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Cobos PL, Quintero MJ, López FJ, Luque D, Ciria LF, Morís YJ. Intolerance of uncertainty does not significantly predict decisions about delayed, probabilistic rewards: A failure to replicate Luhmann, C. C., Ishida, K., & Hajcak, G. (2011). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298503. [PMID: 38990849 PMCID: PMC11238987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is thought to lead to maladaptive behaviours and dysfunctional decision making, both in the clinical and healthy population. The seminal study reported by Luhmann and collaborators in 2011 showed that IU was negatively associated with choosing a delayed, but more certain and valuable, reward over choosing an immediate, but less certain and valuable, reward. These findings have been widely disseminated across the field of personality and individual differences because of their relevance to understand the role of IU in maladaptive behaviours in anxiety-related disorders. We conducted a study to replicate and extend Luhmann et al.'s results with a sample of 313 participants, which exceeded the size necessary (N = 266) to largely improve the statistical power of the original study by using the small telescopes approach. The results of our well powered study strongly suggest that the relationship between IU and the tendency to prefer an immediate, but less certain and less valuable reward is virtually negligible. Consequently, although this relationship cannot be definitely discarded, we conclude that it cannot be detected with Luhmann et al.'s (2011) decision-making task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro L Cobos
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
| | - María J Quintero
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco J López
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
| | - David Luque
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
| | - Luis F Ciria
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Y Joaquín Morís
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain
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2
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Ryan ZJ, Dodd HF, FitzGibbon L. Uncertain world: How children's curiosity and intolerance of uncertainty relate to their behaviour and emotion under uncertainty. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024:17470218241252651. [PMID: 38679795 DOI: 10.1177/17470218241252651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Curiosity and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) are both thought to drive information seeking but may have different affective profiles; curiosity is often associated with positive affective responses to uncertainty and improved learning outcomes, whereas IU is associated with negative affective responses and anxiety. Curiosity and IU have not previously been examined together in children but may both play an important role in understanding how children respond to uncertainty. Our research aimed to examine how individual differences in parent-reported curiosity and IU were associated with behavioural and emotional responses to uncertainty. Children aged 8 to 12 (n = 133) completed a game in which they were presented with an array of buttons on the screen that, when clicked, played neutral or aversive sounds. Children pressed buttons (information seeking) and rated their emotions and worry under conditions of high and low uncertainty. Facial expressions were also monitored for affective responses. Analyses revealed that children sought more information under high uncertainty than low uncertainty trials and that more curious children reported feeling happier. Contrary to expectations, IU and curiosity were not related to the number of buttons children pressed, nor to their self-reported emotion or worry. However, exploratory analyses suggest that children who are high in IU may engage in more information seeking that reflects checking or safety-seeking than those who are low in IU. In addition, our findings suggest that there may be age-related change in the effects of IU on worry, with IU more strongly related to worry in uncertain situations for older children than younger children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe J Ryan
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Helen F Dodd
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
- Children and Young People's Mental Health Research Collaboration, Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Lily FitzGibbon
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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3
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Jacoby RJ, Szkutak A, Shin J, Lerner J, Wilhelm S. Feeling uncertain despite knowing the risk: Patients with OCD (but not controls) experience known and unknown probabilistic decisions as similarly distressing and uncertain. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord 2023; 39:100842. [PMID: 38249753 PMCID: PMC10795542 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) present as risk-averse and avoidant of feared stimuli, yet the literature examining risk aversion in OCD is conflicting. One possible explanation is that patients may exhibit aversion only on ambiguous tasks where the likelihood of possible outcomes is unknown. To test this idea, the current study assigned 30 patients with OCD versus 30 non-psychiatric controls (NPC) to conditions of known versus unknown risk (i.e., probabilities) on the Beads Task. Importantly, the task involved real financial stakes. We also examined self-reported intolerance of uncertainty (IU) as a mechanism. Results revealed a significant risk information x group interaction for certainty about the decision. Specifically, while NPCs felt significantly less certain on the unknown risk (versus known risk) task, the OCD group felt uncertain regardless of risk information. Results also revealed a significant main effect of group for distress after deciding, such that the OCD group was more distressed across all task versions compared to NPCs. Elevated trait IU was associated with higher task-related distress. Results indicate that even when patients with OCD are given information about likelihoods, they still feel uncertain and experience distress. Findings have clinical implications for addressing risk aversion and ambiguity/uncertainty in treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Jacoby
- Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Suite 2000, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Abigail Szkutak
- Teachers College, Columbia University, 422F Thompson Hall, 525 W 120th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Jin Shin
- Washington University in St. Louis, CB 1125, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130-4899, USA
| | - Jennifer Lerner
- Harvard Kennedy School,, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sabine Wilhelm
- Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Suite 2000, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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4
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Slanina‐Davies A, Robinson OJ, Pike AC. Eating disorder symptoms and control-seeking behavior. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3105. [PMID: 37381651 PMCID: PMC10454257 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Eating disorders (EDs) are a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by disturbed eating patterns. Links have been made between ED symptoms and control-seeking behaviors, which may cause relief from distress. However, whether direct behavioral measures of control-seeking behavior correlate with ED symptoms has not been directly tested. Additionally, existing paradigms may conflate control-seeking behavior with uncertainty-reducing behavior. METHOD A general population sample of 183 participants completed part in an online behavioral task, in which participants rolled a die in order to obtain/avoid a set of numbers. Prior to each roll, participants could choose to change arbitrary features of the task (such as the color of their die) or view additional information (such as the current trial number). Selecting these Control Options could cost participants points or not (Cost/No-Cost conditions). Each participant completed all four conditions, each with 15 trials, followed by a series of questionnaires, including the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R). RESULTS A Spearman's rank test indicated no significant correlation between total EAT-26 score and total number of Control Options selected, with only elevated scores on a measure of obsessions and compulsivity (OCI-R) correlating with the total number of Control Options selected (rs = .155, p = .036). DISCUSSION In our novel paradigm, we find no relationship between EAT-26 score and control-seeking. However, we do find some evidence that this behavior may be present in other disorders that often coincide with ED diagnosis, which may indicate that transdiagnostic factors such as compulsivity are important to control-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Slanina‐Davies
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Oliver J. Robinson
