Fear of Uncertainty Makes You More Anxious? Effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty on College Students’ Social Anxiety: A Moderated Mediation Model

Jie Li; Jie Li; Ying Xia; Xinying Cheng; Shijia Li

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.565107

Frontiers in Psychology (Sep 2020)

Fear of Uncertainty Makes You More Anxious? Effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty on College Students’ Social Anxiety: A Moderated Mediation Model

Jie Li,
Jie Li,
Ying Xia,
Xinying Cheng,
Shijia Li

Affiliations

Jie Li: School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Jie Li: Center of Mental Health Education and Research, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Ying Xia: School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Xinying Cheng: School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Shijia Li: School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.565107
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11

Abstract

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PurposeThis study investigated the relationships among intolerance of uncertainty (IU), social anxiety (SA), rumination, and pessimistic explanatory style (PES) in a sample of college students.MethodsQuestionnaires were completed by 533 college students.ResultsRumination partially mediated the relationship between IU and SA, and PES plays an important role in moderating the direct path (IU→SA) and the first part of the mediation process. When the PES is low, IU predicts SA less strongly but is related to rumination. Conversely, IU in individuals with a high PES predicts SA more directly.ConclusionRumination plays a mediating role between IU and SA, and the PES moderates the direct path and the first stage of the mediation model.

Published in Frontiers in Psychology

ISSN: 1664-1078 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Philosophy. Psychology. Religion: Psychology
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology

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