Intolerance of uncertainty and its impact on university students’ confidence, awareness and experience with employer selection tests

Abstract

Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is a disposition typified by negative reactions to uncertainty and may influence how university students engage with career development opportunities. IU can be ‘Prospective’ or ‘Inhibitory’. Prospective IU is characterised by a ‘desire for predictability’, whilst Inhibitory IU is characterised by inaction due to ‘uncertainty paralysis’. In this study, we surveyed 568 students to examine whether Inhibitory and Prospective IU (as measured by the IUS-12) were associated with students’ attendance at careers’ events and their awareness of, and confidence and experience with, commonly used graduate employer selection tests. Results revealed that higher inhibitory IU scores were associated with lower awareness, confidence and experience with employer selection tests but not attendance levels. Prospective IU scores were positively associated with confidence and experience levels. These novel findings demonstrate that IU is a factor impacting on students’ employability. Recognising the role of inhibitory IU and cultivating a tolerance to uncertainty may help to improve students’ employability.