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Alexandra C. Pike
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Psychology and York Biomedical Research InstituteUniversity of YorkYorkUK
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Fitzgerald HE, Parsons EM, Indriolo T, Taghian NR, Gold AK, Hoyt DL, Milligan MA, Zvolensky MJ, Otto MW. Worrying But Not Acting: The Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty in Explaining the Discrepancy in COVID-19-Related Responses. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2022; 46:1150-1156. [PMID: 35975190 PMCID: PMC9372948 DOI: 10.1007/s10608-022-10321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Research indicates that Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is associated with COVID-19 emotional responses, but not necessarily with engaging in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. The current study was designed to further evaluate this discrepancy. Participants (N = 454) completed self-report forms about COVID-19 emotional responses (i.e., fear, worry, sensitivity to symptoms) and COVID-19 behavioral interference/responses (i.e., interference in daily activities, interference due to worry, and engagement in preventative behaviors). IU was positively associated with COVID-19-related emotional responses as well as two of the COVID-19-related behavioral interference/responses (i.e., interference in daily activities and interference due to worry), but negatively predicted engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. Exploratory analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of IU on lower engagement in preventative behaviors through lower belief in the effectiveness of such behaviors. Thus, we further document the role of IU in statistically predicting higher distress but lower levels of adaptive health behaviors. Furthermore, we provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that these relationships may be explained by associations between IU and lower belief in the efficacy of health behaviors. Because some current analyses indicate small effect sizes, future studies should investigate IU alongside other potentially important markers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10608-022-10321-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley E. Fitzgerald
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
| | - E. Marie Parsons
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
| | - Teresa Indriolo
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
- Present Address: Liver Center, Gastrointestinal Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St.,, 02114 Boston, MA USA
| | - Nadine R. Taghian
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
| | - Alexandra K. Gold
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
| | - Danielle L. Hoyt
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
- Present Address: Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 53 Avenue E, 08854 Piscataway, NJ United States
| | - Megan A. Milligan
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
- Present Address: Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems, University of New Hampshire, 129 Main St., 03824 Durham, New Hampshire United States
| | - Michael J. Zvolensky
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX USA
- HEALTH Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Michael W. Otto
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd Floor, 02215 Boston, MA United States
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6
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Parker SC, Ahrens AH. (Just Thinking of) Uncertainty Increases Intolerance of Uncertainty. JOURNAL OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Intolerance of uncertainty is a far-reaching – yet not widely examined – construct with clinical and nonclinical associations. The current study implemented a brief reflection on uncertainty hypothesized to increase tolerance of uncertainty. The group who engaged in the reflection ( n = 50) was compared to an active control condition ( n = 50). Results demonstrated the opposite of the primary hypothesis: simply reflecting on uncertainty significantly increased intolerance of uncertainty (vs. tolerance of uncertainty). Results also demonstrated that those higher in mindfulness were higher in tolerance of uncertainty, with the “nonreactivity” factor of mindfulness contributing unique variance. These findings suggest multiple factors that might contribute to both tolerance and intolerance of uncertainty. This study indicates that investigations of interventions that include training in mindfulness and its component of nonreactivity might be particularly warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne C. Parker
- George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC, USA
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Carsten HP, Härpfer K, Riesel A. A rare scare: The role of intolerance of uncertainty in startle responses and event-related potentials in anticipation of unpredictable threat. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 179:56-66. [PMID: 35787439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) represents a transdiagnostic risk factor for internalizing psychopathology. However, little is known regarding its psychophysiological correlates. IU is thought to render individuals hypersensitive to threatening events, even if the occurrence probability is low. To test this, we recruited 90 students who completed two NPU-threat tests separating temporal unpredictability from probabilistic unpredictability (i.e., probability of occurrence): First, a NPU version in which the timing of threat (i.e., shock) was either predictable or unpredictable but the shock probability was 100 % in each trial. Second, a probabilistic NPU version in which the timing of the shock was also either predictable or unpredictable, but the shock probability was 33 % in each trial. Startle reflex, event-related potentials N1 and P3 locked to auditory startle probes, and anxiety ratings were analyzed. As expected, temporally unpredictable threat modulated startle, N1, and anxiety ratings. IU predicted increased startle to lower shock probability, regardless of the temporal predictability. No evidence emerged for IU affecting N1 or P3. However, IU predicted anxiety ratings to threat conditions regardless of temporal or probabilistic predictability. Individual differences in IU shape startle responses to eventual threat: IU increases automatic defensive responding to unpredictable and potentially threatening situations if the threat probability is low. Individuals with higher IU may tend to "err on the side of caution" with a mismatch between physiological preparation and threat probability, such that the effects of IU are particularly observable in low threat probability conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kai Härpfer
- Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anja Riesel
- Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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8
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Wake S, Verde AD, Biagi N, van Reekum CM, Morriss J. Just let me check: The role of individual differences in self-reported anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features on subjective, behavioural, and physiological indices during a checking task. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 179:43-55. [PMID: 35753565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Checking behaviour has been described as a form of preventative behaviour used by an individual to establish control over the environment and avoid future misfortune. However, when compulsive, checking behaviours can become disabling and distressing and have been linked to the maintenance of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Despite this, there is limited literature across the field that has assessed the impact of dimensional measures of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features (i.e., negative affect, uncertainty, and perfectionism) in driving checking behaviour. As such, the present study examined the impact of individual differences in self-reported anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features on subjective, behavioural, and physiological indices during a visual discrimination and checking task (n = 87). Higher self-reported anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features were associated with higher subjective ratings of unpleasantness and the urge to check during the task. Moreover, higher self-reported anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features related to general negative affect, uncertainty, and perfectionism were associated with greater checking frequency during the task. Lastly, stronger obsessional beliefs about perfectionism and the need for certainty were found to predict poorer accuracy, slower reaction times, and higher engagement of the corrugator supercilii during the task. In sum, these findings demonstrate how different anxiety and obsessive-compulsive features, in particular perfectionism and the need for certainty, may relate to and maintain checking behaviour in low threat contexts, which likely has implications for models of excessive and persistent checking in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Wake
