I told you it was safe: Associations between intolerance of uncertainty and different parameters of uncertainty during instructed threat of shock

Background and objectives: Self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is the tendency to find uncertainty aversive. There is a lack of empirical research on how IU modulates anticipatory responding during threatening contexts with different parameters of uncertainty. Methods: Exploratory secondary analyses were conducted on an existing data set (n = 45) to examine whether IU is related to a particular parameter of uncertainty during instructed threat of shock (i.e. certain shock, certain safety from shock, outcome uncertainty of shock, temporal uncertainty of shock). Results: Analyses revealed that IU was associated with larger auditory startle blink during the anticipatory period for the certain safety from shock condition relative to the certain shock condition. Limitations: The sample was relatively small. Conclusions: Individuals with higher self-reported IU may be more inclined to generalize threat to safety cues in the context of instructed threat of shock.