Symposia
Cognitive Science/ Cognitive Processes
Amelia Dev, PhD
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Maria M. Llabre, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Patrice G. Saab, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Kiara R. Timpano, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Affective symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, have been linked to heightened subjective risk estimates (i.e., perceiving future negative outcomes as being more likely). Most studies have examined ties between affective symptoms and risk perception using tightly controlled laboratory paradigms with little real-world salience. Few studies have considered additional individual difference factors that might synergistically interact with symptoms to predict heightened risk perception. One individual difference factor that may influence risk perceptions is intolerance of uncertainty (IU), i.e., perceiving ambiguous or uncertain situations as aversive. The pandemic, a highly distressing time with ample uncertainty, represents an ideal, real-world context in which to examine the association between symptoms and risk perception. The current study explored the independent and interactive effects of affective symptoms and IU on risk perception during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 344) were Florida residents who completed surveys at three timepoints during the COVID-19 pandemic. At Wave 2 (May-June 2020), they completed a measure of affective symptoms, a measure of their stress response to COVID (e.g., their tendency to suppress thoughts about the pandemic; their hypervigilance regarding pandemic information), and their COVID-specific IU. At Wave 3 (December-February 2021), they reported their COVID exposure risk perception. We tested a linear model regressing Wave 3 risk perception on the symptoms , IU, and their interaction, and a separate model regressing Wave 3 risk perception on the stress response, IU and their interaction. As none of the interactions were significant, we conducted two follow-up analyses to examine main effects. In a model testing the effect of affective symptoms and IU, only IU was significant in predicting COVID exposure risk (B = 0.97, p < .001). In a model testing the effects of stress response to COVID (B = 1.15, p = 0.004), and COVID-specific IU (B = 0.60, p = .009) both were significant in predicting COVID exposure risk. Results suggest that while affective symptoms may not shape risk perceptions after accounting for the effect of IU, a person’s cognitive response to stressors may uniquely influence their perception of risk, separate from their ability to tolerate uncertainty. Overall, these findings indicate that IU impacts risk estimates independently from general affective symptoms or specific stress responses, highlighting its potential as a transdiagnostic treatment target.