Keywords
intolerance to uncertainty
emotion regulation process
Saudi Arabia
undergraduate students
How to Cite
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the relationship between cognitive flexibility and intolerance to uncertainty among college students, and to investigate whether emotion regulation processes mediate this relationship. The sample consisted of 256 participants aged between 18 and 22 years. The cognitive flexibility inventory (CFI), the uncertainty intolerance scale (IUS), and the emotion regulation processes scale (ERPS) were used to collect data. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data. The results of the study suggest that emotion regulation processes play a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and intolerance to uncertainty. Specifically, the findings indicated that deficient emotional regulation mechanisms, resulting from poor cognitive flexibility, lead to a low tolerance for uncertainty. This suggests that individuals who struggle to adjust their thinking in response to new information are more likely to experience difficulty in regulating their emotions when faced with uncertainty. Moreover, individuals with low levels of cognitive flexibility may be more likely to experience fear and anxiety when presented with new or uncertain situations. However, the study’s results suggest that emotional regulation processes may be helpful in mitigating the negative effects of cognitive inflexibility on intolerance to uncertainty. This study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation processes, and intolerance to uncertainty among college students. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation processes may be useful in improving individuals’ tolerance for uncertainty.
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