Inferential confusion and obsessive-compulsive tendencies are positively associated to deontological guilt and negatively associated to altruistic guilt propensity

Abstract The inferential confusion hypothesis posits that obsessive doubt stems from inferential reasoning, in which the individual neglects sensory input, favoring subjective possibilities. Recent data have shown that individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) favor imagined possibilities only when they correspond to threatening information, assuming a hyper-prudential attitude. A major threat for OC patients is represented by deontological guilt (and not altruistic guilt), however, no studies investigated the effects of the propensity to experience different types of guilt on Inferential Confusion. Here we hypothesize that an increased inclination towards deontological guilt (vs. altruistic guilt), is associated with a greater tendency to experience inferential confusion in a non-clinical population. 159 subclinical Italian-speaking participants completed the Inferential Confusion Questionnaire–Expanded Version along with the Moral Orientation Guilt Scale (MOGS) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised . Data were analyzed using multiple regression models. Results show that higher levels of deontological guilt propensity, specifically of Moral Dirtiness were positively associated to greater self-reported inferential confusion and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Crucially, altruistic guilt levels were negatively associated to inferential reasoning and OC symptoms. In conclusion, data underscore the importance of addressing deontological guilt propensity in treating OCD.