Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale – TAS
Measures an individual's cognitive and emotional tolerance for ambiguous, unfamiliar, or complex situations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Tolerance for Ambiguity Scale – TAS was developed by Jeffrey L. Herman, Michael J. Stevens, Allan Bird, Mark Mendenhall, Gary Oddou (2010). It is designed to measure Tolerance for Ambiguity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Diverse-others, Change, Challenging perspectives, Unfamiliarity.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Diverse-others | 1,2,5,6 | 4 |
| Change | 3,7,10 | 3 |
| Challenging perspectives | 8 | 1 |
| Unfamiliarity | 4,9,11,12 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 7 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 12 to 60. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Tolerance for Ambiguity: 12 – 27
- Moderate Tolerance for Ambiguity: 28 – 44
- High Tolerance for Ambiguity: 45 – 60
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Diverse-others = 0.58; Change = 0.51; Challenging perspectives = 0.56; Unfamiliarity = 0.53.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.