[Validation of the French version of of the Telic Dominance Scale (TDS)]

There are connections between sensation seeking, difficulties to plan the future and to work towards aims, in relation with fails of mentalisation and addictions. Those characteristics have been described by M.J. Apter as a paratelic dominance of the person, in opposition with the telic dominance. That dimension of the personality has been formalizing as a part of the Reversal Theory. After a presentation of the foundations of this theory, and the validity's studies of the English version of the Telic Dominance Scale, the article explains the proceedings of validation of the TDS French version (Echelle de dominance télique). The population is 72 subjects: 38 addicts--ASI criteria--and 34 control. The component analysis with varimax rotation doesn't allow to find the three factors of construction, but there is a good inter-correlation between the factors. Alpha's Cronbach coefficient is correct, underlining the intern consistency of the scale. At the comparison between groups, the scale has a good sensitivity. There is no correlation between the variables of population (age, sex, employment) and TDS. Lastly, there is a correct correlation between self esteem, anxiety, depression and TDS. The results make TDS a scale with an imperfect validity in its French version, but this scale has sufficient qualities to be used in the case of short studies about addicted population. In association with others instruments, this scale can assess a stable component of the personality giving a measure of the addictive risk.