The Role of Cognitive Control in the Transdiagnostic Conceptualization of "Intrusive Thoughts"

The Role of Cognitive Control in the Transdiagnostic Conceptualization of "Intrusive Thoughts"

The investigators are examining whether difficulties with cognitive control (i.e., the ability to stop one's thought process and shift attention) is a common problem across three types of repetitive, negative thinking: obsessions (as seen in obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD), worries (as seen in generalized anxiety disorder, GAD), and ruminations (as seen in major depressive disorder, MDD).

The primary aims of this study are to utilize self-report and behavioral measures to examine whether cognitive control is a common factor across three types of repetitive negative thinking (RNT): obsessions in OCD, worries in GAD, and ruminations in MDD. Specifically, the investigators aim to test whether individuals with obsessions, worries, and depressive ruminations demonstrate impaired cognitive control on executive functioning neuropsychological tasks (i.e., response inhibition, set shifting, attentional disengagement) relative to individuals without any psychiatric diagnoses. Additionally, the investigators will examine whether these deficits are associated with self-report measures of RNT as well as in vivo responding during a laboratory paradigm designed to induce intrusive thinking. Findings could inform psychological treatment of these problematic intrusions using novel transdiagnostic approaches.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults (age 18+)
2. Intrusive thoughts group: Clinically significant intrusive thought in the domain of obsessions, worries, or depressive ruminations with a score above the clinical mean (≥ 37) on the trait repetitive negative thinking measure (Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire, PTQ)
3. Non-psychiatric control (NPC) group: A score 1 SD below the community mean (≤ 15) on the trait repetitive negative thinking measure (PTQ)
4. Sufficient fluency of English to understand study procedures and questionnaires
5. Ability to provide informed consent.
6. Comfortable and capable of using a computer and completing reaction-time tasks.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Acute psychosis, mania, or suicidality
2. Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; in order to preserve diagnostic clarity of the domains of intrusive thoughts under investigation)
3. Serious neurological disorder or impairment (e.g., brain damage, blindness), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, or autism.