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Volatility in Expectations While Awaiting Important News.

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Experiencing fluctuating expectations during uncertain waits increases worry and negative emotions. Managing expectation volatility can help reduce anxiety when awaiting significant news.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Waiting for important outcomes is a common human experience.
  • Emotional and cognitive fluctuations are typical during periods of uncertainty.
  • Little is known about the impact of expectation volatility on emotional well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between expectation volatility and emotional responses during waiting periods.
  • To examine the causal impact of expectation volatility on worry.

Main Methods:

  • Study 1: Law graduates (N=248) tracked their outcome expectations for the bar exam bi-weekly.
  • Study 2: Participants (N=444) awaiting the 2020 US presidential election results had their expectation volatility manipulated.
  • Both studies measured worry and negative emotionality.

Main Results:

  • Greater expectation volatility was associated with increased worry and negative emotions in Study 1.
  • Constrained (less volatile) expectations causally reduced worry compared to volatile expectations in Study 2.
  • Findings were consistent across different waiting contexts.

Conclusions:

  • Volatility in outcome expectations exacerbates worry and negative emotionality.
  • Managing expectation volatility may be a strategy to mitigate distress while awaiting important news.
  • Understanding expectation dynamics is crucial for psychological well-being during uncertainty.