Hating waiting: Individual differences in willingness to wait in uncertainty

Difficulty tolerating uncertainty has been linked to heightened negative affect and risk for various forms of psychopathology. Willingness to tolerate uncertainty is usually assessed by self-report but investigating behavior under uncertainty may be particularly informative. This study examined whether willingness to wait in uncertainty is related to individual differences in impulsivity, anxiety, and emotion regulation. Students (n = 56) completed an uncertain gambling task in which they chose between a small, low-probability reward available immediately and a larger, higher probability reward available after an uncertain delay. The distribution of the data indicated two groups: those who always waited and those who did not. Non-waiters compared to waiters were characterized by higher levels of delay discounting, neuroticism, inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty, and worry. They also reported more tension following the task than did waiters. Among non-waiters, greater delay discounting was associated with less willingness to wait in uncertainty. These findings suggest a link between compromised decision-making under uncertainty and heightened risk for psychopathology