify specific facets of impulsivity have yielded dimensional constructs, such as negative urgency (i.e., rash action specifically associated with negative emotion), that may provide common ground to examine the overlap between high anxiety and high impulsivity. This presentation will provide an overview of previous research examining relationships between anxiety and impulsivity and discuss findings from a primary data set used to examine indirect effects of negative urgency and additional dimensions of impulsivity on the relationship between anxiety and experiential avoidance. Findings may shed light on the utility of negative urgency in better understanding impulsive profiles of anxiety, which could shape treatments and contribute to transdiagnostic reexaminations of anxiety.