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Decision-making and risk in bipolar disorder: A quantitative study using fuzzy trace theory
Anna Chiara Sicilia1, Julia Nora Lukacs2,3, Steven Jones4
1Lancaster University, UK.
Psychology and Psychotherapy
|January 25, 2019
Summary
Fuzzy trace theory (FTT) explains risk-taking in bipolar disorder (BD) as reasoned, not impulsive. FTT measures predict risk intentions in BD, independent of mood and impulsivity.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Bipolar disorder (BD) is often associated with increased risk-taking behaviors.
- Traditional views link risk-taking in BD to mood fluctuations and impulsivity.
- Fuzzy trace theory (FTT) offers an alternative perspective, framing risk-taking as a reasoned, albeit potentially flawed, cognitive process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive power of FTT measures on risk-taking intentions in individuals with BD.
- To determine if FTT constructs remain significant predictors after controlling for mood and impulsivity.
- To explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying risk-taking in the context of BD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 58 participants with a self-reported diagnosis of BD was recruited.
- Participants completed online questionnaires assessing risk-taking intentions, mood, impulsivity, and FTT-based cognitive measures (gist and verbatim thinking).
- Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive relationships between FTT measures and risk intentions, controlling for mood and impulsivity.
Main Results:
- FTT scales significantly predicted risk-taking intentions in participants with BD, demonstrating medium effect sizes.
- These predictions held true even after statistically controlling for participants' mood and impulsivity levels.
- No significant tendency towards verbatim-based thinking was observed in the BD group.
Conclusions:
- Both gist and verbatim representations, as conceptualized by FTT, independently predicted risk-taking intentions in BD.
- These findings challenge the sole attribution of risk-taking in BD to impulsivity, offering a novel cognitive framework.
- FTT provides valuable insights into the complex mechanisms driving risk-taking behaviors in bipolar disorder.
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