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
| | - Alberto Dalla Verde
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Nicolò Biagi
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Carien M van Reekum
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Jayne Morriss
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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Attaallah B, Petitet P, Slavkova E, Turner V, Saleh Y, Manohar SG, Husain M. Hyperreactivity to uncertainty is a key feature of subjective cognitive impairment. eLife 2022; 11:75834. [PMID: 35536752 PMCID: PMC9197396 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
With an increasingly ageing global population, more people are presenting with concerns about their cognitive function, but not all have an underlying neurodegenerative diagnosis. Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) is a common condition describing self-reported deficits in cognition without objective evidence of cognitive impairment. Many individuals with SCI suffer from depression and anxiety, which have been hypothesised to account for their cognitive complaints. Despite this association between SCI and affective features, the cognitive and brain mechanisms underlying SCI are poorly understood. Here, we show that people with SCI are hyperreactive to uncertainty and that this might be a key mechanism accounting for their affective burden. Twenty-seven individuals with SCI performed an information sampling task, where they could actively gather information prior to decisions. Across different conditions, SCI participants sampled faster and obtained more information than matched controls to resolve uncertainty. Remarkably, despite their ‘urgent’ sampling behaviour, SCI participants were able to maintain their efficiency. Hyperreactivity to uncertainty indexed by this sampling behaviour correlated with the severity of affective burden including depression and anxiety. Analysis of MRI resting functional connectivity revealed that SCI participants had stronger insular-hippocampal connectivity compared to controls, which also correlated with faster sampling. These results suggest that altered uncertainty processing is a key mechanism underlying the psycho-cognitive manifestations in SCI and implicate a specific brain network target for future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahaaeddin Attaallah
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Petitet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elista Slavkova
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Vicky Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Youssuf Saleh
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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10
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Boysan M, Eşkisu M, Çam Z. Relationships between fear of
COVID
‐19, cyberchondria, intolerance of uncertainty, and obsessional probabilistic inferences: A structural equation model. Scand J Psychol 2022; 63:439-448. [PMID: 35430750 PMCID: PMC9115459 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The study was set out to explore the structural relationships between fear of COVID‐19, cyberchondria, intolerance of uncertainty, and obsessional probabilistic inferences. The data were recruited online from a community population (n = 1,049) subjected to a confirmatory factor analytic procedure. The structural model specified according to the previous findings in the literature showed that a general tendency to negative expectations in terms of probabilistic thinking was significantly associated with both COVID‐19‐related‐fear and intolerance of uncertainty. Fear of COVID‐19 was significantly associated with cyberchondria. Probabilistic thinking style and intolerance of uncertainty contributed to cyberchondria through fear of COVID‐19 as well. We concluded that a tendency to engage in a probabilistic thinking style and intolerance of uncertainty seems to play role in the etiology of fear of infection and cyberchondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murat Boysan
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Social Sciences University of Ankara Ankara Turkey
| | - Mustafa Eşkisu
- Faculty of Education Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Erzincan Turkey
| | - Zekeriya Çam
- Faculty of Education Muş Alparslan University Muş Turkey
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11
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López-Martínez AE, Ramírez-Maestre C, Serrano-Ibáñez ER, Ruiz-Párraga GT, Esteve R. Intolerance of uncertainty moderates the relationship between catastrophizing, anxiety, and perceived pain in people with chronic nononcological pain. PAIN MEDICINE 2022; 23:1793-1799. [PMID: 35172006 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnac030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Substantial empirical evidence has shown that intolerance of uncertainty is a central transdiagnostic feature in psychopathology and it has been suggested to be a pain-related psychological factor contributing to the experience of chronic pain. However, research in this area is virtually nonexistent. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between pain severity, catastrophizing, and anxiety in people with chronic nononcological pain, while assuming that intolerance of uncertainty moderates these relationships. METHODS A convenience sample of 188 individuals with nononcological chronic pain (157 women and 32 men) participated in the study. We investigated the moderated mediation of intolerance of uncertainty between anxiety and catastrophizing and between catastrophizing and pain intensity. RESULTS The full moderated mediation model accounted for significant variance in pain intensity (R2 = .148, P< .001). Intolerance of uncertainty significantly moderated the interaction between anxiety and catastrophizing (B = 0.039, SE = 0.012, CI [0.015, 0.063]) and between catastrophizing and pain intensity (B = -0.034, SE = 0.010, CI [-0.054, -0.014]). Anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty did not interact in predicting catastrophizing, although an interaction effect was found between intolerance of uncertainty and catastrophizing in predicting pain intensity. CONCLUSION This study is the first to address the interrelationship of intolerance of uncertainty, catastrophizing, and anxiety in relation to perceived pain intensity. The current findings support intolerance of uncertainty as a relevant psychological variable that is distinct from other relevant constructs in the setting of pain research and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia E López-Martínez
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Málaga (IBIMA), Spain
| | - Carmen Ramírez-Maestre
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Málaga (IBIMA), Spain
| | - Elena R Serrano-Ibáñez
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Málaga (IBIMA), Spain
| | - Gema T Ruiz-Párraga
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Málaga (IBIMA), Spain
| | - Rosa Esteve
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Málaga (IBIMA), Spain
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12
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Assessment of intolerance of uncertainty: Validation of a modified anagram task. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2021; 73:101671. [PMID: 34182343 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2021.101671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is an individual difference factor that reflects difficulty tolerating emotional distress in the context of uncertainty and is a robust transdiagnostic risk factor for emotional disorders. A limitation of prior research on IU is the heavy reliance on self-report measures to assess this construct. The aim of the present study was to examine the validity of a brief, computerized anagram task modified to assess IU (the PACT Anagram Task; PAT). METHODS Participants were 221 unselected undergraduate students (71% female; Mage = 19; 89% Caucasian) who completed the PAT and a series of self-report measures of convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity, and measures of anxiety and depression symptoms online for course credit. RESULTS Greater PAT-Distress was positively correlated measures of convergent validity and demonstrated incremental validity in relation to self-reported IU above and beyond attentional control. None of the PAT indicators were associated with compassion or empathic concern, evidencing discriminant validity. PAT-Distress and PAT-Answers were each associated with greater worry above and beyond self-reported IU. LIMITATIONS Study limitations include the cross-sectional design and lack of diversity in terms of sample demographics. Furthermore, we did not examine convergence between this task and other behavioral measures of IU. CONCLUSION Subjective distress following completion of the PAT may serve as one indicator of IU. Further research is needed in order to replicate these results and validate the use of the PAT in clinical samples.
