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Intimate Partner Violence Fear-11 Scale: An Item Response Analysis
Tami P Sullivan1, Danielle Chiaramonte1, D Angus Clark2
1Yale University School of Medicine, 389 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT.
Psychology of Violence
|April 17, 2023
Summary
This study validated the Intimate Partner Violence Fear-11 Scale, a reliable tool for measuring fear in women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). The scale accurately assesses fear of abuse from male partners.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue with profound psychological impacts on victims.
- Fear is a central emotion experienced by victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), yet a validated measurement tool has been lacking.
- Existing research highlights the need for rigorous psychometric evaluation of instruments designed to assess fear within the context of IPV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively evaluate the psychometric properties of a multi-item scale designed to measure fear of an abusive male partner and/or the abuse perpetrated.
- To establish the reliability and validity of the Intimate Partner Violence Fear-11 Scale in assessing fear among women experiencing IPV.
- To provide a robust instrument for researchers and clinicians to quantify fear related to intimate partner violence.
Main Methods:
- Item Response Theory (IRT) modeling was employed to assess the psychometric properties of the Intimate Partner Violence Fear-11 Scale.
- The scale was evaluated across two distinct samples of women: a calibration sample (n=412) and a confirmation sample (n=298).
- Psychometric functioning was examined through item discrimination, reliability, and correlations with relevant psychological and victimization measures.
Main Results:
- The Intimate Partner Violence Fear-11 Scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties in both calibration and confirmation samples.
- All scale items exhibited high discrimination values (universally above a = 0.80), indicating they effectively measured the latent fear factor.
- The scale proved reliable across the range of the latent fear trait, with exceptional reliability for moderate to high fear levels. It also showed moderate to strong correlations with depression, PTSD symptoms, and physical victimization.
Conclusions:
- The Intimate Partner Violence Fear-11 Scale is a psychometrically robust and reliable instrument for assessing fear of abuse in women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV).
- The scale's strong psychometric functioning and its association with relevant covariates support its utility in clinical and research settings.
- Findings confirm the scale's value for assessing fear of an abusive partner among women in relationships with men, aiding in better understanding and intervention for IPV.
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