The influence of anxiety on cognitive failures and dissociative experiences among adults

Abstract

The present study examined the influence of anxiety on cognitive failures and dissociative experiences among adults aged 18–45 years. The research aimed to explore whether anxiety is associated with everyday cognitive inefficiencies and disruptions in psychological integration, and whether these variables differ across age groups. A quantitative cross-sectional correlational design was employed. The sample consisted of 102 adults recruited through convenience sampling. Participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire 2.0 (CFQ 2.0), and Dissociative Experiences Scale–II (DES-II). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and one-way ANOVA.

Results indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between anxiety and cognitive failures, r(100) = .42, p < .001, and between anxiety and dissociative experiences, r(100) = .25, p = .010. Cognitive failures and dissociative experiences were also significantly positively correlated, r(100) = .50, p < .001. Regression analyses revealed that anxiety significantly predicted cognitive failures, accounting for 17.6% of the variance, and significantly predicted dissociative experiences, accounting for 6.5% of the variance. However, one-way ANOVA analyses indicated that age-group differences (18–25, 26–35, and 36–45 years) were not statistically significant for anxiety, cognitive failures, or dissociative experiences, suggesting that these relationships were relatively consistent across early and mid-adulthood.

The findings highlight the interconnected nature of emotional distress and everyday cognitive functioning. Anxiety appears to contribute not only to subjective cognitive lapses but also to dissociative tendencies within a general adult population. These results underscore the importance of addressing anxiety symptoms to promote cognitive efficiency and psychological integration in adulthood