The Persian Tolerance of Uncontrollability Questionnaire and its Correlates: Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance Across Gender

Abstract

Many situations in life remain beyond an individual’s control. Despite this, little research has focused on individual differences in tolerance of uncontrollability. The purpose of the present study was to translate and validate a Persian version of the Tolerance of Uncontrollability Questionnaire (TOUQ). The scale was translated from English to Persian and administered to 441 Iranian Farsi-speaking participants from the general population (females = 65%; mean age = 26.26 years [SD ± 7.36]). The Persian version of the TOUQ demonstrated excellent reliability and internal validity. The structure of the TOUQ appeared to be unidimensional and invariant across males and females. The scale demonstrated divergence from intolerance of uncertainty (IU), worry, and psychological distress, and convergence with distress tolerance (DT) and satisfaction with life. The TOUQ assesses a unique construct, different from other related relevant concepts (IU and DT), and predicts variation in worry scores. The TOUQ is a valid and reliable instrument that can robustly assess tolerance of uncontrollability.