Intolerance of Uncertainty: A Cognitive Vulnerability Related to the Etiology of Social Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by persistent and irrational fears related to the presence of other people and which are accompanied by the persistent belief of being judged or evaluated. The prevalence of SAD in Canada varies somewhat between several sources, but it is known to be a prevalent anxiety disorder. Research has identified significant vulnerabilities implicated in the development of SAD, which include genetic and temperament (i.e., heritable) factors, cognitive processes, dyadic parent–child interactions, personality factors, and adverse environmental experiences. A particular cognitive vulnerability related to SAD and which is garnering more research attention is intolerance to uncertainty (IU). IU is related to insecurities about the unknown and an inability to accept (i.e., tolerate) an unknown and uncontrollable future. IU is responsible for some proportion of the variance in social anxiety symptoms (SAS) that happen before, during, and/or after social encounters. What remains to be determined is how much does IU contribute to the maintenance of SAS and the development of SAD? The author reviews preliminary research suggesting that the cognitive vulnerability of IU plays a role in SAS and in the etiology of SAD. Future research directions are also explored.