Mediation and interaction effects of doubt, dysfunctional beliefs and memory confidence on the compulsion to check

According to an integrative model of checking compulsions, experiences with prospective memory failures diminish confidence in the ability to reliably execute tasks and lead to intrusive doubts that previous tasks were not properly completed. These intrusive doubts trigger attempts to recall performing the task in question, however, diminished confidence in retrospective memory combines with dysfunctional beliefs to produce urges to check. The act of checking then has the paradoxical effects of further diminishing memory confidence and increasing perceived responsibility leading to the repetitive nature of checking compulsions (Cuttler & Taylor, 2012). Previous research has demonstrated that checking compulsions are associated with dysfunctional beliefs, diminished confidence in retrospective memory and failures of prospective memory. The present study was conducted to examine the mediation and interaction effects proposed in this model. In line with the model we find that everyday life prospective memory failures are correlated with intrusive doubts and that these doubts mediate the relationship between prospective memory failures and checking compulsions. Moreover, the results of a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicate that doubt interacts with dysfunctional beliefs and dysfunctional beliefs further interact with diminished confidence in memory to produce checking compulsions. & 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.