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Intolerance of Uncertainty and Social Wellbeing: the Mediating Role of Emotional Experiences

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  • Shaoyu Tu

    (Southwest University, Faculty of Psychology, MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality)

  • Jingzhen He

    (Southwest University, Faculty of Psychology, MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality)

  • YiFei Zhang

    (Southwest University, Faculty of Psychology, MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality)

  • Haichao Zhao

    (Southwest University, Faculty of Psychology, MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality)

  • Jiali Liu

    (Southwest University, Faculty of Psychology, MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality)

  • Ofir Turel

    (The University of Melbourne, School of Computing and Information Systems)

  • Qinghua He

    (Southwest University, Faculty of Psychology, MOE Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality
    Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality)

Abstract

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a cognitive bias that affects how a person perceives, interprets, and responds to uncertain situations. The mechanisms through which it can impact social wellbeing (SW), though, are unclear. To bridge this gap, we theorize the positive emotional experience (PE) and negative emotional experience (NE) are involved in such mechanisms. We test these hypotheses with two related samples: (1) n = 844 college students who completed a cross-sectional survey, and (2) a subset of n = 324 college students who also completed a follow-up assessment, forming a two-wave sample. In the initial sample’s cross-sectional model, IU indirectly predicted SW through PE and NE. The two-wave sample supported the half-longitudinal mediating role of positive emotional experience, but not that of negative emotional experience. These findings suggest that emotional experiences can contribute to translation of IU into social wellbeing. These insights can improve the understanding of social well-being and deepen comprehension of the role of emotional experiences.

Suggested Citation

  • Shaoyu Tu & Jingzhen He & YiFei Zhang & Haichao Zhao & Jiali Liu & Ofir Turel & Qinghua He, 2025. "Intolerance of Uncertainty and Social Wellbeing: the Mediating Role of Emotional Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:26:y:2025:i:7:d:10.1007_s10902-025-00960-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-025-00960-x
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