Aversion to ambiguity regarding medical tests and treatments: measurement, prevalence, and relationship to sociodemographic factors.
Aversion to "ambiguity"-uncertainty about the reliability, credibility, or adequacy of risk-related information-is an important problem that may influence judgments and decisions about medical interventions. Ambiguity aversion (AA) varies among individuals, however, and has been understudied in the health domain. To explore this phenomenon further, we developed a new theory-based measure of aversion to ambiguity regarding medical tests and treatments, and examined the prevalence and association of AA with sociodemographic factors. The "AA-Med" scale was developed using a large survey sample of the U.S. public (n = 4,398), and scale psychometric properties and the population distribution of AA were evaluated. The scale demonstrated acceptable reliability (alpha = .73) and validity as ascertained by association with respondents' interest in a hypothetical ambiguous cancer screening test. Ambiguity aversion (AA) was associated with older age, non-White race, lower education and income, and female sex. The AA-Med scale is a promising new measure, and AA is associated with several sociodemographic factors. We discuss implications of these findings and potential applications of the scale for future research.
Han
Paul K J
PK
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. hanp@mail.nih.gov
Reeve
Bryce B
BB
Moser
Richard P
RP
Klein
William M P
WM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States