Reliability and validity of the Chinese revised version of the intolerance of uncertainty scale

Abstract

Objective To explore the reliability and validity of the Chinese revised version of the Intolerance of uncertainty scale(IUS). Methods A total of 930 college students completed the IUS. 45 college students participated in the retest 3 weeks later. The self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) and the self-rating depression scale(SDS) were used as criterions for assessment of the validity of the Chinese revised version of IUS. Results The Chinese revised version of IUS contained 21 items. Exploratory factor analysis found a two-factor model (negative belief and emotional experience, behavioral dysfunction and negative self-reference) with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 42.09%. And the results of Confirmatory factor analysis (χ2/df=2.82, GFI=0.90, TLI=0.90, CFI=0.91, RMSEA=0.065) indicated that this model provided a reasonable good fit for Chinese college students. The Cronbach α of internal consistency reliability were good for IUS and two subscales, which were 0.929, 0.885 and 0.864, respectively. The test-retest reliabilities for IUS and two subscales were 0.782, 0.766 and 0.714 respectively. The IUS scores were positively correlated with the scores of SAS and SDS (r=0.489~0.575, P<0.001). Conclusion It suggests that the Chinese revised version of IUS has good reliability and validity, which is qualified enough for relevant research and applications for Chinese adults. Key words: Intolerance of uncertainty; Reliability; Validity; Psychometric studies