OCD Correlates and Photographs as a Checking OCD Coping Mechanism

Abstract

Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is a long-lasting and debilitating diagnosis for many individuals, but the different facets of OCD symptoms can be found at varying levels across vast populations. This research involves an exploratory study evaluating whether different severities of OCD symptoms are related to higher and lower levels of characteristics like self-discipline, procrastination, and academic achievement. The follow-up study will investigate if taking photographs of checking triggers like appliances impacts the severity of checking symptomology. The predicted results for our exploration of OCD correlates is that more severe levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms will correspond to higher levels of procrastination and lower levels of self-discipline and academic achievement, with moderate symptoms resulting in the opposite outcome. This research will attempt to fill a gap in the literature regarding OCD correlates for students in undergraduate settings and determine if more moderate levels of OCD can be beneficial in academic situations. Our anticipated outcome for the following portion is that taking photographs of checking triggers will decrease the frequency of checking behaviour due to the pictures functioning as “proof” that the appliance is turned off. This investigation will provide an important focus on photographs as a coping mechanism for checking, considering that the “picture strategy” is already being used by individuals with OCD. With no previous research on this method’s efficacy, this inquiry will provide much-needed information on this coping mechanism.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Russ Powell