شناسایی مؤلفه‌های روان‌شناختی تحمل ابهام در افراد دارای اضطراب فراگیر

پیام قاضی; شبنم رهنما; کیوان کیان‌پور

doi:10.61838/988745

Authors

Payam Ghazi Department of Health Psychology, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran Author
Shabnam Rahnama Department of Family Counseling, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
Keyvan Kianpour Department of General Psychology, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/988745

Keywords:

Generalized anxiety, ambiguity tolerance, intolerance of uncertainty, worry, thematic analysis, qualitative research

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the psychological components of ambiguity tolerance among individuals with generalized anxiety. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants were 23 individuals with prominent symptoms of generalized anxiety living in Tehran, selected through purposive sampling according to predefined inclusion criteria. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. Each interview lasted between 45 and 75 minutes, and sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Saturation was achieved after the twentieth interview, and three additional interviews were conducted to confirm the stability of the emerging themes. The data were analyzed using NVivo software through the stages of familiarization with the data, initial coding, theme development, theme review, theme naming, and interpretive reporting. To enhance the trustworthiness of the findings, member checking, peer review, analytic memo writing, and repeated reading of the transcripts were applied. The analysis resulted in five main categories: threat-based appraisal of ambiguous situations, cognitive preoccupation with possible consequences, search for control and reassurance, emotional and behavioral avoidance of ambiguous decision-making, and limited capacity to accept incompleteness. The findings indicated that individuals with generalized anxiety experience ambiguity not merely as a lack of information, but as a signal of potential danger, loss of control, and unpredictability. Participants’ quotations showed that ambiguity was associated with persistent worry, bodily tension, decisional hesitation, and repeated reassurance-seeking. The results suggest that ambiguity tolerance in individuals with generalized anxiety is a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by the interaction of threat appraisal, maladaptive control strategies, emotional avoidance, and difficulty accepting uncertainty. Clinical attention to these components may help improve cognitive-behavioral interventions, acceptance-based treatments, and worry-focused therapeutic programs for generalized anxiety.

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