Have I done enough to avoid blame? Fear of guilt evokes OCD-like indecisiveness

Abstract People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often indecisive, yet the factors driving that indecisiveness are not well-understood. Meanwhile, research suggests that fear of guilt is characteristic of OCD and that it may influence decision-making, but few studies have examined that relationship directly. This study therefore explored whether fear of guilt predicts decision-making parameters, such as the amount and type of information required to make decisions, decision latency, and the subjective experience of making decisions. Sixty-three undergraduate students were given 12 hypothetical scenarios in which a decision had to be made to ensure safety and avoid harm. There were no limits on deliberation time, and participants could request up to four pieces of information before making decisions. Fear of guilt was associated with the need for more information before making a decision, but not more time to make a decision, and predicted greater difficulty making decisions, lower confidence that the right decisions were made, and less satisfaction with decisions. It was also associated with a preference for opinion-based information rather than fact, but for global opinion instead of a single authority. Fear of guilt may thus be a factor in the indecisiveness and perseveration observed in OCD and warrants further exploration.