a Psychology & Neuroscience , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
Anxiety Stress Coping. 2014 Jan;27(1):55-73. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2013.815743. Epub 2013 Jul 15.
Individual differences in uncertainty have been associated with heightened anxiety, stress and approach-oriented coping. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a trait characteristic that arises from negative beliefs about uncertainty and its consequences. Researchers have established the central role of IU in the development of problematic worry and maladaptive coping, highlighting the importance of this construct to anxiety disorders. However, there is a need to improve our understanding of the phenomenology of IU. The goal of this paper was to present hypotheses regarding the similarities and differences between IU and three related constructs--intolerance of ambiguity, uncertainty orientation, and need for cognitive closure--and to call for future empirical studies to substantiate these hypotheses. To assist with achieving this goal, we conducted a systematic review of the literature, which also served to identify current gaps in knowledge. This paper differentiates these constructs by outlining each definition and general approaches to assessment, reviewing the existing empirical relations, and proposing theoretical similarities and distinctions. Findings may assist researchers in selecting the appropriate construct to address their research questions. Future research directions for the application of these constructs, particularly within the field of clinical and health psychology, are discussed.
个体对不确定性的差异与更高的焦虑、压力和面向应对的应对方式有关。不确定性容忍度（IU）是一种特质特征，源于对不确定性及其后果的消极信念。研究人员已经确定了 IU 在发展问题性担忧和适应不良应对中的核心作用，突出了这一结构对焦虑障碍的重要性。然而，需要更好地了解 IU 的现象学。本文的目的是提出关于 IU 与三个相关结构（不确定性容忍度、不确定性取向和认知闭合需求）之间的异同的假设，并呼吁未来的实证研究来证实这些假设。为了实现这一目标，我们对文献进行了系统回顾，这也有助于确定当前知识的差距。本文通过概述每个定义和一般评估方法、回顾现有实证关系，并提出理论上的相似性和区别，区分了这些结构。研究结果可能有助于研究人员选择适当的结构来解决他们的研究问题。讨论了这些结构的未来研究方向，特别是在临床和健康心理学领域。
