Intolerance of uncertainty, and not social anxiety, is associated with compromised extinction of social threat

Wake, Shannon; Morriss, Jayne; Johnstone, Tom; Reekum, Carien M. van; Dodd, Helen F.

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2021.103818

Cited by 28 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Instead, we found that the STICSA measure was related to threat extinction learning, although these results did not reach statistical significance after corrections for multiple comparisons (see Supplementary Material). Prior extinction learning research has shown specificity of IU over self-reported trait anxiety, social anxiety and worry Wake et al, 2021). However, recent published research suggests that STICSA may be more closely related to extinction-learning compared to other self-report measures of anxiety and worry (Morriss et al, 2020;Wake et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…These findings were based on the spontaneous recovery index used in the Dunsmoor et al (2015) study, where the first three CS+ trials in extinction retention are divided by the largest CS+ trial in acquisition. Given, the debate surrounding how to operationalise the spontaneous recovery index (Lonsdorf, Merz & Fullana, 2019), we conducted a post-hoc analysis with IU and a spontaneous recovery index based on the differential response between the first three CS+ and CS-trials in extinction retention (Morriss et al, 2020;Wake et al, 2021). With this analysis, only higher IU in the standard extinction learning group was associated with greater spontaneous recovery of the conditioned response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the spontaneous recovery index can also be commonly operationalised using a differential response (Lonsdorf, Merz & Fullana, 2019), we conducted a posthoc correlational analysis with IU and a spontaneous recovery index based on the differential response between the first three CS+ and CS-trials in extinction retention (Morriss et al, 2020;Wake et al, 2021). We found a significant positive correlation between the differential response in extinction retention and IU scores in the EXT group [r(25) = .496, p = .009; see…”

Section: Post-hoc Exploratory Analysesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Uncertainty about changes in contingency from threat to safety might therefore prolong, or prevent, the learning of new safety associations (Bouton, 2002) Uncertainty has been identified as an important facet of anxiety and stress disorders more broadly (Carleton, 2016a(Carleton, , 2016bDugas, Buhr, & Ladouceur, 2004;Grupe & Nitschke, 2013). Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) refers to individual differences in the tendency to find uncertainty aversive and only recently has been examined in relation to threat extinction learning (Morriss, Christakou, & Van Reekum, 2015Morriss, Macdonald, & van Reekum, 2016) and retention (Dunsmoor, Campese, Ceceli, LeDoux, & Phelps, 2015;Lucas, Luck, & Lipp, 2018;Morriss, Wake, Linder, McSorley, & Dodd, 2020;Wake, Morriss, Johnstone, van Reekum, & Dodd, 2021). This work has demonstrated that higher IU is associated with reduced threat extinction learning and retention, indexed by greater skin conductance responding to cues that no longer signal threat (Dunsmoor, Campese, Ceceli, LeDoux, & Phelps, 2015;Lucas, Luck, & Lipp, 2018;Morriss, Christakou, & Van Reekum, 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intolerance of uncertainty and novelty facilitated extinction: The impact of reinforcement schedule

Wake¹,

Dodd²,

Morriss³

2020

Preprint

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Individuals who score high in Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) display reduced threat extinction learning and retention. Recently, it was shown that replacing threat associations with novel associations (i.e. presenting a novel non-aversive tone 100% of the time vs. presenting nothing) can promote threat extinction retention in individuals with high IU. This effect could be driven by the tone’s novelty or reliability. Here we seek to address this question by adjusting the reliability via the reinforcement schedule of the novel tone. We propose to measure skin conductance response during an associative learning task in which participants (n = 90) will be assigned to one of three conditions; standard extinction, 100% reinforcement NFE or 50% reinforcement NFE. This work will further our understanding of the role novelty, reliability and IU in threat extinction. Ultimately, this research will inform future models of IU and clinical treatments of anxiety and stress disorders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Post-hoc Exploratory Analysesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Intolerance of uncertainty and novelty facilitated extinction: The impact of reinforcement schedule

Wake¹,

Dodd²,

Morriss³

2020

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Hence, establishing whether IU-related effects are specific to a particular measure or generalise across measures may reveal how IU-related biases modulate classical fear conditioning mechanisms. Secondly, the majority of studies examining IU have focused on immediate extinction training (Dunsmoor et al, 2015;Kanen et al, 2020;Lucas et al, 2018;Morriss, 2019;Morriss et al, 2015Morris et al, 2019;Morriss & van Reekum, 2019;Morriss et al, 2020;Wake et al, 2020;Wake et al, 2021) and we are, to date, not aware of any study that has examined IU during delayed extinction training. Delayed extinction training more closely models the clinical scenario as exposure-based treatment typically occurs with a time delay after exposure to a traumatic or aversive event.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of intolerance of uncertainty on subjective and psychophysiological measures during fear acquisition and delayed extinction

Klingelhöfer-Jens¹,

Morriss²,

Lonsdorf³

2021

Preprint

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Individuals who score high in self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) tend to find uncertainty unacceptable and aversive. In recent years, research has shed light on the role of IU in modulating subjective (i.e. expectancy ratings) and psychophysiological responses (i.e. skin conductance) across different classical fear conditioning procedures, particularly that of immediate extinction. However, there remain gaps in understanding how IU, in comparison to other negative emotionality traits (STAI-T), impact different types of subjective and psychophysiological measures during different classical fear conditioning procedures. Here, we analyzed IU, STAI-T, subjective (i.e. fear ratings) and psychophysiological (i.e. skin conductance, auditory startle blink) data recorded during fear acquisition training and 24h-delayed extinction training (n = 66). Higher IU, over STAI-T, was: (1) significantly associated with greater fear ratings to the learned fear cue during fear acquisition training, and (2) at trend associated with greater fear ratings to the learned fear versus safe cue during delayed extinction training. Both IU and STAI-T were not related to skin conductance or auditory startle blink during fear acquisition training and delayed extinction training. These results add to and extend our current understanding of the role of IU on subjective and physiological measures during different fear conditioning procedures, particularly that of delayed extinction training. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.

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Effect of Psychotherapy on Intolerance of Uncertainty: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Näsling,

Åström,

Jacobsson

et al. 2024

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is the tendency to react negatively on affective, cognitive and behavioural levels to uncertain situations and to harbour negative beliefs about the implications of uncertainty. IU has been linked to psychopathology and shown to impact treatment outcomes. This study systematically reviewed the literature and performed a meta‐analysis of the effects of psychotherapy on IU. A total of 22 studies (1491 participants) were identified in online searches and included in the meta‐analyses. Analyses were performed on studies with passive and active control conditions. The pooled effect on IU from studies with passive control was large (g = −0.94 [95% CI −1.25 to −0.62]) but with significant heterogeneity. Pooled effects on IU from studies with active controls were not significant. Moderator analysis showed that among studies with a passive control condition, studies that recruited participants from clinical care facilities produced smaller effect sizes. Among studies with an active control condition, study quality significantly moderated the results, with higher quality leading to a larger effect size. These results indicate that changes in IU may be difficult to reliably achieve in psychotherapy and leave many questions about the effect of psychotherapy on IU unanswered, such as what active components produced the observed changes in studies with passive control.

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Intolerance of uncertainty, and not social anxiety, is associated with compromised extinction of social threat

Cited by 28 publications

References 75 publications

Intolerance of uncertainty and novelty facilitated extinction: The impact of reinforcement schedule

Intolerance of uncertainty and novelty facilitated extinction: The impact of reinforcement schedule

Effects of intolerance of uncertainty on subjective and psychophysiological measures during fear acquisition and delayed extinction

Effect of Psychotherapy on Intolerance of Uncertainty: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

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