Category: Cognitive Science/ Cognitive Processes
Hannah Broos, M.S.
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Brad Schmidt, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Florida State University, Psychology Department
Tallahassee, Florida
William Villano, PhD
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Amelia Dev, PhD
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Hannah Broos, M.S.
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Kimberly Arditte Hall, Ph.D.
Framingham State University
Framingham, Massachusetts
Emily O'Bryan, Ph.D.
Endicott College
Newton, Massachusetts
The need to cope with uncertainty is a universal human experience that affects many aspects of daily life. Individuals generally tend to find uncertainty aversive and unpleasant, and often engage in behaviors to reduce uncertainty, such as information-seeking. Importantly, how individuals tolerate the discomfort associated with uncertainty strongly impacts their mood, behavior, and quality of life. It also has a bearing on psychopathology: intolerance of uncertainty is a transdiagnostic risk factor implicated in the development of mood and anxiety disorders. Despite recent advances, a number of questions remain as to how uncertainty and our tolerance of ambiguous situations drives affective and behavioral responses. First, it is unclear how uncertainty influences future learning processes and how distress surrounding uncertainty may influence risk perception. Second, questions remain about how best to capture intolerance of uncertainty and how different operationalizations might have differential impact on the development of affective symptoms. A third question is how intolerance of uncertainty may act synergistically with other known risk factors for affective symptoms. A final, key question is how best to intervene and what interventions might be helpful in reducing intolerance of uncertainty and subsequent symptoms of psychopathology. The objective of this symposium is to present novel research in these areas, thus expanding our understanding of the mental health impacts of uncertainty in both clinical and non-clinical samples.
We will first present new findings from a novel experimental paradigm that investigates how individuals learn from prior experience to refine predictions for uncertain future outcomes. Next, we will present results from a large, longitudinal community sample on the specific role of intolerance of uncertainty in predicting perceived risk of COVID exposure during the pandemic. A third speaker will examine the differential impact of dispositional and situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in relation to affective symptoms endorsed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will then present data on the associations between intolerance of uncertainty, PTSD symptoms, and threat-related interpretation biases in a large sample of trauma-exposed adults. Finally, we will present pilot data from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention for intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity. Our discussant will identify common themes across presentations and discuss the clinical implications of these findings. Overall, this symposium and the resulting discussion will summarize new research findings on intolerance of uncertainty in clinical and non-clinical samples, both more generally and within the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting promising directions for future research.
Presenter: William J. Villano, PhD – University of Miami
Co-author: Noah Kraus, B.S. – University of Miami
Co-author: Travis Reneau, B.S. – Washington University in St. Louis
Co-author: Brittany A. Jaso, Ph.D. – Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders
Co-author: Anthony Otto, Ph.D. – McGill University
Co-author: Aaron Heller, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Presenter: Amelia Dev, PhD – University of Miami
Co-author: Maria M. Llabre, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Co-author: Patrice G. Saab, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Co-author: Kiara R. Timpano, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Presenter: Hannah C. Broos, M.S. – University of Miami
Co-author: Maria M. Llabre, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Co-author: Patrice G. Saab, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Co-author: Kiara R. Timpano, Ph.D. – University of Miami
Presenter: Kimberly A. Arditte Hall, Ph.D. – Framingham State University
Co-author: Stephanie Arditte, PhD – Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Presenter: Emily M. O'Bryan, Ph.D. – Endicott College
Co-author: Kristen M. Kraemer, Ph.D. – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School
Co-author: Christina M. Luberto, Ph.D. – Harvard Medical School
Co-author: Anishka Jean, PhD – Department of Psychology, West Virginia University
Co-author: Kate Everhardt, B.S. – The Institute of Living
Co-author: Liya Mammo, PhD – Nova Southeastern University
Co-author: Gretchen J. Diefenbach, Ph.D. – The Institute of Living
Co-author: David Tolin, ABPP, Ph.D. – Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living