Feeling safe: Judgements of safety and anxiety as a function of worry and intolerance of uncertainty

Cupid, Justice; Stewart, Kathleen E.; Sumantry, David; Koerner, Naomi

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2021.103973

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…There is some evidence that individuals with GAD do not discriminate well between stimuli that are associated with a negative outcome (e.g., a shock) and stimuli associated with a safe outcome (e.g., no shock), which suggests there may be deficits in safety learning (e.g., Lissek et al, 2005;Lissek et al, 2009). However, although Cupid et al (2021) found that greater chronic worry was associated with lower perception of safety in both safe and potentially threatening scenarios, individuals higher in worry did distinguish safe scenarios as relatively safe compared to the threatening scenarios. Thus, further work is warranted in this area in order to understand whether uncertain scenarios that are likely to end positively are actually recognized as likely to end well by individuals higher in worry.…”

Section: Outcome Valencementioning

confidence: 69%

“…Recently, Cupid et al (2021) found that individuals higher in IU had less of a difference in their degree of anxiety in response to "safe" and "potentially threatening" uncertain scenarios than did individuals lower in IU. Further they found that the relationship between IU and anxiety was greater in the relatively safe scenarios than the potentially threatening scenarios, suggesting that pathology in IU may lie in reactions to relatively safe uncertainty.…”

Section: Outcome Valencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Does Context Influence How People Higher and Lower in the Propensity to Worry React to Uncertainty?

Stewart

2024

Preprint

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It is well established that individuals high in chronic worry experience greater anxiety when faced with uncertainty than those lower in chronic worry (e.g., Dugas et al., 2004); however, there is a dearth of research on other potentially important cognitive and emotional reactions to uncertainty. The present dissertation examined whether individuals higher in worry have greater beliefs that uncertainty is unfair, they do not deserve to be uncertain, they are not able to cope with uncertainty, and anger, as well as whether individuals lower in worry have more positive appraisals (being confident they can handle uncertainty, accepting uncertainty, happiness, excitement, calm, feeling psychologically safe, and predicting uncertain scenarios will end well). This dissertation also examined whether context moderates reactions to uncertainty, as most clinical research has focused on decontextualized reactions. Study 1 examined the impact of being alone or with others in uncertainty, Study 2 examined whether uncertainty was expected or unexpected, and Study 3 examined whether the uncertainty was likely to end positively or negatively. It was predicted that individuals higher in worry would show less difference in reactions based on contextual factors, representing a general intolerance of uncertainty irrespective of context. Findings across the three studies suggested that chronic worry is associated with greater anxiety, greater perception of uncertainty, greater doubt about one's capacity to cope, low confidence handling uncertainty, and greater anger, rather than finding uncertainty unfair, feeling one doesn’t deserve to be uncertain, or not accepting uncertainty. Individuals higher in worry did not statistically experience less positive emotion in reaction to uncertain situations that are likely to end well, nor did they appraise uncertain positive scenarios as more likely to end negatively or as more unsafe than those lower in worry. On average, individuals higher in worry responded to context similarly to those lower in worry, finding being alone in uncertainty, not expecting uncertainty, and threatening outcome uncertainty to be more aversive. In summary, chronic worry appears to be associated with stronger negative cognitive and emotional reactions, especially anxiety and doubts about capacity to cope with uncertainty, to uncertain scenarios with a greater potential for threat.

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Section: Outcome Valencementioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Outcome Valencementioning

confidence: 99%

Does Context Influence How People Higher and Lower in the Propensity to Worry React to Uncertainty?

