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Factor Similarity of the Conflict Tactics Scales Across Samples, Spouses, and Sites - Issues and Implications

NCJ Number
105393
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1987) Pages: 37-54
Author(s)
J Barling; K D O'Leary; E N Jouriles; D Vivian; K E MacEwen
Date Published
1987
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Two studies were conducted to assess the construct validity validity of Straus' (1979) Conflict Tactics Scale, the most frequently used measure of marital agression.
Abstract
Subjects were 187 couples, married for an average of 9.8 years, receiving treatment for marital discord and 398 nonclinical couples beginning their marriages. Analysis indicates that the factor structure was consistent across clinical and nonclinical samples, sex, geographical site, time, and socioeconomic status. For both samples, two consistent factors, physical aggression and psychological aggression, emerged. Based on study findings, it is suggested that items 11 through 17 of the scale be used as a physical aggression index. In addition, the use of averaged scores (e.g., self-reports of own and spouse's aggression for each partner) is recommended to overcome to some extent the problem of moderate agreement between spouses' reports of marital aggression and to provide a more reliable scoring method. 4 tables and 40 references. (Author abstract modified)

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