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The Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty in Social Anxiety Subtypes
Author(s) -
Whiting Sara E.,
Jenkins Whitney S.,
May Anna C.,
Rudy Brittany M.,
Davis Thompson E.,
Reuther Erin T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22024
Subject(s) - worry , psychology , anxiety , perfectionism (psychology) , clinical psychology , fear of negative evaluation , social anxiety , developmental psychology , psychiatry
Objectives Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is thought to underlie several internalizing disorders; however, it has only begun to be explored within social anxiety (SA). This study extends previous findings by examining IU's relation to performance and interaction SA subtypes and by accounting for obsessive‐compulsive symptoms. Methods A total of 472 undergraduates completed measures of IU, SA, perfectionism, worry, obsessions/compulsions, and fear of negative evaluation (FNE). Results IU and obsessions/compulsions predicted performance SA beyond FNE. IU predicted interaction SA beyond FNE. Inhibitory anxiety IU contributed to both SA types but contributed more to performance SA. Prospective anxiety IU was negatively related to performance SA and unrelated to interaction SA, though a trend emerged. Contrasts between those high in one SA type, both, or neither revealed IU was highest when both types were present. Conclusions Inhibitory IU plays a significant role in both SA subtypes and may play a slightly greater role in performance SA.