Intolerance of uncertainty predicts indecisiveness and safety behavior in real-life decision making: Results from an experience sampling study

• Published in: Journal of research in personality Vol. 110; p. 104490
• Main Authors: Appel, Helmut, Krasko, Julia, Luhmann, Maike, Gerlach, Alexander L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Decision making; Experience sampling methodology; Indecisiveness; Intolerance of uncertainty; Safety behavior; Intolerance of uncertainty; Safety behavior; Decision making; Indecisiveness; Experience sampling methodology
• ISSN: 0092-6566; 1095-7251
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104490

•Everyday decision making was studied using experience sampling of real decisions.•Intolerance of uncertainty predicted more indecisiveness and decisional safety behavior.•More problematic safety behavior predicted more subsequent indecisiveness.•Both trait and state intolerance of uncertainty were associated with decision making. In decision making, intolerance of uncertainty (IU) may be linked to safety behavior, which could ironically maintain IU and, thus, foster indecisiveness. In a smartphone-based experience sampling study, 247 participants described their real-life decisions six times per day and rated (a) their situational indecisiveness, (b) decision characteristics, (c) situational IU, and (d) problematic safety behaviors. Participants higher in dispositional IU reported more indecisiveness and engaged in more problematic safety behavior across measurements. The same relationships were observed with situational IU at the level of individual measurements. Engaging in more problematic safety behaviors during the first days predicted indecisiveness on the last day, mediated by IU. The results demonstrate the real-life relevance of the relationship between IU, indecisiveness, and safety behavior.