Assessing the Response Process Validity of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory Using Cognitive Interviews

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Trauma Studies
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is defined as positive psychological changes after trauma.
• Current PTG assessment relies heavily on retrospective tools like the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI).
• These tools assume individuals accurately recall and compare pre- and post-trauma functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the response process validity of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI).
• To investigate whether participants engage in the necessary cognitive steps when completing the PTGI.
• To assess the construct validity of the PTGI as a measure of genuine post-traumatic growth.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 21 cognitive interviews using five items from the PTGI.
• Analyzed participant responses thematically.
• Assessed the cognitive processes involved in responding to PTGI items.

Main Results:

• No participants fully engaged in the theoretically required cognitive process for every item.
• Participants utilized narrative continuity, reappraisal coping, and cultural scripts favoring positive change.
• Reported positive changes were observed even when underlying experiences were negative, neutral, or resilient.

Conclusions:

• The findings raise concerns regarding the construct validity of the PTGI.
• The PTGI may not accurately measure genuine post-traumatic growth due to response process limitations.
• Further research is needed to develop more robust measures of PTG.