Development and validation of the Dark Future scale

Abstract

The purpose of studies presented in this article was to develop and validate a short version of the Future Anxiety scale. The Future Anxiety scale consists of 29 items; it measures the tendency to think about the future with anxiety and uncertainty and to anticipate disasters in the future. We developed a short form of this scale—the Dark Future scale—on a total sample of 2285 Polish adults across two studies. In Study 1, we examined the reliability and factor structure of the Future Anxiety scale. In Study 2, we cross-validated the reliability, factor structure, and validity of the Dark Future scale. The validity of the Dark Future scale was assessed based on the correlations of this instrument with the Future Negative scale, the Future Time Perspective scale, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and the Carpe Diem scale.