Turkish Validity and Reliability of the Victim Gaslighting Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Epidemiology
• Sociology

Background:

• Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation.
• Assessing gaslighting experiences is crucial for understanding its impact on victims, particularly women.
• A validated instrument is needed to measure gaslighting in the Turkish cultural context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Victim Gaslighting Questionnaire (VGQ) into Turkish.
• To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish VGQ among women in Türkiye.
• To provide a psychometrically sound tool for gaslighting assessment in this population.

Main Methods:

• Methodological epidemiological study design.
• Data collected from 568 women aged 18+ in Türkiye (Feb-May 2024).
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA, CFA) using SPSS and LISREL.

Main Results:

• A two-factor structure (Peer Disagreement, Loss of Self-Trust) was identified and confirmed.
• The model demonstrated good fit indices (χ²/df=2.87, RMSEA=0.058, CFI=0.96).
• The Turkish VGQ showed strong internal consistency (α=0.91) and reliable subscales.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish version of the VGQ is a valid and reliable instrument.
• This validated scale can be effectively used to assess gaslighting experiences among women in Türkiye.
• The findings contribute to the psychological assessment of interpersonal harm and manipulation.