Desire for Certainty Test
Measures an individual's desire for certainty and confidence in their probability estimates across various life domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Desire for Certainty Test was developed by Orville G. Brim Jr. (1955). It is designed to measure Desire for Certainty. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 32 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very sure, 2 = Sure, 3 = Moderately sure, 4 = Not very sure, 5 = Not sure at all.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 32 to 160. Interpretation guidelines:
- High Certainty (Low Desire for Certainty/High Confidence): 32 – 70
- Moderate Certainty: 71 – 120
- Low Certainty (High Desire for Certainty/Low Confidence): 121 – 160
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.