What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: Informational Uncertainty Biases Emotional Stimulus Appraisals

People frequently expect uncertainty will lead to unpleasant outcomes. The present research demonstrates how the tendency to associate uncertainty and aversive outcomes biases downstream emotional stimulus appraisals, rendering them more unpleasant. Findings suggest uncertainty can magnify the unpleasantness of neutral and aversive stimuli, an effect exacerbated by depression and worry.