Psychological entropy: a framework for understanding uncertainty-related anxiety.

Jacob B Hirsh, Raymond A Mar, Jordan B Peterson

April 2012 Psychol Rev

Synopsis of Social media discussions

The discussions demonstrate a strong interest in the article, with posters referencing its relevance to topics like internal conflict, anxiety, and even biological systems, such as mentions of related studies and gratitude towards the author. The tone ranges from academic to reflective, emphasizing the framework’s broad applicability and influence.

A
Agreement
 Moderate agreement

Most discussions recognize the importance of the framework for understanding anxiety, with some explicitly referencing the original paper or its concepts, indicating general agreement.

I
Interest
 High level of interest

The sharing of related articles, external links, and mentions of applications suggest a high level of curiosity and interest among the posters.

E
Engagement
 Moderate level of engagement

Posts include personal reflections, references to research, and expressions of gratitude, showing moderate depth of engagement with the ideas.

I
Impact
 Moderate level of impact

The discussions highlight the framework's relevance across psychological, biological, and philosophical domains, indicating a modest but meaningful impact.

Social Mentions

YouTube

2 Videos

Facebook

2 Posts

Twitter

17 Posts

Blogs

5 Articles

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10 Articles

Metrics

Video Views

4,035

Total Likes

128

Extended Reach

76,366

Social Features

36

Timeline: Posts about article

Top Social Media Posts

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  • gökhan özcan
    @dunyadalik (Twitter)

    Zihin, evrenin kendi kendine düzen bulma çabasının bir yansımasıdır. Zihnin entropi yasası olan belirsizliği yönetmek, varoluşun temel görevlerinden biridir. Bu konuda şahane bir makale, buyrun: https://t.co/MgJeTHiDIx
    view full post

    August 27, 2025

    20

  • Jake Orthwein
    @JakeOrthwein (Twitter)

    @nickcammarata Psychological Entropy: A Framework for Understanding Uncertainty-Related Anxiety: https://t.co/pGz34qELEE
    view full post

    October 16, 2024

    4

  • Boma Jacks
    @ebjacks1 (Twitter)

    @Organicinterest I heard it on a podcast Jordan Peterson did with physicist, Brian Greene, then I read a paper JP co-authored on it. Here’s a link to the paper; https://t.co/4Cf6MvO7Ou
    view full post

    October 15, 2024

  • No Echo Chambers
    @EntertainThese (Twitter)

    RT @EntertainThose: @elonmusk #metathesiophobia @NCBI https://t.co/jSSyiYp0w8 @NIH #x_meta
    view full post

    May 4, 2024

    1

  • Consider That
    @EntertainThose (Twitter)

    @elonmusk #metathesiophobia @NCBI https://t.co/jSSyiYp0w8 @NIH #x_meta
    view full post

    May 4, 2024

    2

    1

  • Flâneur
    @GROEMODEL (Twitter)

    RT @BrettPAndersen: Intimations of a New Worldview, Part 7.1: The Evolutionary Psychology of Meaning (video 1) is on my YouTube channel. Li…
    view full post

    June 27, 2023

    1

  • Brett Andersen
    @BrettPAndersen (Twitter)

    Intimations of a New Worldview, Part 7.1: The Evolutionary Psychology of Meaning (video 1) is on my YouTube channel. Link is below and some slides are attached. https://t.co/W4Ov7kyjKL https://t.co/itkLc2AR7c
    view full post

    June 26, 2023

    7

    1

  • Robin Kok
    @Heraclitus00_ (Twitter)

    RT @jordanbpeterson: My lab's attempt to relate a subjective reality (anxiety) to an objective reality (entropy): Psychological entropy: A…
    view full post

    June 5, 2023

    64

  • Coach Wayland | Performance Expert | Craftsman
    @WSWayland (Twitter)

    https://t.co/rZeftthKB2
    view full post

    May 18, 2023

  • Brett Andersen
    @BrettPAndersen (Twitter)

    @danwilliamsphil @erikphoel One benefit of having a functional worldview IMO is to reduce psychological/behavioral entropy (https://t.co/yl7gPZdWCu), i.e., internal conflict and behavioral uncertainty/anxiety. But measuring that is difficult and there are way more factors involved than just this.
    view full post

    March 29, 2023

    1

  • BFNotion
    @barefootnotion (Twitter)

    Here is a study that will give you the perspective to explain all human behavior, culture, and history of religions through uncertainty and anxiety in the mind. Oh my, I'm so impressed. https://t.co/VrdA7O4Szg
    view full post

    November 22, 2022

  • Toon Noppen
    @ToonNoppen (Twitter)

    @Monumentsmusic @anilkseth I don't know. I think his definition is quite clear and useful... https://t.co/IaPeKJRpTj
    view full post

    October 22, 2022

  • gökhan özcan
    @dunyadalik (Twitter)

    "psikolojik entropi"den bahseden bir makaleye denk geldim. hepimiz yeryüzünde ruhsal düzensizliğimize çekidüzen vermek için türlü hallere girerek dolanıp duruyoruz. https://t.co/eVd5bLZXtE
    view full post

    June 18, 2021

    5

    1

  • Flâneur
    @GROEMODEL (Twitter)

    @jordanbpeterson Spine-tingling realization, many warm thanks Prof, it reminds me of your landmark paper that I greatly utilized in my PhD thesis, God bless you,love & warmest gratitude
    view full post

    May 31, 2021

    3

  • Carlos E Alvarez
    @CarlosEAlvare17 (Twitter)

    I see (bio systems & free E). Maybe you were looking for something more like this 2012 paper cited 460 times?: Hirsh et al. Psychological entropy: A framework for understanding uncertainty-related anxiety. Psychological Review, 119(2), 304–320. https://t.co/oYweQjcnm3 https://t.co/xhmNzRN1Jg
    view full post

    January 5, 2021

    2

  • Guy IS IN SF
    @nosilverv (Twitter)

    @AgoLajko It's a technical term. But basically think of any traumatic situation. https://t.co/16KTVmajVH
    view full post

    June 22, 2020

    1

  • Daniel Hernández
    @Danitubo (Twitter)

    Psychological Entropy: A Framework for Understanding Uncertainty-Related Anxiety https://t.co/X5XRyRi2Tn
    view full post

    May 25, 2020

Abstract Synopsis

  • Psychological entropy, based on thermodynamics and information theory, explains the level of uncertainty and disorder in a system, which can lead to anxiety when it's high.
  • The Entropy Model of Uncertainty (EMU) suggests that humans constantly manage uncertainty by aligning their perceptions and goals, and anxiety arises when there's conflicting information or behavior, activating brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex.
  • EMU emphasizes that uncertainty is a natural adaptive challenge for survival, and understanding it through the lenses of self-organizing systems and information theory helps frame psychological processes within a broader biological and evolutionary context.