Development and Psychometric Characteristics of the Dissociation Tension Scale |
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Authors: | Christian Stiglmayr Patricia Schimke Till Wagner Diana Braakmann Ulrich Schweiger Valerija Sipos |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Education and Psychology , Freie University Berlin , Berlin, Germany;2. Department of Psychology , Humboldt University of Berlin , Berlin, Germany;3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University of Lübeck , Lübeck, Germany |
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Abstract: | The newly developed Dissoziations-Spannungs-Skala (Dissociation Tension Scale; DSS) is a self-rating instrument for the assessment of psychological and somatoform dissociative features (ranging from normal up to pathological) as well as aversive inner tension occurring within the past 7 days. The DSS contains 21 items assessing dissociative symptoms and 1 additional item assessing aversive inner tension. Ratings are made on a time-oriented scale ranging from 0% (never) to 100% (constantly). We measured the psychometric qualities of the DSS in a total of 294 patients and healthy controls. Internal consistency of the DSS was high (Cronbach's α = .92; Gutmann's split-half r = .92). We found good support for convergent, discriminant, and differential validity. There was clear evidence for the DSS being a sensitive instrument for the assessment of changing symptomatology. Assessment of dissociation and other psychopathological features over the same period of time are now possible. |
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