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YIĞMAN F, FİDAN S. Transdiagnostik Faktör Olarak Belirsizliğe Tahammülsüzlük. PSIKIYATRIDE GUNCEL YAKLASIMLAR - CURRENT APPROACHES IN PSYCHIATRY 2021. [DOI: 10.18863/pgy.827416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Ciria LF, Quintero MJ, López FJ, Luque D, Cobos PL, Morís J. Intolerance of uncertainty and decisions about delayed, probabilistic rewards: A replication and extension of Luhmann, C. C., Ishida, K., & Hajcak, G. (2011). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256210. [PMID: 34559807 PMCID: PMC8462694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is thought to lead to maladaptive behaviours and dysfunctional decision making, both in the clinical and healthy population. The seminal study reported by Luhmann and collaborators in 2011 [1] showed that IU was negatively associated with choosing a delayed, but more probable and valuable, reward over choosing an immediate, but less probable and valuable, reward. These findings have been widely disseminated across the field of personality and individual differences because of their relevance for the understanding of the role of IU in the development and maintenance of anxiety-related disorders. Given their importance it would be desirable to have replications of this study, but none have been carried out so far. The current study has been designed to replicate and extend Luhmann et al.'s results. Our sample will include 266 healthy participants (more than five times the sample size used by Luhmann et al.) to detect with a power of 95% the effect size that can be detected with a power of 33% in the original study. To increase our chances of getting such a sample size, the experiment will be conducted online, To increase our chances of getting such a sample size, the experiment will be conducted online, adding check trials to the original decision-making task to monitor participants' engagement. Additionally, we will explore the role of impulsivity in the relationship between IU and willingness to wait. This study will add empirical evidence about the role of IU in decision making and, in case of replication of Luhmann et al.'s results, will support the hypothesis that high-IU individuals may engage in inefficient or costly behaviour in exchange for less time enduring an uncertain situation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María J. Quintero
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco J. López
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - David Luque
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro L. Cobos
- Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
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15
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Development of a behavioural measure of Intolerance of Uncertainty in preadolescent children: Adaptation of the beads task. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2021; 72:101654. [PMID: 33838540 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2021.101654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) may be important for the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders but research with preadolescent children has relied entirely on questionnaire measures to assess IU. Here we aimed to develop a behavioural measure of IU that was appropriate for preadolescent children by adapting the beads task (Jacoby, Abramowitz, Buck, & Fabricant, 2014). METHODS Participants were 51 typically developing children (26 female; 7-11 years). We examined first whether preadolescent participants could understand and complete the task, then how participants responded to varying levels of uncertainty. We also conducted exploratory analyses regarding associations between task measures and questionnaire measures of IU, anxiety and worry. RESULTS Overall, the adapted Beads Task appears suitable for preadolescent children and is able to capture reactions to uncertainty. At least some of these reactions are related to questionnaire measures of IU and anxiety. Implications and areas for future research are discussed to provide insights into how behavioural tasks examining responses to uncertainty can improve our understanding of IU. LIMITATIONS The sample size was relatively small. There was no control task or condition without uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the adapted Beads Task appears suitable for preadolescent children and is able to capture reactions to uncertainty. This type of behavioural task would be appropriate for use in future research that aims to improve our understanding of IU in children.
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Arumugham SS, Srinivas D, Narayanaswamy JC, Jaisoorya TS, Kashyap H, Domenech P, Palfi S, Mallet L, Venkatasubramanian G, Reddy YJ. Identification of biomarkers that predict response to subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol for an open-label follow-up study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e047492. [PMID: 34158304 PMCID: PMC8220486 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of bilateral anteromedial subthalamic nucleus (amSTN) has been found to be helpful in a subset of patients with severe, chronic and treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Biomarkers may aid in patient selection and optimisation of this invasive treatment. In this trial, we intend to evaluate neurocognitive function related to STN and related biosignatures as potential biomarkers for STN DBS in OCD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Twenty-four subjects with treatment-refractory OCD will undergo open-label STN DBS. Structural/functional imaging, electrophysiological recording and neurocognitive assessment would be performed at baseline. The subjects would undergo a structured clinical assessment for 12 months postsurgery. A group of 24 healthy volunteers and 24 subjects with treatment-refractory OCD who receive treatment as usual would be recruited for comparison of biomarkers and treatment response, respectively. Baseline biomarkers would be evaluated as predictors of clinical response. Neuroadaptive changes would be studied through a reassessment of neurocognitive functioning, imaging and electrophysiological activity post DBS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The protocol has been approved by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Ethics Committee. The study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific journals and scientific meetings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Sundar Arumugham
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Dwarakanath Srinivas
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Janardhanan C Narayanaswamy
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - T S Jaisoorya
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Himani Kashyap
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Philippe Domenech
- Univ Paris-Est Créteil, DMU CARE - Département Médical-Universitaire de Chirurgie et Anesthésie réanimation, DMU IMPACT, Département Médical-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Creteil, France
- Univ of Paris 12 UPEC, Faculté de médecine, INSERM U955, Creteil, France
| | - Stéphane Palfi
- Univ Paris-Est Créteil, DMU CARE - Département Médical-Universitaire de Chirurgie et Anesthésie réanimation, DMU IMPACT, Département Médical-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Creteil, France
- Univ of Paris 12 UPEC, Faculté de médecine, INSERM U955, Creteil, France
| | - Luc Mallet
- Institut du Cerveau, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Yc Janardhan Reddy
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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17
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Shou Y, Olney J. Attitudes toward risk and uncertainty: The role of subjective knowledge and affect. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yiyun Shou
- Research School of Psychology Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Joel Olney
- Research School of Psychology Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
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18
