Authors

Miriam Vázquez Campo1, Jessica Diéguez Álvarez2, Alejandro A. García Caballero3

Position

1Doctora de Psicología. Enfermera. Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Ourense. Universidad de Vigo2Enfermera. Área Sanitaria de Ourense, Verín y el Barco de Valdeorras. Servicio Gallego de Salud3Doctor en Psiquiatría. Hospital de Día de Psiquiatría del Complexo Hospitalario de Ourense. Servicio Gallego de Salud

Contact address

Miriam Vázquez Campo. Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería. Hospital Santa María Nai. C/ Ramón Puga, 52-55, sótano 3. 32005 Ourense.

Contact email: miriam.vazquez.campo@sergas.es

Abstract

Objective: to describe the presence of the “jumping to conclusions” bias in patients with psychiatric conditions and in a group of healthy volunteers, and to understand if there is a link between the “jumping to conclusions” bias and the personality traits “intolerance of uncertainty” and “ideological rigidity”.
Method: case and control study, taking as cases those patients admitted at the Psychiatry Unit of the Complejo Hospitalario de Ourense with diagnosis of schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder, and healthy volunteers as control. Tools: ball test, drawing test or BADE (Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence), and Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire.
Results: the final sample included 100 subjects (cases: 50 with psychiatric conditions, and controls: 50 without psychiatric conditions). In the ball task, cases needed a mean (standard deviation) of 4.66 balls (2.81) in order to make a decision, vs. 2.94 (2.80) in controls; this is a significant difference. In the BADE, psychiatric patients valued significantly as more feasible the option stated in slide 1, in comparison with healthy subjects. There is a significant correlation between the scores in the ball test and the “intolerance of uncertainty” (r= -0,285) and “ideological rigidity” (r= -0,322) traits; no significant differences were found in any of the variables based on diagnosis.
Conclusions: all patients with psychiatric conditions included in the study presented the “jumping to conclusions” bias, while healthy volunteers did not have it. The presence of this bias is correlated with intolerance of uncertainty and ideological rigidity.

Keywords:

Psychiatric condition; adults; bias; uncertainty; Delirium; cognition; Cognition

Versión en Español

Título:

Sesgo “salto a las conclusiones” en pacientes con patología psiquiátrica