*Background:* It is well established that intolerance of uncertainty (IU)
is a key process underlying generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; Dugas et
al., 1998). However, it is not clear whether individuals who suffer from
this condition might also experience difficulties anticipating positive
future outcomes. Given that increased anticipation of positive events has
been associated with significant improvements in well-being (MacLeod &
Conway, 2005), changing the valence of anticipated outcomes might
constitute a valuable treatment target for those suffering from GAD. This
study examined whether the anticipation of pleasure in GAD is functionally
discernible from overall IU. A secondary aim was to examine the specificity
of these associations in light of the overlap between GAD and depression
*Methods:* A total of 165 undergraduates (mean age = 19.96) completed the
following questionnaires: 1) Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV
(GADQ-IV; Newman et al., 2002), 2) Anhedonic Depression subscale of the
Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire Short Form (MASQ-AD; Clark &
Watson, 1991), 3) Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS; Freeston et al.,
1994), and 4) Anticipatory subscale of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure
Scale (TEPS-ANT; Gard et al., 2006). All scores were transformed to meet
assumptions of normality.
*Results:* Both IUS and TEPS-ANT were significantly associated with
GADQ-IV, *β*=.710, *p*<.001 and *β*=.133, *p*=.017, respectively. When
predicting MASQ-AD, IUS remained a positive predictor, *β*=.469, *p*<.001,
whereas TEPS-ANT became a negative predictor, *β*=-.287, *p*<.001. Results
from both regressions remained unchanged when adjusting for MASQ-AD or
GADQ-IV. No interactions were significant. Similarly, IUS and TEPS-ANT were
not significantly correlated.
*Conclusions:* Findings provide initial support for the unique role of
positive anticipation in GAD. The combination of a) convergence of TEPS-ANT
and IUS in predicting GAD, and b) divergence of TEPS-ANT and IUS in
predicting depression, suggests that these constructs, while both
future-oriented, may be functionally distinct in GAD and might provide an
avenue to differentiate this disorder from depression. Further research in
clinical samples is needed to determine whether increasing anticipation of
positive outcomes may be advantageous for individuals with GAD.