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Prospective intolerance of uncertainty is associated with maladaptive temporal distribution of avoidance responses: An extension of Flores, López, Vervliet, and Cobos (2018). J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2020; 68:101527. [PMID: 31743800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Excessive maladaptive avoidance has been claimed to be one of the mechanisms through which intolerance of uncertainty (IU) may play its causal role in the development and maintenance of several anxiety and compulsive disorders. Consistently, Flores et al. (2018) found that individuals with higher Prospective IU (P-IU), a specific IU subfactor, display excessive avoidance response repetitions in a free-operant discriminative task to avoid an aversive noise. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that P-IU not only predicts the amount of avoidance responses but also how well the temporal distribution of such responses fits the temporal distribution of threats. METHODS Further correlation and hierarchical regression analysis of Flores et al.'s (2018) data served to test this hypothesis. We evaluated two aspects of the temporal distribution of responses: a) for how long participants were performing the responses; b) the behavioral discrimination between threatening and safe time periods. RESULTS The results showed that scoring high in P-IU was positively associated with longer periods of time dedicated to avoiding and with worse behavioral discrimination between threatening and safe time periods. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that later addition of inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty and trait anxiety did not significantly improved the explained variance. LIMITATIONS Our results are exclusively based on the use of a low-cost avoidance response, and the present study does not clarify the precise mechanisms that lead high P-IU people to engage in non-optimal avoidance response distribution through time. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that excessive avoidance is also driven by uncertainty of threat timing and highlight the relevance of P-IU as a vulnerability factor for excessive and outspread avoidance behaviors.
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19
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Morein-Zamir S, Shapher S, Gasull-Camos J, Fineberg NA, Robbins TW. Avoid jumping to conclusions under uncertainty in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0225970. [PMID: 31940308 PMCID: PMC6961894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
High levels of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) could contribute to abnormal decision making in uncertain situations. Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often report high IU, indecisiveness and the need to seek greater certainty before making decisions. The Beads task is a commonly used task assessing the degree of information gathering prior to making a decision and so would be predicted to show impairments in OCD patients. Results to date have found mixed support for this, possibility due to methodological issues. Here, a group of OCD patients (n = 50) with no comorbidities was compared with age, gender, and verbal-IQ matched controls (n = 50) on the most commonly used version of the Beads task. An independent sample of healthy volunteers with high versus low OC symptoms, and high versus low IU were also assessed (n = 125). There was no evidence that patients with OCD differed from control volunteers in the degree of information gathering prior to making a decision. Medication status and age did not appear to mediate performance. Similarly, there were no association in healthy volunteers between task performance and OC or IU characteristics. Additional measures examining the degree of certainty initially showed support for greater uncertainty in patients, but this was due to deviations from task instructions in a subset of patients. We conclude that despite the large sample size and good matching between groups, the Beads task in its most widely used form is not a useful measure of IU or of information gathering in OCD. The results argue against a robust behavioural difference in OCD when compared to controls. Recommendations for future studies employing the task are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Morein-Zamir
- School of Psychology and Sports Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia Shapher
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, NHS; University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Gasull-Camos
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi A Fineberg
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, NHS; University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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20
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Strauss AY, Fradkin I, McNally RJ, Linkovski O, Anholt GE, Huppert JD. Why check? A meta-analysis of checking in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Threat vs. distrust of senses. Clin Psychol Rev 2020; 75:101807. [PMID: 31901881 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Compulsive checking is the most common ritual among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Yet, other than uncertainty, the variables prompting checking are not fully understood. Laboratory studies suggest that task conditions - whether threatening (anxiety-relevant) or neutral, and task type - whether requiring perceptual or reasoning decision-making - may be influential. The purpose of our meta-analysis was to compare OCD participants and healthy controls on experimental tasks involving uncertainty in which a behavioral measure of checking was obtained. Four databases were searched. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, including 43 conditions comparing 663 OCD participants to 614 healthy controls. Due to the dependent structure of the data a robust variance estimation analysis approach was used. Overall effects were similar for neutral and threatening conditions. However, OCD participants responded with greater checking compared to controls on perceptual tasks, but not on reasoning tasks. Results support previous reports suggesting that OCD checking can be observed in neutral conditions, possibly posing as a risk factor for a checking vicious cycle. In addition, our results support OCD models which focus on checking as stemming from interference with automatic processes and distrust of sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Y Strauss
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Isaac Fradkin
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Omer Linkovski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan D Huppert
- Helen and Sam Beber Chair of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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21
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Zhang Y, Qiu X, Ren Q, Zhou Z, Zhou H, Du J, Voon V, Zhang C, Liu W. Psychometric Properties of the Chinese version of UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:185. [PMID: 32273854 PMCID: PMC7113381 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. The associations between the UPPS-P scale and impulsivity choice, gender, smoking, and drinking status were also assessed. METHODS A total of 127 adults ranging from 21 to 65 years old participated in the study. Participants were administered with the Chinese version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Impulsivity choice tasks were also tested including the Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), and Beads Task (Beads). RESULTS A new version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale was formed that includes 40 items. The scores of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency on five subscales but less sufficient structure validity in the present sample. In addition, positive urgency was negatively related to the Beads task; negative urgency and positive urgency were positively related to the DDT and BART. Moreover, positive and negative urgency were positively correlated with depression; all five subscales were positively correlated with anxiety; sensation seeking was higher in males than females and in alcohol drinkers than non-drinkers; and lack of premeditation and lack of perseverance were higher in nonsmokers than smokers. CONCLUSIONS The present study supports the reliability but not the structure validity of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. The impulsivity personality trait assessed by the UPPS-P scale was associated with impulsivity choice, depression, anxiety, gender, and drinking and smoking status. Further studies should be conducted to explore the structure of impulsivity in the Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xian Qiu
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihuan Ren
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Shanghai Hongkou Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhirong Zhou
- Department of Functional Clinic of the Community Based Methadone Maintenance Therapy in Shanghai Xuhui Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Huijing Zhou
- Department of Drug Dependence, Shanghai Yangpu Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiang Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chencheng Zhang
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjuan Liu
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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22
