Abstract
In this study we examined three variables related to decision-making in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD): (1) the amount of information requested before making a decision, (2) the amount of time spent deliberating before making a decision, and (3) the level of risk the decision carries. Eighteen individuals with OCD (OCs) and 18 nonanxious controls (NACs) were presented with 12 scenarios in which they had to choose between two alternatives. Scenarios carried varying degrees of risk. Both groups distinguished between the levels of risk. However, compared to NACs, OCs requested more information about, and spent more time deliberating for low-risk and OCD-relevant decisions; no group differences were found for high-risk situations. Moreover, increased time spent on decisions about OCD-relevant situations appears dependent on perceived risk in the situation and not simply on the tendency to obsess.
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Foa, E.B., Mathews, A., Abramowitz, J.S. et al. Do Patients with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder Have Deficits in Decision-Making?. Cognitive Therapy and Research 27, 431–445 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025424530644
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025424530644