How is the Beads Task related to intolerance of uncertainty in anxiety disorders?

• We examined the use of the Beads Task as a behavioral measure of IU.
• Beads Task induced uncertainty as the probabilistic decision became more difficult.
• ANX and NAC groups did not differ on observable performance related measures.
• ANX group was more distressed during the task than NACs.
• IU was correlated with draws to decision and in vivo task-related distress.

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a cognitive bias associated with anxiety disorders that has only been reliably measured using self-report instruments. The current study investigated relationships between a probabilistic inference task – the Beads Task – and self-report IU. Individuals with anxiety disorders (ANX) and non-anxious controls (NAC) completed self-report measures as well as the Beads Task at three levels of difficulty. The Beads Task successfully induced task-related uncertainty as the decision became more difficult. While the two groups did not differ on the observable performance related measures, the ANX group was significantly more distressed during the task than were the NACs. Moreover, among the ANX group, self-reported IU was correlated with draws to decision and distress during the task. The Beads Task appears to provoke distress associated with uncertainty for anxious individuals, rather than altering their behavioral responses; thus, clinical implications and avenues for future research are discussed.