SERBIAN ADAPTATION AND VALIDATION OF THE INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY SCALE

Abstract

In contemporary models of psychopathology, intolerance ofuncertainty represents an important trans-diagnostic construct.An aim of this study was to test psychometric characteristicsof a Serbian adaptation of the scale purporting to measure thisconstruct. The scale was originally developed in French thentranslated in English. Following the recommendation of theauthors of the scale, a short version of the scale was created.Confirmatory factor analysis, on a student sample (1328) whichwas prospectively followed for three years and re-tested everysix month, suggested that the short scale, paralleling its Englishand French counterparts, measures two factors: Prospective andInhibitory Anxiety. The short scale has good internal consistency,homogeneity, and representativity, and correlates highly with thefull scale. The short and full scale have comparable relations withappropriate convergent and divergent constructs, suggesting thatshortening the full scale did not jeopardize its construct validity.Both versions of the scale predict prospectively the symptomsof anxiety and depression, above the variance shared withNegative Affectivity, which provides further support for constructvalidity of the short scale. Finally, the hierarchical regressionresults suggest that Inhibitory Anxiety has adequate discriminantvalidity. The short Serbian scale can be recommended as ameasure of intolerance of uncertainty. Directions for furtherimprovement of the scale are provided.