Review on Investigating Decision-making Styles in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

The diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is based on the presence of specific symptoms and their consequence in the lives of those that exhibit them. It is likely that these symptoms emerge from a neurocognitive vulnerability in the mental life of the individual which has a basis in neurophysiology. Individuals with OCD struggle with decision making. One potentially important aspect of decision-making in relation to OCD is decision-making style, a trait-like pattern of responding that is relatively stable across a variety of decision making situations. The main results revealed that, in addition to clinical experience suggesting the importance of doubt or uncertainty in OCD, results from empirical studies support the involvement of doubt in OCD. Doubt can be construed as dysfunction in the decision-making process. There will be longer response times in OCD persons in the process of decision-making, and this will be more evident in less ambiguous decisions. Compared to healthy controls, individuals with OCD see themselves as less confident and respected decision makers and avoid decision-making. OCD patients are more impulsive than controls and demonstrate risky decision-making and biased probabilistic reasoning.