Domain-specificity and individual differences in worry

Worrying is generally perceived to be an undesirable mental state. An evolutionary approach suggests, however, despite the potential distress, worry may function to focus individuals’ attention on evolutionarily-relevant tasks. In the current study (N = 193), we demonstrated that participants’ primary worries were focused within domains central to reproductive success and mate-value. Furthermore, mating strategy predicted worries in the domains of social status and mating. Neuroticism, as an individual difference reflecting vigilance to threats, was correlated with worry about fitness-relevant but not fitness-irrelevant domains. The current study documents the first domain-specific assessment of worries and complements this analysis with intriguing individual difference predictors of worry.

► Assessed worries across domains that were fitness-relevant or fitness-irrelevant.
► Participants worried more about fitness-relevant domains.
► Mating strategy predicted worries in mating and status domains.
► Neuroticism was correlated with worry about fitness-relevant, but not irrelevant domains.
► The first documentation of domain-specific worries.