title: Self-reported intolerance of uncertainty and behavioural decisions.
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.
authors.affiliation: The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada. Electronic address: nick.carleton@uregina.ca.
authors.forename: R Nicholas
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Carleton
authors.affiliation: The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada. Electronic address: sophduranceau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duranceau
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada. Electronic address: eshulman@brocku.ca.
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.affiliation: The Anxiety and Illness Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada. Electronic address: Marissa.Zerff@uregina.ca.
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zerff
authors.affiliation: Risk and Gambling Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada. Electronic address: gonzjosh89@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Josh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.affiliation: Risk and Gambling Behaviour Laboratory, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada. Electronic address: mishrs@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035501:Uncertainty; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behavior; Intolerance of uncertainty; Modified Iowa Gambling Task; Risky Gains Task; Wisconsin Card Sorting Task