Prospective and inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty, and certainty-seeking behaviours across adulthood in a Chinese sample

Abstract

Difficulties in coping with the unknown, or intolerance of uncertainty (IU), has been established as an important risk factor for anxiety and other mental health problems. However, the conceptualisation so far is primarily based on self-report data from younger populations. Informed by theories on both anxiety and aging, the current study examined self-report IU and behavioural decisions made under uncertainty, across adulthood. A total of 300 participants between the age of 20–79 years were recruited from the community. They completed the self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12) and the behavioural Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Results suggested that young adults had higher self-report prospective IU than older adults, and there were no differences on IUS-12 scores between middle-aged versus young/older adults. However, older adults had higher certainty-prone behaviours on the BART (less pumps and bursts) than both young and middle-aged adults. Exploratory modelling analysis on the BART responses suggested that young adults had both lower loss aversion and lower sensitivity to risk changes in the environment. The results are discussed in line with previous theories; whilst one's belief about their general ability to manage uncertainty in daily life increases with age, so does one's behavioural conservatism in the context of new (i.e., uncertain) situations. The results have practical implications for working with adults of various ages, in terms of needing to tailor uncertainty management and emotion regulation to the developmental stage of the person.