Coping Strategies Related to the Uncontrollability of Thoughts

Information Avoidance, Information Seeking, Solution Generation, and Worry

Abstract

Worry is a kind of uncontrollable thinking. However, at the same time, worry represents an actively controlled process of coping with difficult problems. In order to investigate the nature of worry as a coping attempt, I had 134 adults complete a questionnaire that assessed the relationship between 3 coping strategies (information avoidance, information seeking, and solution generation) and the uncontrollability of thoughts about stressors. All 3 coping strategies enhanced the controllability of thoughts about the stressors, regardless of their stress reduction effects. Some personality traits seemed to moderate the effects of coping strategies on the uncontrollability of the thoughts. The results are discussed in terms of a currently proposed model of worry which suggests that the persistence of thoughts is the key factor linking problemfocused coping strategies (e. g., information seeking and solution generation) and worry.