Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is commonly defined as the tendency for one to interpret uncertainty as negative or threatening. Most general or non-specific measures of IU show a strong relationship with worry and generalized anxiety; however, a specialized measure of intolerance of uncertainty in social situations could provide insight into the role of IU in social anxiety. This study's purpose was to develop and validate the Intolerance of Uncertainty in Social Interactions Scale, a comprehensive measure designed to assess intolerance of uncertainty in social situations. Participants consisted of a non-referred, adult undergraduate sample (N=456). Based on an exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor solution was retained, with factors labeled 'Social Ambiguity' and 'Need to Reduce'. Both subscales were found to have good reliability, construct validity, incremental validity, and internal validity. For example, in terms of incremental validity, the IU-SIS predicted up to 16% of the variance in score on measures of social anxiety after controlling for variance explained by well-established, general measures of IU. The IU-SIS shows great promise as a tool to further investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and social anxiety.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2023
Semester
Summer
Advisor
Fisak, Brian
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Psychology
Degree Program
Psychology Clinical
Identifier
CFE0009718; DP0027825
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027825
Language
English
Release Date
August 2023
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Eible, Anne, "The Development and Validation of the Intolerance of Uncertainty in Social Interactions Scale" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023. 1836.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/1836