SERBIAN ADAPTATION AND VALIDATION OF THE INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY SCALE

In contemporary models of psychopathology, intolerance of uncertainty represents an important trans-diagnostic construct. An aim of this study was to test psychometric characteristics of a Serbian adaptation of the scale purporting to measure this construct. The scale was originally developed in French then translated in English. Following the recommendation of the authors of the scale, a short version of the scale was created. Confirmatory factor analysis, on a student sample (1328) which was prospectively followed for three years and re-tested every six month, suggested that the short scale, paralleling its English and French counterparts, measures two factors: Prospective and Inhibitory Anxiety. The short scale has good intemal consistency, homogeneity, and representativity, and correlates highly with the full scale. The short and full scale have comparable relations with appropriate convergent and divergent constructs, suggesting that shortening the full scale did not jeopardize its construct validity. Both versions of the scale predict prospectively the symptoms of anxiety and depression, above the variance shared with Negative Affectivity, which provides further support for construct validity of the short scale. Finally, the hierarchical regression results suggest that Inhibitory Anxiety has adequate discriminant validity. The short Serbian scale can be recommended as a measure of intolerance of uncertainty. Directions for further improvement of the scale are provided.