Intolerance of uncertainty and worry: Investigating specificity in a nonclinical sample

The goal of this study was to explore the specificity of the relationship b etween intolerance of uncertainty and worry in a nonclinical sample. Three hundred and forty-seven university students completed measures of worry, ob sessions/compulsions, and panic sensations. They also completed measures of process variables known to be associated with worry (intolerance of uncert ainty), obsessions/compulsions (responsibility), and panic sensations (anxi ety sensitivity). The results show that intolerance of uncertainty was high ly related to worry, moderately related to obsessions/compulsions, and weak ly related to panic sensations. Further, the relationship between intoleran ce of uncertainty and worry remained strong after shared variance with othe r study variables was removed. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding worry and preventing generalized anxiety di sorder.