Stewart

2024

Preprint

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“…As a result of the isolation process, which is an inseparable part of the measures taken against the COVID-19 pandemic, many psychological and medical problems have arisen 60 . During this period, it can be said that individuals with high levels of intolerance to uncertainty and anxiety struggle with accepting the security measures taken 76 .…”

Section: Impact On Behaviorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic in a State of Uncertainty on Trust Basis

ALACAHAN

2023

CMJ

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The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly spreading virus outbreak affecting the lives of people globally in terms of health, economy, social and psychological aspects. Governments have taken various measures to protect the functioning of societal life and individual health. To prevent the spread of the virus in society, measures such as lockdown, travel restrictions, ban on gatherings in enclosed spaces, closure of certain businesses, school closures and transition to remote learning were taken. In addition, on an individual level, measures such as wearing masks, practicing personal hygiene and maintaining physical distance were taken. The uncertainty of the situation has weakened people's sense of security. Health concerns, job losses, social isolation, financial turmoil and low morale have increased people's worries about the future. The long-term effects of the pandemic are still not fully understood, but it is known that the sense of security plays a significant role in both the quality and level of life of society and individuals. The sense of security of individuals is important in every aspect of life and the loss of this feeling can negatively impact their economic, physical, emotional, and social health. This study, conducted using a literature review method, aimed to identify the psycho-social and economic problems arising during the pandemic process. The results of the study indicated that the pandemic experienced globally caused serious problems for both individuals and society and that these problems are likely to have impacts in the "new normal" life after the pandemic.

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“…Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is the tendency to find uncertainty distressing (Carleton, 2016a;Freeston, Rhéaume, Letarte, Dugas, & Ladouceur, 1994). Previous research has demonstrated that individuals with higher IU interpret uncertain scenarios as more threatening (Cupid, Stewart, Sumantry, & Koerner, 2021;Pepperdine, Lomax, & Freeston, 2018), and under uncertainty they tend to experience greater negative affect (Morriss, Goh, Hirsch, & Dodd, 2023) and physiological arousal (Morriss, Zuj, & Mertens, 2021;Tanovic, Gee, & Joormann, 2018). IU is commonly measured using the 12-item IU scale, which can be used as unilateral scale or split into two subscales (Carleton et al, 2007;Hong & Lee, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between intolerance of uncertainty, paranoia, anxiety and depression: Evidence from an international multi-site sample

Morriss,

Gaudiano,

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Intolerance of uncertainty (IU: the tendency to find uncertainty aversive) and paranoia (e.g., excessive mistrust of others), are both associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. While previous research has primarily focused on IU and paranoia separately, there is recent evidence to suggest that IU and paranoia are linked and may interact to increase risk for anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia-spectrum conditions. The aims of the current study were to assess: (1) the extent to which IU (total score and subscales), paranoia, anxiety, and depression are associated and (2) whether the interaction between IU and paranoia is associated with greater anxiety and depression symptoms. To examine these aims, we conducted a survey on an international multi-site sample (n = 2510). Questionnaires included: IU (total score and subscales), paranoia (RGPTS persecution subscale), anxiety, and depression. The findings revealed that: (1) IU was positively associated with paranoia (r = .43), anxiety (r = .48) and depression (r = .49), and (2) People with high scores on IU and paranoia showed higher anxiety and depression symptoms. Importantly, these effects remained when controlling for negative beliefs about the self and others and demographic factors. Additionally, the inhibitory IU subscale (uncertainty paralysis) was related to paranoia, anxiety, and depression. However, the prospective IU subscale (desire for predictability) was only related to anxiety, but not paranoia and depression. Overall, these findings reliably demonstrate that IU and paranoia are linked, and that IU and paranoia interactions may synergistically work to affect current levels of anxiety and depression symptoms.

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Feeling safe: Judgements of safety and anxiety as a function of worry and intolerance of uncertainty

Cited by 15 publications

References 45 publications

Does Context Influence How People Higher and Lower in the Propensity to Worry React to Uncertainty?

Does Context Influence How People Higher and Lower in the Propensity to Worry React to Uncertainty?

Individual Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic in a State of Uncertainty on Trust Basis

Associations between intolerance of uncertainty, paranoia, anxiety and depression: Evidence from an international multi-site sample

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