Scrupulosity refers to a form of OCD in which questions related to morality or religious/spiritual matters become the focus of obsessive fears and compulsive and ritualistic behaviors . For example, if held in a black and white view, certain passages in the Bible and other religious texts may carry with them intense burdens of condemnation. In holding a strict view of these religious verses, the Scrupulosity sufferer experiences not just intense guilt, but also anxiety about the threat of eternal punishment for having violated religious precepts.  Some find that the ambiguity of religious laws or secular morality generates overwhelming anxiety.

Whereas a person without OCD might feel satisfied with a “good enough” answer from the leader of her religious congregation or from talking over a moral quandary with family and friends, a person with OCD can feel driven to attain certainty in religious adherence or moral standing. In order to allay their anxiety, they may seek constant advice, reassurance and clarification from their loved ones, acquaintances, and religious leaders. hey may also evaluate their behavior according to a narrow definition of acceptability, leading to elaborate rituals and profound avoidance of everyday behaviors.