Incompleteness and Not Just Right experiences as motivators of obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Abstract

The sense of incompleteness, “not just right” experiences and “just right” symptoms are considered motivational variables of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. This study examines the relationships between these “new” constructs and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) related variables (symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs, perfectionism, and intolerance to uncertainty), in comparison to its association with emotional non-OCD psychopathology. The results from 267 individuals who completed self-reports indicate that individuals at risk of developing OCD score higher on the main constructs of the study than those not at risk. Only the variables incompleteness, not just right experiences and just right symptoms were able to predict OCD symptoms, beyond the dysfunctional beliefs typically linked to OCD, and non-OCD symptoms. These results suggest the relevance of these variables for improving understanding OCD and its treatment.