Validation of the Subtle and Overt Psychological Abuse Scale: An Examination of Construct Validity

• NCJ Number: 212030
• Journal: Violence and Victims Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 407-416
• Author(s): Shallimar Jones M.A.; William S. Davidson II, Ph.D.; G. Anne Bogat Ph.D.; Alytia Levendosky Ph.D.; Alexander von Eye Ph.D.
• Date Published: August 2005
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study evaluated the construct validity of the Subtle and Overt Scale of Psychological Abuse (SOSPS) measure.

Abstract

Over the past decades, the study of women’s experiences of psychological abuse has gained increased attention. The Subtle and Overt Scale of Psychological Abuse (SOSPS) is a measure designed in 1999 to examine previously unevaluated forms of psychological abuse. By including both overt and subtle forms of abuse, this scale assesses previously unexamined dimensions of psychological abuse. The scale was originally divided into seven subscales: overt--dominance, indifference, monitoring, and discrediting; and subtle--undermining, discounting, and isolating. This current study was designed to evaluate the construct validity of the SOSPS measure. Exploring the construct validity of contemporary measures of psychological abuse aids in determining the best approaches to measuring this construct and specifying the nomological network to which it is related. Participants for this study consisted of 172 women involved in a longitudinal study examining the impact of domestic violence on new mothers. The overall results indicate that psychological abuse as measured by the SOSPS items may represent a unidimensional rather than a multidimensional assessment of psychological abuse. Tables, references