Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigated the sequential mediating effect of Inverse Reasoning and Inferential Confusion on the relationship between Trait Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms using the Inference Based Approach (IBA) for explaining Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. A total of 158 male and female university students and graduate students participated in this study. Data were collected using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI-T), Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision (PI-WSUR), Inferential Confusion Questionnaire (ICQ), and Inverse Reasoning Task (IRT). Results of this study are as follows. First, there were significant positive correlations among Trait Anxiety, Inverse Reasoning, Inferential Confusion, and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms. Second, Inverse Reasoning and Inferential Confusion sequentially mediated the relationship between Trait Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms. The higher the level of Trait Anxiety, the higher the likelihood of using maladaptive cognition such as Inverse Reasoning and Inferential Confusion, leading to Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms. Limitations and implications of this study with suggestions for follow-up studies were also discussed.