Summary: Uncertainty is a universal trigger for anxiety, but for individuals scoring higher on autistic traits, this discomfort is often more intense. A new study suggests that “labeling” emotions, putting feelings into words, serves as a vital coping mechanism.
The findings indicate that providing individuals with the right vocabulary to describe their distress can significantly lower anxiety levels driven by unpredictable situations.
Key Research Findings
- Intolerance of Uncertainty: Participants with higher autistic traits demonstrated a stronger tendency to react negatively to ambiguous or uncontrollable situations.
- The Power of Labeling: Research suggests that writing down or speaking an emotion aloud can dampen emotional stress. While the anxiety remains, it becomes less overwhelming once it has a name.
- The Coping Link: The study found that a greater tendency to put feelings into words is associated with lower anxiety levels, even when discomfort with uncertainty is high.
- Autistic Traits in the General Population: The study measured traits across 505 Japanese adults using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), which evaluates social skills, attention shifting, communication, imagination, and attention to detail.
- Supportive Intervention: Offering “the right words” (e.g., a teacher saying, “I think you might be feeling anxious about that”) can help individuals manage distress they struggle to express.
Source: Nagoya University
We feel more anxious when facing uncertain or unpredictable situations, but for those who score higher on autistic traits, this anxiety tends to be stronger.
Published in Scientific Reports, a new study suggests uncertainty-driven anxiety plays a role in how people manage their emotions.
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan found evidence that people with higher autistic traits may try to cope with uncertainty by labeling their feelings. Offering support, such as the right words for what they feel, could play a role in managing anxiety.
Putting a name to a feeling could reduce emotional stress
Previous research has suggested that labeling an emotion, whether by writing it down or saying it out loud, can help us calm down. While the anxiety does not disappear, it becomes less overwhelming when the emotion has a name.
Autistic traits refer to characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorder, such as differences in social communication and a preference for routine and predictability. These traits vary in degree across the general population.
A total of 505 Japanese adults aged 20 to 39 completed an online survey measuring autistic traits, discomfort with uncertainty, the tendency to put feelings into words, and anxiety levels.
“We measured autistic traits using a 50-item questionnaire called the Autism-Spectrum Quotient which covers five areas: social skills, the ability to shift attention, communication, imagination, and attention to detail,” said first author and doctoral student Akitaka Fujii from the Graduate School of Informatics at Nagoya University.
The researchers found that people who scored higher on autistic traits also experience stronger anxiety in uncertain situations. This is known as intolerance of uncertainty, a tendency to react negatively when situations feel ambiguous or beyond one’s control.
“Our findings suggest that discomfort with uncertainty is associated with a greater tendency to put feelings into words, and this is linked to lower anxiety levels,” said Masahiro Hirai, coauthor and associate professor from the Graduate School of Informatics.
Offering someone the right words to describe how they feel may help them manage their anxiety. For example, a teacher or family member might say “I think you might be feeling anxious about that” when someone struggles to express distress. This perspective could inform future approaches in classroom and counseling settings.
Limitations and next steps
The researchers caution that these are early findings and more research is needed to confirm their theory. Because the study did not involve people with a clinical diagnosis of autism, the findings cannot be directly applied to autistic people.
The Hirai Lab is currently conducting a follow-up study with adults who have a clinical diagnosis of autism to test whether similar patterns are observed. The authors highlight the need for further studies that track participants over time to determine if these patterns reflect cause and effect.
Key Questions Answered:
A: No, the anxiety doesn’t disappear, but it becomes manageable. By putting a name to the feeling, the brain can categorize the distress, which prevents it from becoming an overwhelming “jumble” of physical and emotional symptoms.
A: Autistic traits often include a strong preference for routine and predictability. When a situation is uncertain, it disrupts the “mental map” the individual relies on, leading to a higher biological stress response than in the general population.
A: Sometimes the struggle isn’t a lack of desire to talk, but a lack of the right words. Suggesting a label, “It looks like you might be feeling overwhelmed by this change”—can provide them with the tool they need to begin regulating that emotion.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this Autism research news
Author: Merle Naidoo
Source: Nagoya University
Contact: Merle Naidoo – Nagoya University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Autism related traits and anxiety in the general population are linked through intolerance of uncertainty and affect labeling” by Akitaka Fujii & Masahiro Hirai. Scientific Reports
DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-47237-8
Abstract
Autism related traits and anxiety in the general population are linked through intolerance of uncertainty and affect labeling
Anxiety is prevalent in autism spectrum disorder and linked to intolerance of uncertainty (IU). As a cognitive strategy, affect labeling (AL) reduces distress by structuring ambiguous sensations.
However, autistic individuals frequently exhibit AL deficits, raising a critical dilemma: a strategy alleviating uncertainty-driven anxiety is inherently difficult to access. It is unclear whether IU paradoxically motivates AL use despite these deficits.
In this cross-sectional study, 505 adults completed measures of autistic traits, IU, AL, and anxiety. We tested two serial mediation models: the Cognitive-Motivational Model (CMM; IU motivates AL) and Emotion Regulation deficit Model (ERM; AL deficits increase IU). While both fit well, CMM was selected based on theoretical consistency. This was consistent with established risk pathways where autistic traits relate to anxiety via higher IU and lower AL.
Crucially, a novel adaptive pathway emerged: higher autistic traits were associated with higher IU, which were linked to higher AL and lower anxiety. While these pathways represent theoretical assumptions rather than proven causality, the findings suggest a dual role of IU as risk factor and motivational driver.
This may point to a conflict in individuals with high autistic traits: struggling with AL deficits yet motivated to use AL to cope with uncertainty.
