Does It Feel Certain Enough? Intolerance of Uncertainty Predicts Checking Behavior through 'Not Just Right' Experiences

Understanding the mechanisms underlying pathological safety behavior is crucial for the development of effective treatments for mental disorders. This study investigates the interplay between intolerance of uncertainty (IU), not just right experiences (NJRE), and safety behaviors using a behavior-based checking paradigm in individuals (N = 164) diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or anxiety disorders. Findings revealed that IU was related to more disturbance caused by experimentally induced NJRE. In addition, IU was linked to more NJRE on a trait level. Regarding safety behavior in the form of checking, IU was also indirectly associated with longer checking durations via NJRE-related disturbance. This indirect effect supports a conceptual pathway where IU causes NJRE-related disturbance, leading to excessive uncertainty reducing safety behaviors. These results reinforce IU’s role as a transdiagnostic factor driving safety behaviors, which can contribute to maintaining pathology. Furthermore, the findings confirm a mediating role of NJRE in this relationship. Thus, the relevance of NJRE may extend beyond OCD into other anxiety disorders whenever IU is a critical feature. Implications include considering IU and NJRE in therapies across anxiety-related diagnoses as a mitigating factor of pathological safety behaviors. Despite strengths like a large, formally diagnosed sample and a behavior-based paradigm, sample heterogeneity and the use of novel methodology constitute limitations of the study.