Intolerance of uncertainty and physiological responses during instructed uncertain threat: a multi-lab investigation

Individuals with high self-reported Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) tend to interpret uncertainty negatively. Recent research has been inconclusive on evidence of an association between IU and physiological responses during instructed uncertain threat. To address this gap, we conducted secondary analyses of IU and physiology data recorded during instructed uncertain threat tasks from two lab sites (Wisconsin-Madison; n = 128; Yale, n = 103). Higher IU was associated with: (1) greater corrugator supercilii activity to predictable and unpredictable threat of shock, compared to the safety from shock, and (2) poorer discriminatory skin conductance response between the unpredictable threat of shock, relative to the safety from shock. No IU-related effects were observed for the orbicularis oculi. These findings suggest that IU-related biases may be captured differently depending on the physiological measure during instructed uncertain threat. Implications of these findings for neurobiological models of uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety are discussed.

Effort and Learning-Related Choices: the Impact of Sympathetic Activity and Ability Beliefs

Previous research shows that some students view their abilities as malleable with effort and aim to improve themselves (incremental beliefs), while others believe abilities are fixed and cannot change with effort and aim to prove themselves (entity beliefs). Here, we investigated how such beliefs in undergraduates (n=115) relate to their effort investment during a challenging arithmetic task, indexed by 1) whether they make low vs high effort learning-related choices (easy vs difficult problems) 2) sympathetic activity measured with impedance cardiography as physiological measure of effort. Results show that incremental theorists chose relatively higher difficulty levels compared to entity theorists. Moreover, higher effort, as indexed by higher sympathetic activity, was associated with subsequently choosing lower difficulty levels. This effect was stronger for entity theorists than incremental theorists, indicating that seemed more inclined to avoid higher sympathetic activity, in line with our finding that entity theorists reported more helplessness attributions.

Special Edition: The effects of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) on interpersonal problems, sense of coherence, and salivary Immunogloblin A of adults in chemical dependency treatment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) on interpersonal problems, coping measures and immune function in 19 adults in chemical dependency treatment for an average of 43 days. Psychological measures included the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Short Circumplex Form (IIP-SC), the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) and physiological measure included salivary immunoglobulin A. Pre-test measures were collected at the initial interview session and post-tests at the final BMGIM session. Experimental subjects received one GIM session a week during their treatment. Results show significant decrease on the domineering, cold, and non-assertive subscales of the IIP-SC and on the manageability subscale of the SOC scale. The physiological measure of sIgA did not show a significant increase. The BMGIM appears to be effective in addressing issues underlying substance abuse, in addition showing a positive impact on physical health.