threatening, and readiness to use compensatory effort in advance of antici-
pated danger. Evidence from studies of metacognition (reviewed by Wells,
2000) shows that anxious persons engage in much high-level thought over
their own disturbing thoughts, in reflecting on their meaning and import. Ex-
cessive metacognition may reflect a misapplication of intellectual function-
ing. We link this anticipatory strategy to trait anxiety. It should operate most
successfully in environments that contain subtle threats which might be over-
looked. Second, the person might be prepared to confront threat more di-
rectly. This strategy requires low responsiveness to threat stimuli, readiness
to cope through taking direct action, and physiological and cognitive resil-
ience in stressful circumstances. We link direct confrontation of threat to
emotional stability and low trait anxiety. The strategy should be most suc-
cessful when the environment regularly imposes threats that cannot be
avoided.
Figure 6.5 presents the dynamic perspective on trait anxiety. Again, it is
assumed that skills are central to adaptation. However, in this case, it is skills
for recognizing threats and relating them to personal concerns that are criti-
cal. The trait anxious person is alert to being denigrated by others, even if the
insult is covert. Of course, these skills can be maladaptive and generate clini-
cal social anxiety if overdeveloped. Thus, in the absence of immediate threat,
the anxious person may be successfully adapted to forestalling threat and
maintaining social status and security. For example, in two studies, Mughal,
154 MATTHEWS AND ZEIDNER
FIG. 6.5. Styles of adaptive self-regulation supporting neuroticism and anxiety.