Predicted vs Actual Discomfort

Predicted vs Actual Discomfort compares anticipated discomfort before task engagement with discomfort reported after engagement begins.

The purpose is to test whether the initial prediction accurately reflects the experience of starting the task.

Avoidance may be influenced by predicted discomfort rather than the discomfort actually experienced during engagement.

Participants rate anticipated discomfort before starting, then record actual discomfort after beginning and compare the two values.

Case Report 001 documents N.A. predicting study discomfort at 8-9/10 while actual discomfort after starting was typically 2-4/10.

This is currently a candidate behavioural marker in BTB v1.0 and requires future structured measurement.

• Can prediction mismatch be reliably captured across participants?
• Does repeated comparison reduce avoidance initiation?
• Can physiological data complement self-reported discomfort?