Ambiguity tolerance and resting-state functional connectivity: A preregistered conceptual replication in a Japanese...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Previous research linked ambiguity tolerance to brain connectivity patterns.
• The Multidimensional Attitude toward Ambiguity Scale (MAAS) offers a nuanced view of ambiguity, with dimensions like Discomfort with Ambiguity, Absolutism, and Need for Complexity.
• Replicating and extending prior work in a new cultural context is crucial for understanding these relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the three dimensions of the MAAS and resting-state functional connectivity.
• To conceptually replicate and extend findings by Liu et al. (2023) in a Japanese population.
• To determine if specific facets of attitude toward ambiguity correlate with distinct neural connectivity patterns.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used.
• Thirty-nine participants completed the MAAS.
• Region-of-interest (ROI)-to-ROI analyses were performed, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• No significant associations were found between any MAAS dimension and its hypothesized connectivity pair.
• Effect sizes for any observed correlations were negligible.
• A small, non-significant zero-order correlation was noted between Need for Complexity and connectivity between the inferior parietal lobule and middle cingulate cortex.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings contrast with previous research using unidimensional measures of ambiguity tolerance.
• Neural correlates of ambiguity tolerance may not directly map onto the specific dimensions of the MAAS.
• Larger, cross-cultural studies with robust statistical power are recommended for future research.