a University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, England
b University of Manchester, Manchester, England
Abstract:
Despite the crucial role typically given to negative thoughts in cognitive conceptualisations of emotional problems, few studies have compared the characteristics of varieties of such thoughts. The present study compared the process features of naturally occurring worries and obsessions in a non-patient group. Analyses of variance revealed several significant differences between these types of thought. The relationship between worries and obsessions, and the clinical and conceptual importance of the observed differences is briefly discussed.