title: An experimental investigation of contamination-related reassurance seeking: Familiar versus unfamiliar others.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Repeated reassurance seeking (RS) is a hallmark feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Research in related areas of psychopathology suggests that familiarity with a partner can influence symptom expression. We hypothesized that participants in the company of a familiar (vs. unfamiliar) partner would seek more reassurance following an ambiguous task involving contamination-related threat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed an ambiguous dishwashing task in the company of a familiar or unfamiliar other, and were subsequently given an opportunity to seek reassurance. Participants and their assigned partners completed a measure of RS wherein they reported the number of times the participant sought reassurance; actual reassurance seeking was coded based on a recording of the interaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results demonstrated that participants sought more reassurance from familiar (vs. unfamiliar) others F(3, 86) = 9.20, p < .001, partial η(2) = .24); this effect was robust when partner-reported (F(1, 88) = 27.04, p < .001, partial η(2) = .24), a trend when participant-reported (F(1, 88) = 2.72, p = .10, partial η(2) = .03), but not significant when using objectively-coded data (F(1, 88) = 0.14, p = .71, partial η(2) = .00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As this experiment was a preliminary attempt to examine RS in an interpersonal context, the study may not have captured compulsive or excessive RS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, results suggest that RS may be perceived as more excessive by familiar (versus unfamiliar) others, which may contribute to the distress experienced by carers of individuals with OCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada.
authors.forename: Rachael L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Canada. Electronic address: Adam.Radomsky@concordia.ca.
authors.forename: Adam S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Radomsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Contamination; Familiarity; Interpersonal context; OCD; Perceptions of behaviour; Reassurance seeking