We make decisions every day, and many of these decisions are inherently uncertain. To gain confidence in our decisions, we use techniques such as information gathering. However, traits such as...Show moreWe make decisions every day, and many of these decisions are inherently uncertain. To gain confidence in our decisions, we use techniques such as information gathering. However, traits such as Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU), a common symptom of anxiety disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, may cause significant impairments within this process. Decision making, information gathering and IU have each been independently researched, however little is known about how the three interact. This paper hypothesised a negative association between IU and confidence, when information gathering is controlled for. Additionally, it was expected that information gathering moderates the relationship between IU and confidence, such that when those with higher IU sample more, they feel more confident. A non-clinical sample (N = 214) was recruited through the online crowdsourcing platform Prolific.co. The variables of interest were measured using self-reported scales of IU and confidence, and an Information Sampling Task. No significant association between IU and confidence, when information gathering is controlled for, was found. However, a regression analysis found that information gathering moderates the relationship between IU and confidence, such that with increasing levels of IU, participants reported higher confidence when they sampled more information, compared to when they sampled little information. These results may indicate that the confidence of individuals who are less tolerant to uncertainty in decision making might be more strongly influenced by the amount of information they have access to. Limitations of the study design are identified, along with suggestions for future research. Through further understanding of these three processes, there are potential implications within therapeutic contexts, whilst also opening the door for further exploration.Show less
Concepts such as self-esteem and the perception of self are significant for a multitude of reasons, one of them being one’s satisfaction in life. This makes research into affective updating...Show moreConcepts such as self-esteem and the perception of self are significant for a multitude of reasons, one of them being one’s satisfaction in life. This makes research into affective updating important. One form of affective updating can be described as updating feelings about yourself based on feedback that has been received from others. To gain a better understanding of affective updating, the main focus of this study was to investigate the influence of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and attachment style on the updating of self-relating feelings. Intolerance of uncertainty can be defined as a bias that demonstrates how people see vague situations as threats. While attachment style is characterized as a framework of behaviours, emotions and expectations we exhibit in close relationships. Three hypotheses were tested using data collected from a larger study. To test the hypotheses, a speech task, in which three judges would be watching, and two questionnaires (ECR-R and IUS) were used. The speech task was used to measure how social feedback changes one’s self-perception. The total sample size contained 144 participants with ages ranging from 18 to 29. Results of this study indicate that there is no significant association between IU and affective updating, nor that attachment style predicts affective updating in this context. However, adults with more anxiety regarding attachment were found to have a higher amount of IU. This finding should be taken into account for future treatment regarding people with high attachment anxiety, as it could prevent further development of high IU and SAD.Show less