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Salfi F, Lauriola M, Tempesta D, Calanna P, Socci V, De Gennaro L, Ferrara M. Effects of Total and Partial Sleep Deprivation on Reflection Impulsivity and Risk-Taking in Deliberative Decision-Making. Nat Sci Sleep 2020; 12:309-324. [PMID: 32547280 PMCID: PMC7261660 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s250586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of total and partial sleep deprivation on reflection impulsivity and risk-taking in tasks requiring deliberative decision-making processes. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS Seventy-four healthy young adults were selected to participate in two independent experiments, each consisting of a crossover design. In Experiment 1, 32 participants were tested after one night of regular sleep (RS), and after one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD). In Experiment 2, 42 participants were tested following five nights of RS and after five nights of partial sleep deprivation (PSD), implying five hours of sleep per night. In both the experiments, two deliberative decision-making tasks were administered, involving different decision-making constructs. The Mosaic Task (MT) assessed reflection impulsivity, the tendency to gather information before making a decision. The Columbia Card Task cold version (CCTc) evaluated risk-taking propensity in a dynamic environment. RESULTS Unlike TSD, PSD led to an increment of reflection impulsivity and risk-taking. Nevertheless, analyses taking into account the individuals' baseline (RS) performance showed consistent results between the two experimental sleep manipulations. Participants who gathered more information to make decisions in the MT when well-rested, then relied on less evidence under sleep loss, and more cautious participants in the CCTc tended to make riskier decisions. CONCLUSION Results pointed to differential consequences of sleep deprivation depending on the habitual way to respond during decision-making involving deliberative reasoning processes. Results were interpreted according to a putative interaction between sleep loss effect and individual difference factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Salfi
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Lauriola
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Tempesta
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Calanna
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Socci
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Ferrara
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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23
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Piccolo M, Milos GF, Bluemel S, Schumacher S, Mueller-Pfeiffer C, Fried M, Ernst M, Martin-Soelch C. Behavioral Responses to Uncertainty in Weight-Restored Anorexia Nervosa - Preliminary Results. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2492. [PMID: 31749750 PMCID: PMC6848854 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired decision-making under conditions of uncertainty seems to contribute to the expression and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN), but it is not clear whether this impairment is a disease state that would remit with treatment, or a persisting trait in patients with AN. To examine this question, a longitudinal study was conducted in 12 female inpatients with AN (age M = 22.2, SE = 1.36), before (Time-1) and after reaching a body mass index of >17.5 kg/m2 (Time-2). Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) was assessed via a decision-making task, the wheel of fortune (WOF). Weight gain at Time-2 was accompanied with significant changes in uncertainty-related performance compared to Time-1 [(Time × Uncertainty), p < 0.05]. At Time-1, reaction times (RTs) varied in function of uncertainty, while at Time-2, uncertainty did not modulate RTs. These findings support a change in decision-making under uncertainty with successful weight-rehabilitation in AN. While IU was present in underweight patients, it became non-significant after weight restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayron Piccolo
- Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Gabriella Franca Milos
- Department of Consultation-Liaison-Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sena Bluemel
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Schumacher
- Department of Consultation-Liaison-Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Mueller-Pfeiffer
- Department of Consultation-Liaison-Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Fried
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Monique Ernst
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chantal Martin-Soelch
- Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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24
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Anderson EC, Carleton RN, Diefenbach M, Han PKJ. The Relationship Between Uncertainty and Affect. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2504. [PMID: 31781003 PMCID: PMC6861361 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty and affect are fundamental and interrelated aspects of the human condition. Uncertainty is often associated with negative affect, but in some circumstances, it is associated with positive affect. In this article, we review different explanations for the varying relationship between uncertainty and affect. We identify "mental simulation" as a key process that links uncertainty to affective states. We suggest that people have a propensity to simulate negative outcomes, which result in a propensity toward negative affective responses to uncertainty. We also propose the existence of several important moderators of this process, including context and individual differences such as uncertainty tolerance, as well as emotion regulation strategies. Finally, we highlight important knowledge gaps and promising areas for future research, both empirical and conceptual, to further elucidate the relationship between uncertainty and affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C. Anderson
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland, ME, United States
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Michael Diefenbach
- Departments of Medicine, Urology, and Psychiatry, Northwell Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Paul K. J. Han
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland, ME, United States
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
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25
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Hezel DM, Stewart SE, Riemann BC, McNally RJ. Standard of proof and intolerance of uncertainty in obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2019; 64:36-44. [PMID: 30818107 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Researchers have identified intolerance of uncertainty (IU) as a dysfunctional thought that contributes to OCD. Case examples of OCD suggest that uncertainty and anxiety persist despite low likelihoods of feared outcomes. In this study we examined how people with OCD react to minimal amounts of uncertainty relative to non-anxious individuals and a clinical comparison group of people with social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHODS We created a questionnaire to measure the distress people feel when there is only minimal uncertainty regarding a given outcome and if they prefer situations with the certainty of negative outcomes in the present versus living with uncertainty. Part two of our study tested whether IU is related to performance on neutral and idiographic versions of the Beads Task. RESULTS OCD and SAD subjects reacted to hypothetical scenarios involving minimal risk with greater negative affect than did non-anxious subjects; however, after repeating analyses to account for comorbid disorders, OCD subjects' scores did not differ from those of non-anxious subjects. Only SAD subjects showed a preference for negative information in the present versus the uncertainty of a future outcome. Part two of our study revealed that self-reported IU was only marginally associated with performance on the neutral Beads Task. LIMITATIONS High rates of comorbidity made it difficult to identify the specific relationship of IU with other anxiety disorders. CONCLUSIONS IU for general, non-OCD specific scenarios may not figure prominently in all individuals with OCD, but rather may play a larger, more consistent role in anxiety disorders such as SAD. Additionally, the number of beads or words viewed on Beads Task may be an inadequate behavioral measure of IU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne M Hezel
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - S Evelyn Stewart
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Bradley C Riemann
- The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Center, Rogers Memorial Hospital, Oconomowoc, WI, USA
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26
