Elucidating the mechanism of uncertainty and doubt in obsessive-compulsive checkers

Abstract

The article presents three studies that explore the scope and mechanism of reduced confidence in obsessive-compulsive (OC) checkers. In the first study OC checkers, but not panic disorder patients, reported less confidence in their answers to a general knowledge test compared to non-anxious (NA) participants. The second study replicated these findings, but contrary to our prediction, the reduced confidence in OC checkers was not reflected in a disconfirmation bias in this population when both types of evidence were available. The third study found that when the same questions were repeated three times, the confidence of OC checkers progressively decreased, while that of the NA participants progressively increased.