THE REPRESENTATION OF FEARED OUTCOMES

A list of negative outcomes (harmful events) was constructed to invest igate the nature and organization of outcome concerns in anxiety. In S tudy 1, analysis of worry frequency ratings for the 116 negative outco mes revealed two major correlated factors corresponding to physical ou tcomes (harm or misfortune) and social outcomes (negative evaluation). These higher-order factors could be further subdivided into smaller d iscrete categories of related concerns. Ratings of worry frequency wer e higher for social outcomes. Trait anxiety was associated with both p hysical and social concerns, but stress and depression were primarily associated with social concerns. In Study 2, aversiveness ratings for the 116 negative outcomes followed the same physical-social organizati on and formed similar lower-order categories. Unlike the worry frequen cy ratings, aversiveness ratings were higher for physical than social categories, and did not correlate substantially with trait measures of depression, anxiety or stress. In Study 3, a short (24-item) negative outcome questionnaire was developed to discriminate between concerns about physical and social outcomes. The Physical Scale correlated subs tantially with the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) but not the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE), whereas the Social Scale correlated with t he FNE but not the ASI. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), whi ch assesses worry frequency but not content, correlated only with the Social Scale. Implications for theories of normal and clinical anxiety are discussed.