Stop checking: Repeated checking and its effects on response inhibition and doubt.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Repeated checking is a hallmark behavior in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Previous research indicated paradoxical memory confidence reduction after repeated checking, linked to response inhibition.
• This study investigates an alternative explanation: the impact of viewing multiple exemplars versus checking itself.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if repeated checking effects on memory confidence are due to viewing multiple exemplars.
• To determine if repeated checking influences response inhibition capabilities.
• To explore the role of response inhibition in the maintenance of OCD symptoms.

Main Methods:

• 132 students participated in two experiments, randomly assigned to either a repeated-checking or a simple-action task.
• Both tasks involved viewing multiple exemplars, but only the checking task required repeated verification.
• Response inhibition was assessed using a stop-signal task, with variations in go-signal familiarity across experiments.

Main Results:

• Participants in the repeated-checking group consistently showed lower memory confidence than the simple-action group.
• Response inhibition was not significantly affected by checking with neutral stimuli.
• Familiar stimuli, however, impaired response inhibition in the repeated-checking group.

Conclusions:

• Repeated checking demonstrably impairs memory confidence.
• Increased stimulus familiarity can speed up responses but hinder inhibition.
• These findings suggest a potential role for impaired response inhibition in the development and persistence of OCD.