Summary: Uncertainty commonly triggers anxiety, and this response can be stronger in people who score higher on autistic traits. New research from Nagoya University suggests that “labeling” emotions—putting a feeling into words—can be an effective coping strategy that reduces anxiety in unpredictable situations.
The study found that giving people the right vocabulary to describe their distress helps make uncertainty-driven anxiety more manageable.
Key Research Findings
- Intolerance of Uncertainty: Participants with higher autistic traits were more likely to react negatively to ambiguous or uncontrollable situations.
- The Power of Labeling: Writing down or saying an emotion aloud can lessen emotional stress. The feeling may not vanish, but naming it makes it less overwhelming.
- The Coping Link: A greater tendency to put feelings into words was associated with lower anxiety, even when intolerance of uncertainty was high.
- Autistic Traits in the General Population: The study surveyed 505 Japanese adults using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), which measures social skills, attention shifting, communication, imagination, and attention to detail.
- Supportive Intervention: Simple prompts—such as a teacher or family member offering a likely label for what someone feels—can provide a practical tool for managing distress that is hard to express.
Source: Nagoya University
Background
Anxiety often increases in response to uncertain or unpredictable circumstances. This response appears to be amplified in individuals who exhibit higher levels of autistic traits, which include differences in social communication and a preference for routine and predictability. Published in Scientific Reports, the new study explores how intolerance of uncertainty and the strategy of affect labeling interact to influence anxiety in the general population.
Researchers at Nagoya University asked whether people with higher autistic traits are more motivated to use affect labeling (AL) as a coping mechanism for uncertainty, or whether deficits in affect labeling might actually increase intolerance of uncertainty (IU). In a cross-sectional online survey, 505 Japanese adults aged 20 to 39 completed measures of autistic traits, intolerance of uncertainty, the tendency to put feelings into words, and general anxiety.
Autistic traits were measured using the 50-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), which evaluates five domains: social skills, attention switching, communication, imagination, and attention to detail. The researchers found a clear pattern: higher autistic-trait scores were linked to greater intolerance of uncertainty, and intolerance of uncertainty was related to higher anxiety. However, a notable and somewhat surprising pathway also emerged—intolerance of uncertainty was associated with a greater tendency to label emotions, and that tendency was linked to reduced anxiety.
What this means
These results suggest two simultaneous pathways. One is a risk pathway: autistic traits lead to higher intolerance of uncertainty, which raises anxiety. The other is an adaptive pathway: intolerance of uncertainty can motivate people to use affect labeling, and when they do, anxiety related to uncertainty can decrease. In other words, even when affect labeling is challenging, the distress caused by uncertainty may drive some people to seek verbal or written ways to name their feelings—and that naming can help regulate emotion.
Practical implications include incorporating simple affect-labeling prompts into classroom or therapeutic environments. For example, a supportive comment such as, “It seems like you might be feeling anxious about this,” can supply a person with a useful label and a starting point for emotional regulation.
Limitations and next steps
The authors caution that these are preliminary findings from a non-clinical sample; people with a formal autism diagnosis were not included in this study. The cross-sectional design also limits conclusions about causality. To address these points, the Hirai Lab is conducting follow-up research with clinically diagnosed autistic adults and longitudinal studies that can track changes over time.
Key Questions Answered
A: No, labeling does not eliminate anxiety. Rather, it allows the brain to categorize and structure the distress, preventing it from becoming an overwhelming mixture of physical sensations and emotions.
A: Many autistic traits include a preference for predictability and routines. When events are unpredictable, that disrupts an individual’s internal expectations or “mental map,” producing a stronger stress response than might be typical.
A: Often the barrier is not willingness but the absence of the right words. Offering a possible label—such as “You might be feeling overwhelmed by this change”—can give the person a tool to begin describing and managing their emotion.
Editorial Notes
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- The journal paper was reviewed in full for accuracy.
- Additional context was provided by the editorial 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 common among people with higher autistic traits and is closely tied to intolerance of uncertainty (IU). Affect labeling (AL)—the act of putting feelings into words—acts as a cognitive strategy that can reduce distress by imposing structure on ambiguous sensations. Yet autistic individuals often show difficulties with affect labeling, creating a challenge: a helpful strategy may be less accessible to those who need it most.
In a cross-sectional study of 505 adults, measures of autistic traits, intolerance of uncertainty, affect labeling, and anxiety were analyzed using serial mediation models. Results supported a model where intolerance of uncertainty motivates affect labeling, which in turn relates to lower anxiety. Simultaneously, a risk pathway was observed in which autistic traits related to greater IU and higher anxiety. These findings point to a dual role for IU—as both a risk factor and a potential motivator for adaptive strategies like affect labeling—though causality remains to be tested in longitudinal and clinical samples.