The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale: psychometric properties of the English version.

Research is now suggesting that intolerance of uncertainty may be very important in understanding worry and may play a key role in the etiology and maintenance of worry. The present study attempted to further our understanding of intolerance of uncertainty by examining the psychometric properties of the English version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), which has already been validated in French. Factor analysis indicated that the IUS has a four-factor structure that represents the idea that uncertainty is stressful and upsetting, uncertainty leads to the inability to act, uncertain events are negative and should be avoided, and being uncertain is unfair. The IUS has excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability over a five-week period, and convergent and divergent validity when assessed with symptom measures of worry, depression, and anxiety. Overall, this study suggests that the IUS is a sound measure of intolerance of uncertainty and supports the idea that intolerance of uncertainty is an important construct involved in worry.

[1]  R. Cattell.  The Scree Test For The Number Of Factors. , 1966, Multivariate behavioral research.

[2]  M. Freeston,et al.  Problem solving and problem orientation in generalized anxiety disorder. , 1998, Journal of anxiety disorders.

[3]  T. Borkovec,et al.  The Penn State Worry Questionnaire: Psychometric properties and associated characteristics. , 1994 .

[4]  R. Steer,et al.  Psychometric Characteristics of the Beck Depression Inventory-II with College Students. , 1997 .

[5]  M. Freeston,et al.  Generalized anxiety disorder: a preliminary test of a conceptual model. , 1998, Behaviour research and therapy.

[6]  Robert Ladouceur,et al.  Intolerance of Uncertainty and Problem Orientation in Worry , 1997, Cognitive Therapy and Research.

[7]  G. Davey,et al.  The relationship between life event measures and anxiety and its cognitive correlates , 1993 .

[8]  M. Eysenck,et al.  Elevated evidence requirements and worry , 1991 .

[9]  R. Ladouceur,et al.  Le Questionnaire sur l'Inquiétude et l'Anxiété. Validation dans des échantillons non cliniques et cliniques. , 2001 .

[10]  Richard L. Metzger,et al.  Worry changes decision making: the effect of negative thoughts on cognitive processing. , 1990, Journal of clinical psychology.

[11]  David J. A. Dozois,et al.  A psychometric evaluation of the Beck Depression inventory-II , 1998 .

[12]  H. Kaiser.  A second generation little jiffy , 1970 .

[13]  T. Borkovec,et al.  The nature of worry in generalized anxiety disorder: a predominance of thought activity. , 1990, Behaviour research and therapy.

[14]  G. Davey.  A comparison of three worry questionnaires. , 1993, Behaviour research and therapy.

[15]  Andrew Mathews,et al.  COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN ANXIETY , 1983 .

[16]  R. Ladouceur,et al.  Behavioral Expressions of Intolerance of Uncertainty in Worry , 1997, Behavior modification.

[17]  T. Pruzinsky,et al.  Preliminary exploration of worry: some characteristics and processes. , 1983, Behaviour research and therapy.

[18]  G. Davey,et al.  The phenomenology of non-pathological worry: A preliminary investigation. , 1994 .

[19]  Dc Washington.  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Ed. , 1994 .

[20]  R. Ladouceur,et al.  Intolerance of Uncertainty and Worry: Investigating Specificity in a Nonclinical Sample , 2001, Cognitive Therapy and Research.

[21]  T. Borkovec,et al.  The differential effects of inductions of worry, somatic anxiety, and depression on emotional experience. , 1988, Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry.

[22]  H. Kraemer,et al.  Coming to terms with the terms of risk. , 1997, Archives of general psychiatry.

[23]  D H Barlow,et al.  Psychometric properties of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in a clinical anxiety disorders sample. , 1992, Behaviour research and therapy.

[24]  M. Freeston,et al.  Efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: evaluation in a controlled clinical trial. , 2000, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[25]  A. Wells,et al.  Preliminary tests of a cognitive model of generalized anxiety disorder. , 1999, Behaviour research and therapy.

[26]  B. Lubin.  ADJECTIVE CHECKLISTS FOR MEASUREMENT OF DEPRESSION. , 1965, Archives of general psychiatry.

[27]  R. Ladouceur,et al.  Experimental manipulation of intolerance of uncertainty: a study of a theoretical model of worry. , 2000, Behaviour research and therapy.

[28]  Michael W. Eysenck,et al.  Worry: Mechanisms and Modulating Influences , 1994, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[29]  T J Meyer,et al.  Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. , 1990, Behaviour research and therapy.

[30]  G. Davey,et al.  Internal statements associated with catastrophic worrying , 1998 .

[31]  Nicole Thibodeau,et al.  Specificity of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and processes , 1999 .

[32]  M. Freeston,et al.  STRUCTURED VERSUS FREE-RECALL MEASURES: EFFECT ON REPORT OF WORRY THEMES , 1995 .

[33]  R. Ladouceur,et al.  Treatment of Gad , 2000, Behavior modification.

[34]  G. Davey,et al.  Worrying: Perspectives on theory, assessment and treatment. , 1994 .

[35]  J. Beck,et al.  Worry Versus Anxiety , 1998, Behavior modification.

[36]  R. Bell,et al.  The Beck Anxiety Inventory in a non-clinical sample. , 1995, Behaviour research and therapy.

[37]  Robert Ladouceur,et al.  Why do people worry , 1994 .

[38]  A. MacLeod,et al.  Worry is reasonable: the role of explanations in pessimism about future personal events. , 1991, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[39]  A. Beck,et al.  An inventory for measuring depression. , 1961, Archives of general psychiatry.

[40]  A. Beck,et al.  An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties. , 1988, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[41]  M. Borkovec,et al.  A self-report diagnostic measure of generalized anxiety disorder. , 1995, Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry.