Construct validation of the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale: Comparison to data obtained from a structured interview

Date of Completion

January 1999

Keywords

Psychology, Clinical|Psychology, Psychometrics

Degree

Ph.D.

Abstract

This study provides support for the construct validity of the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CAT; Sanders & Becker-Lausen, 1995). The CAT was administered to 102 undergraduates (66 females, 36 males) along with the Childhood Maltreatment Interview Schedule - Short Form (CMIS-SF; Briere, 1992a), the MMPI-2, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; Bernstein & Putnam, 1986). As expected, the CAT and CMIS-SF were highly correlated, with different types of abusive experiences being intercorrelated, a result that is consistent with the hypothesis that child maltreatment includes a broad spectrum of experiences that often co-occur. Interestingly, the CAT was more strongly related to both dissociation, as measured by the DES, and psychopathology, as measured by the MMPI-2, than was the CMIS-SF. Regression analyses between the CAT and the MMPI-2 showed that Scale 4 of the MMPI-2 accounts for a substantial portion of the variance for the overall CAT and its subscales. Consequently, it is possible that MMPI-2 profiles could be used to predict CAT scores. ^

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