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Causing harm and allowing harm: a study of beliefs in obsessional problems
1University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, UK.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|December 5, 2000
Summary
Obsessional patients are more sensitive to inaction (omission) than commission of harm. This heightened sensitivity to omission influences their decisions to act and prevent harm, distinguishing them from non-obsessional individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Obsessional problems are linked to decision-making regarding harm prevention.
- Intrusive thoughts and external factors can heighten awareness of potential harm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how intrusive thoughts and external factors influence decisions to act to prevent harm.
- To explore the differential sensitivity to omission versus commission of harm in obsessional individuals.
Main Methods:
- Participants (obsessional patients, anxious, and non-clinical controls) completed a scale measuring harm awareness and prevention factors.
- Scenarios were presented to assess responses to harm by 'commission' versus 'omission'.
Main Results:
- Both obsessional and non-obsessional individuals were more likely to act when harm awareness was triggered by intrusive thoughts.
- All groups acted more 'obsessionally' when harm was described as by 'commission' rather than 'omission'.
- Obsessional patients showed no differential rating between omission and commission scenarios, unlike controls.
Conclusions:
- Obsessional individuals exhibit heightened sensitivity to omission compared to non-obsessional individuals.
- This sensitivity to omission is a key factor influencing the decision-making process in preventing harm for those with obsessional concerns.