Is the Vando Scale a valid measure of perceptual reactance?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Perceptual reactance is a psychological concept.
• The Vando Scale is a tool designed to measure perceptual reactance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the construct validity of the Vando Scale of perceptual reactance.
• To examine the relationship between Vando Scale scores and objective pain tolerance, subjective discomfort, time distortion, and assertiveness.

Main Methods:

• 84 college women participated in an ice water-tolerance task.
• Vando Scale scores were correlated with objective pain tolerance, subjective discomfort, time distortion, and assertiveness.

Main Results:

• Higher Vando Scale scores correlated with less subjective discomfort.
• Higher scores were also associated with greater time distortion and reduced submissiveness.
• No correlation was found between Vando Scale scores and objective pain tolerance.

Conclusions:

• The Vando Scale demonstrates relatively low construct validity.
• The scale's sensitivity to demand characteristics in research settings is a concern.