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Oglesby ME, Stentz LA, Portero AK, King SL, Schmidt NB. Exaggerated interpretation bias for uncertain information as a predictor of anxiety-related symptoms: A new method of assessment for IU. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2019; 64:64-71. [PMID: 30852358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), or fear of the unknown, is as an important transdiagnostic risk factor across anxiety-related conditions, namely generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD). IU is typically indexed using self-report measures. Given the importance of multi-method assessments and the shortcomings associated with existing behavioral indices of IU, additional methods of assessment are needed. Emerging literature supports the use of interpretation bias (IB) paradigms to index constructs such as IU. However, only one study to date has examined the association between an IU-focused IB paradigm (IU-IB) and self-report IU and no research has investigated whether an IU-IB paradigm would be related to increased anxiety-related symptoms. METHODS The current investigation examined the utility of an IU-IB paradigm across two separate samples wherein participants completed an interpretation bias task and self-report measures. Sample 1 included 86 participants (74.4% female; Mage = 19.14) and sample 2 included 138 participants (79.7% female; Mage = 18.88). RESULTS Findings from Study 1 indicated a significant association between an exaggerated IU-IB and symptoms of GAD and OCD, and this relationship held after covarying for negative affect. Study 2 results indicated a significant relationship between an exaggerated IU-IB and symptoms of GAD, OCD, and SAD, after covarying for negative affect. LIMITATIONS The current study had a variety of limitations, including the use of cross-sectional data and an undergraduate sample. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide an important replication and extension of previous work and highlight the transdiagnostic utility of this IU-IB task.
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Morriss J. What do I do now? Intolerance of uncertainty is associated with discrete patterns of anticipatory physiological responding to different contexts. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13396. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Morriss
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences University of Reading Reading UK
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Lauderdale SA, Martin KJ, Moore J. Aversive Indecisiveness Predicts Risks for and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Over Avoidant Indecisiveness. JOURNAL OF RATIONAL-EMOTIVE AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR THERAPY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10942-018-0302-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Dekkers LMS, Jansen BRJ, Salemink E, Huizenga HM. Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale: Measurement invariance among adolescent boys and girls and relationships with anxiety and risk taking. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2017; 55:57-65. [PMID: 27914319 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Adolescence-related increases in both anxiety and risk taking may originate in variability in Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU), rendering the study of IU of importance. We therefore studied the psychometric properties of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short version (IUS-12), including its associations with trait anxiety and risk taking, among adolescents. METHODS A sample of 879 Dutch adolescents, from diverse educational levels, and with an equal distribution of boys and girls, was classically tested. To obtain indices of IU, and self-reported trait anxiety and need for risk taking, questionnaires were administrated; to obtain an index of risk taking behavior, adolescents performed a risk taking task. RESULTS Multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analyses revealed that the IUS-12 consists of a Prospective and an Inhibitory IU subscale, which are partially measurement invariant across sex. Cronbach's alphas and item-total correlations revealed that the IUS-12 and its subscales have reasonable-to-good internal consistency. Correlational analyses support convergent validity, as higher IUS-12 scores were related to, respectively, higher and lower levels of self-reported trait anxiety and need for risk taking. However, we found no relationship between IUS-12 scores and risk taking behavior, operationalized by performance on the risk taking task. LIMITATIONS A community, instead of clinical, sample was included. Also, IU was measured by a paper-and-pencil version of the IUS-12, instead of a computerized version. CONCLUSIONS The IUS-12 has good psychometric properties and may be a central measure to assess IU, which enables to explain the adolescence-related increase in both anxiety and risk taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M S Dekkers
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Yield, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Brenda R J Jansen
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Yield, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ABC, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Elske Salemink
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Yield, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ABC, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Hilde M Huizenga
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Yield, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ABC, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Vander Haegen M, Etienne AM. Cognitive processes across anxiety disorders related to intolerance of uncertainty: Clinical review. COGENT PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2016.1215773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vander Haegen
- Unit of Health Psychology, Université de Liège, Quartier Village 2, Rue de l’Aunaie 30, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Anne-Marie Etienne
- Unit of Health Psychology, Université de Liège, Quartier Village 2, Rue de l’Aunaie 30, Liège 4000, Belgium
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Black MJ, Grisham JR. Imagery versus verbal interpretive cognitive bias modification for compulsive checking. Behav Res Ther 2016; 83:45-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Mosca O, Lauriola M, Carleton RN. Intolerance of Uncertainty: A Temporary Experimental Induction Procedure. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155130. [PMID: 27254099 PMCID: PMC4890765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a trans-diagnostic construct involved in anxiety and related disorders. Research focused on cross-sectional reporting, manipulating attitudes toward objective and impersonal events or on treatments designed to reduce IU in clinical populations. The current paper presents an experimental procedure for laboratory manipulations of IU and tests mediation hypotheses following the Intolerance of Uncertainty Model. Methods On pre-test, undergraduate volunteers (Study 1, n = 43;68% women. Study 2, n = 169;83.8% women) were asked to provide an idiosyncratic future negative life event. State-IU, Worry, Positive and Negative Affect were assessed after that a standardized procedure was used to identify event’s potential negative consequences. The same variables were assessed on post-test, after that participants were asked to read-through increasing and decreasing IU statements. Results Temporary changes on IU were consistently reproduced in both studies. Participants receiving increasing IU instructions reported greater state-IU, Worry and Negative Affect than those receiving decreasing IU instructions. However, this latter condition was not different from a control one (Study 2). Both studies revealed significant indirect effects of IU induction instructions on Worry and Negative Affect through state-IU. Limitations Both studies used undergraduate psychology students samples, younger than average population and predominantly female. Experimental manipulation and outcome measures belongs to the same semantic domain, uncertainty, potentially limiting generalizability. Conclusions Results supported the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed IU manipulation for non-clinical sample. Findings parallel clinical research showing that state-IU preceded Worry and Negative Affect states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriana Mosca
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Marco Lauriola
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
| | - R. Nicholas Carleton
- The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Shihata S, McEvoy PM, Mullan BA, Carleton RN. Intolerance of uncertainty in emotional disorders: What uncertainties remain? J Anxiety Disord 2016; 41:115-24. [PMID: 27212227 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The current paper presents a future research agenda for intolerance of uncertainty (IU), which is a transdiagnostic risk and maintaining factor for emotional disorders. In light of the accumulating interest and promising research on IU, it is timely to emphasize the theoretical and therapeutic significance of IU, as well as to highlight what remains unknown about IU across areas such as development, assessment, behavior, threat and risk, and relationships to cognitive vulnerability factors and emotional disorders. The present paper was designed to provide a synthesis of what is known and unknown about IU, and, in doing so, proposes broad and novel directions for future research to address the remaining uncertainties in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Shihata
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Peter M McEvoy
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Centre for Clinical Interventions, Perth, Australia.
