An Investigation of the Associations Between Intolerance of Uncertainty, Attentional Network Functioning, and Attentional Bias for Uncertainty

Abstract

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is the tendency to fear the unknown and is a transdiagnostic dispositional vulnerability and maintenance factor for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders (Carleton, 2016). Researchers have suggested that IU may be associated with altered attentional network functioning, which may lead individuals with elevated IU to be more aware of potential sources of uncertainty, thereby increasing anxiety (Fergus et al., 2013; Fergus & Carleton, 2016; Norwood, 2014). The few studies that have examined attentional network functioning and attentional biases related to IU have produced conflicting results, possibly due to the methods used and a failure to control for the confounding effects of state and trait anxiety and depression. The current investigation assessed the associations between attentional network functioning, as assessed by the Attention Network Test–Revised (ANT-R), the attentional bias for uncertainty, as assessed by the dot probe task, IU, and potential confounding variables. The sample included community and undergraduate participants with elevated (n = 30) and low (n = 13) IU. Results of this investigation indicated that IU was not associated with differences in attentional network functioning or attentional bias for uncertainty; however, due to the small number of participants in the low IU group, statistical power was below the threshold required to detect differences between groups on the ANT-R and dot probe indices. The results do suggest that IU has increased in recent years and attentional task order may influence the attentional bias for uncertainty. Future research is needed to replicate the current investigation and specifically examine both increasing IU and the effects of the ANT-R on attentional biases. Methodological and clinical implications, investigation limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.