NCJ Number
210810
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 25-38
Date Published
February 2005
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study developed a psychological aggression assessment measure to more fully assess psychological aggression within intimate relationships.
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, researchers have increasingly focused on the problem of psychological abuse within intimate relationships, drawing on the large body of research focusing on physical abuse within marital and dating relationships. Hampering the forward movement of studies into psychological abuse within intimate relationships are the oft used surveys of psychological aggression that have been plagued by both conceptual and measurement problems. The current study developed a new measure assessing psychological aggression in intimate relationships that systematically covers a broader range of psychologically aggressive actions over a range of severity levels (mild, moderate, severe). Students recruited from a large university completed the measures (N=383), in which they ranked 51 items in terms of their degree of “psychological abusiveness.” Results indicated that all 17 categories were rated as statistically distinct mild, moderate, or severe. Overall, the measures yielded normal psychometric properties and had high internal consistency. The rating of items appears distinct from social desirability and provides a more comprehensive measure of psychological aggression within intimate relationships. Tables, references