Decision Uncertainty

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer experiences difficulty and uncertainty about which option to choose in a decision situation. Items assess expected decision difficulty, uncertainty about the best course of action, and confidence in identifying the optimal choice (reverse-scored). A subscale of the Decisional Conflict Scale developed in health decision making research, the measure has been applied in consumer research to capture the aversive experience of choice uncertainty independently of its cognitive antecedents.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• This decision would be hard for me to make.
• I would be unsure what to do in this decision.
• It's clear what choice would be best for me. (r)

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Alpha: α = .87 (Study 4B) and α = .85 (Study 5A) — Barasz & Hagerty (2021, Journal of Consumer Psychology 31(2), 270–290). Information about reliability in Study 4A was not reported. VALIDITY: Not discussed in the consumer application. One item is reverse-scored ('It's clear what choice would be best for me'). Original scale: O'Connor (1995) developed the Decisional Conflict Scale in a health decision-making context and provided extensive reliability and validity evidence in that domain. This three-item subscale focuses on the uncertainty dimension.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

O'Connor, Annette M. (1995). Validation of a decisional conflict scale. Medical Decision Making, 15(1), 25–30. [Applied by: Barasz, Kate and Serena F. Hagerty (2021). I know who you are and I saw what you did: Social media context collapse and moral judgments. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 31(2), 270–290.]

Keywords