Trait-anxiety and belief updating: Exploring the role of negativity bias and contrast avoidance

Abstract

Beliefs play a crucial role in shaping our behaviors and mental health outcomes. Asymmetric belief updating refers to the phenomenon where desirable information is updated more readily than undesirable information. An essential feature of anxiety is threat-overestimation and a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of experience while avoiding sharp negative emotional contrasts. These two characteristics lead to different predictions concerning belief updating. One scenario would suggest a reduction in asymmetric update behavior, indicating negativity bias, whereas the other would indicate an increase in asymmetric update, indicating contrast avoidance. To test these two rival predictions, participants (n=54) first completed trait-measures and then performed a belief update task. Moreover, memory for the information presented was assessed in the short-term and long-term. Skin conductance response was measured to assess arousal levels. Overall, our findings revealed that higher levels of trait-anxiety predicted a greater integration of desirable information but not undesirable information. Trait-intolerance of uncertainty did not exhibit an association with update behavior. Skin conductance and memory were not associated with trait-measures. We discuss these results in line with the Contrast Avoidance Model of anxiety in terms of avoidance of unexpected negative and positive contrasts induced by relief during belief updating.