Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
On the role of anxiety in decisions under possiblistic uncertainty
Ronald R Yager1, Shinya Kikuchi
1Machine Intelligence Institute, Iona College, New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA. yager@panix.com
Abstract:
We focus on situations in which we must decide on what time to take an action. The action is not in question it is the time of action. We call these "time for action decisions," a prototypical example being deciding when to leave on a journey. We point out that during this type of decision process, the decision-maker recognizes two groups of forces acting on him: one that pushes him to act now and other that pushes him act later. We note that the strength of these forces depends on the information available about various uncertainties associated with the situation. It also strongly depends upon the personality of the decision-maker. We observe that as time passes these conflicting forces tend to build up an anxiety in the decision-maker resulting in an action being taken at a time of most intense anxiety. In this paper using the ideas of possibility and necessity measures to enable different interpretations of uncertain information we investigate the temporal profile of the decision-maker's anxiety as a function of their decision attitude. We investigate the role of maximization of anxiety as decision paradigm. One of our goals here is to try to understand role of the nature and the quality information plays in these types of decisions as well as its interaction with anxiety.
Related Concept Videos
Decision Making
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Decision Making: P-value Method
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses: a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...
Reason and Intuition
Uncertainty: Overview
Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance
Decision Making: Traditional Method
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...