| | - Barbara Ann Mullan
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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‘Jumping to conclusions’ data-gathering bias in psychosis and other psychiatric disorders — Two meta-analyses of comparisons between patients and healthy individuals. Clin Psychol Rev 2016; 46:151-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Carleton RN, Duranceau S, Shulman EP, Zerff M, Gonzales J, Mishra S. Self-reported intolerance of uncertainty and behavioural decisions. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2016; 51:58-65. [PMID: 26788617 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) appears to be a robust transdiagnostic risk factor related to anxiety and depression. Most transdiagnostic IU research has used the self-report Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short Form; however, there is comparatively little research exploring presumed behavioral correlates of IU. The current study was designed to assess relationships between self-reported IU and decisions in uncertainty-based behavioral tasks (specifically, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, the Risky Gains Task, and the Modified Iowa Gambling Task). Participants comprised compensated community members (n = 108; 69% women) and undergraduates (n = 98; 78% women). Community member compensation was not contingent on performance, but undergraduate compensation was partially contingent on performance. Results replicated prior research, with both samples producing small (r = .19) to moderate (r = -.29) correlations (ps < .05) between self-reported IU and outcome variables from each of the behavioral tasks. The relationships were larger in the undergraduate sample, likely due to the compensation incentive. In general, the results suggest that increasing IU is associated with increasingly risk adverse behaviors; however, the relationship appears complex and in need of substantial additional research to understand how clinically-significant IU would impact pathology-related behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nicholas Carleton
- The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
| | - Sophie Duranceau
- The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
| | | | - Marissa Zerff
- The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
| | - Josh Gonzales
- Risk and Gambling Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
| | - Sandeep Mishra
- Risk and Gambling Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
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Carleton RN. Fear of the unknown: One fear to rule them all? J Anxiety Disord 2016; 41:5-21. [PMID: 27067453 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The current review and synthesis was designed to provocatively develop and evaluate the proposition that "fear of the unknown may be a, or possibly the, fundamental fear" (Carleton, 2016) underlying anxiety and therein neuroticism. Identifying fundamental transdiagnostic elements is a priority for clinical theory and practice. Historical criteria for identifying fundamental components of anxiety are described and revised criteria are offered. The revised criteria are based on logical rhetorical arguments using a constituent reductionist postpositivist approach supported by the available empirical data. The revised criteria are then used to assess several fears posited as fundamental, including fear of the unknown. The review and synthesis concludes with brief recommendations for future theoretical discourse as well as clinical and non-clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nicholas Carleton
- Anxiety and Illness Behaviours Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada.
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Enhancing the ecological validity of the Beads Task as a behavioral measure of intolerance of uncertainty. J Anxiety Disord 2016; 41:43-9. [PMID: 26896872 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
To broaden the measurement of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) beyond self-report methods, recent research has examined the Beads Task as a behavioral measure of IU. In the present study, we enhanced this task to increase its ecological validity by maximizing decisional uncertainty and the importance of a correct response. Undergraduate participants (n=102) completed the Beads Task with instructions that they would complete the Cold Pressor Task (CPT) if they answered incorrectly. As hypothesized, baseline CPT endurance time and self-reported pain level were weakly associated with later Beads Task distress during the decision-making process. Furthermore, in vivo Beads Task distress was associated with self-report inhibitory IU, which measures avoidance and paralysis in the face of uncertainty, but not with prospective IU, perfectionism, or general psychological distress after making statistical adjustments for multiple comparisons. Comparisons to previous work using the Beads Task, clinical implications, and avenues for future research are discussed.
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An investigation of the role of intolerance of uncertainty in hoarding symptoms. J Affect Disord 2016; 193:208-14. [PMID: 26773912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hoarding disorder (HD) is a common, debilitating mental illness and public health burden. Understanding the factors that contribute to hoarding is critical for identifying treatment targets. As a relatively new diagnostic entity, this research remains in its initial stages. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is thought to be a vulnerability factor for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and may also be relevant to HD. We investigated the possible association between IU and hoarding in two sets of analyses. METHOD First, we administered self-report measures of IU and hoarding symptoms to unscreened undergraduate students (N=456) and used regressions to probe their association controlling for relevant covariates. Second, in a clinical sample, we compared IU across groups of patients with HD (N=26), GAD (N=26), OCD (N=51), other anxiety disorders (N=91) and healthy controls (N=29). RESULTS In the student sample, IU predicted hoarding symptoms above and beyond relevant covariates, including hoarding-related beliefs. In the clinical sample, HD patients evidenced greater IU relative to healthy individuals and the mixed anxiety group, and comparable levels of IU to the GAD and OCD groups. LIMITATIONS This study relied exclusively on self-report questionnaires and a cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS IU is associated with hoarding behavior and, as we discuss, conceptual models might benefit from the study of IU as a potentially contributing factor. Directions for future research are discussed.
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