Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder01:28

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both, which consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning. Obsessions involve persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that evoke anxiety. Common examples include irrational fears of contamination or harm. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. For instance, individuals...
Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive01:24

Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive

Dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are two separate psychological conditions that influence behavior, relationships, and overall life functioning. Though both involve maladaptive behaviors, their core characteristics and motivations differ significantly.
 Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by an excessive reliance on others to manage various aspects of life. Individuals with this disorder often struggle with...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance01:14

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the anxiety of...
Anxiety: Overview01:18

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder01:30

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

A persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, defiant behavior, or vindictiveness characterizes Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Symptoms must occur over at least six months, involve interactions with individuals beyond siblings, and meet specific diagnostic criteria to be clinically significant. The disorder affects emotional regulation, social interactions, and behavior, often manifesting early in life and influencing long-term development and functioning.
Diagnostic Criteria and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Incompleteness as a link between obsessive-compulsive personality traits and specific symptom dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2013
Same author

Multidimensional assessment of OCD: integration and revision of the Vancouver Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory and the Symmetry Ordering and Arranging Questionnaire.

Journal of clinical psychology·2010
Same author

[The measurement of motivational dimensions of OCD: incompleteness and harm avoidance].

Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie·2010
Same author

The Padua Inventory: do revisions need revision?

Assessment·2009
Same author

The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R): validation of the German version in a sample of patients with OCD, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders.

Journal of anxiety disorders·2007
Same author

[The German version of the obsessive-compulsive inventory-revised: a brief self-report measure for the multidimensional assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms].

Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie·2007

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
09:14

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Incompleteness and harm avoidance in OCD symptom dimensions.

Willi Ecker1, Sascha Gönner

  • 1Institute of Behaviour Therapy, Kurbrunnenstrasse 21a, D-67098 Bad Dürkheim, Germany. dw-ecker@gmx.de

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|June 3, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals that incompleteness (INC) and harm avoidance (HA) uniquely relate to specific Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptom dimensions. Checking symptoms are linked to both INC and HA, suggesting motivational heterogeneity in OCD.

More Related Videos

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
09:29

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
09:14

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
09:29

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often conceptualized through core motivational dimensions of incompleteness (INC) and harm avoidance (HA).
  • Current research predominantly focuses on HA-related constructs, such as inflated responsibility and threat overestimation.
  • There is a resurgence of interest in INC, characterized by 'not just right experiences' and a lack of closure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically investigate the associations between specific OCD symptom dimensions and the motivational dimensions of INC and HA.
  • To differentiate the motivational underpinnings of various OCD symptom clusters.

Main Methods:

  • A large clinical sample of 202 individuals diagnosed with OCD was recruited.
  • Hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses were employed.
  • Analyses controlled for comorbid anxiety, depression, and overall OCD symptom severity.

Main Results:

  • Symmetry/ordering and checking symptoms were uniquely associated with INC.
  • Obsessional thoughts and checking symptoms were uniquely associated with HA.
  • Checking symptoms demonstrated motivational heterogeneity, linked to both INC and HA.
  • Contamination/washing symptoms did not show a unique association with either INC or HA.
  • OCD symptom severity was uniquely associated with INC but not HA.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that specific OCD symptom dimensions are differentially related to INC and HA.
  • The results challenge a narrow conceptualization of OCD solely as an anxiety disorder, highlighting the role of motivational factors.
  • Checking symptoms represent a complex motivational profile within OCD.