Adult attachment, worry and reassurance seeking: Investigating the role of intolerance of uncertainty

Abstract

Background The adult attachment dimension of attachment anxiety has been demonstrated to be associated with a variety of anxiety symptomology, including worry, intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and reassurance seeking. A variety of research has indicated that IU is associated with level of worry and reassurance seeking. The relationships between attachment anxiety, worry, IU and threat‐related reassurance seeking have not been subject to investigation. The present article reports the results of an investigation of these variables within a community sample. Methods Three‐hundred and twenty‐eight participants were recruited to complete an online survey in which participants completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale‐Revised, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Threat‐related Reassurance Seeking Scale. Results Attachment anxiety, IU and worry were correlated with threat‐related reassurance seeking. Consistent with previous research, IU was found to mediate the relationship between attachment anxiety and worry. IU and worry were found to be serial‐multiple mediators in the relationship between attachment anxiety and threat‐related reassurance seeking. Conclusions The results of the study suggest IU is likely to play a key role in the relationship between attachment anxiety and worry, as well as the relationship between attachment anxiety and threat‐related reassurance seeking.

Can a kiss conquer all? The predictive utility of idealized first kiss beliefs on reports of romantic love among U.S. adults

“…Given the significant moderating role of romantic attachment on the relationship between idealized first kiss beliefs and reports of romantic love, adopting and endorsing idealized first kiss beliefs could be particularly useful for insecurely attached adults, particularly those high in attachment anxiety (as this was the only construct that consistently moderated the relationship across both studies). These findings could potentially be explained by the tendency for those scoring higher in attachment anxiety to seek reassurance to a greater extent ( Clark et al, 2020 ), as well as report greater interpersonal attraction when given positive feedback ( Sperling and Borgaro, 1995 ). Specifically, it is possible that idealized first kiss belief endorsement could have been used as a means of reassurance that their current partner loves them in return (i.e., positive feedback), which could have translated to increases in their own reports of romantic love.…”

Predictors of Excessive Reassurance Seeking in Social Anxiety

“…As the seeker's feelings of insecurity and doubt resurface, reassurance-seeking is renewed, which results in a negative spiral that could lead to rejection from others and the worsening of depressive symptoms over time (Coyne, 1976). In generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), reassurance seeking tends to be geared toward reducing the seeker's intolerance of uncertainty about the future (Clark et al, 2020;Wells, 2010), while those with illness anxiety disorder (IAD) will use reassurance seeking to attempt to gain a sense of certainty related to their concerns about their physical health and symptoms of illness (Salkovskis & Warwick, 1986). In contrast, reassurance seeking in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often focused on soliciting safety-related information that a feared consequence has not occurred for the purpose of reducing anxiety, preventing harm, and decreasing responsibility for harm (Parish & Radomsky, 2010).…”

Heterogeneity in College Student’s Technology-Facilitated Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Occurring Post-Breakup: A Latent Profile Analysis

“…Intolerance of uncertainty is another dispositional risk factor associated with increased negative affective reactions (Bar- Anan et al, 2009) and linked to high levels of distress in the context of uncertainty and loss (Boelen, 2010). Emerging research has provided empirical support for the role of intolerance of uncertainty as the primary mechanism through which attachment anxiety leads to increased reassurance seeking (Clark et al, 2020). Greater intolerance of uncertainty has also been shown to be predictive of both SMS and CDA in the presence of emotion regulation difficulties (McMillan et al, 2022).…”