Conflict Tactics Scales Kindergarten/Year 1 Fast Track Project Technical Report Cynthia Rains November 15, 2004

Transcription

1 Conflict Tactics Scales Kindergarten/Year 1 Fast Track Project Technical Report Cynthia Rains November 15, 2004 Table of Contents I. Scale Description II. Report Sample III. Scaling IV. Differences Between Groups V. Recommendations for Use VI. Item and Scale Means and SDs VII. Subscale Correlations Appendix SAS program to create derived subscales Citation Instrument Strassberg, Z., Dodge, K.A., Bates, J.E., & Pettit, G.S. (1992). The longitudinal relation between parental conflict strategies and children s sociometric standing in kindergarten. Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 38, Strassberg, Z., Dodge, K.A., Pettit, G.S., & Bates, J.E. (1994). Spanking in the home and children s subsequent aggression toward kindergarten peers. Development and Psychopathology, 6, Straus, M. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics Scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, Reports Rains, C. (2004). Conflict Tactics Scales (Fast Track Project Technical Report) [On-line]. Available: Ferrell, C. (1995). Conflict Tactics Scales (Fast Track Project Technical Report). Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University. Data Sources Raw: Scored: P1E CFT1 I. Scale Description The Conflict Tactics Scales measure consists of 80 items developed by Straus (1979) to explore intrafamily conflict and violence, focusing particularly on the adults in the family. Of these 80 items, 20 are administered to the parent about his/her relationship with the child. The next 20 questions are directed to the parent about the partner and his/her interactions with the child. If there is no partner, these questions are not asked. The last 40 questions of the measure address the interactions between the parent and the parent s partner using the same questions. The measure assesses how the parent reacts in a conflict with the child, such as trying to discuss an issue calmly, yelling at or insulting the child, stomping out of the room or house, threatening to spank the child, and hitting or trying to hit the child. The items gradually become more coercive and aggressive as they progress. The items are rated on a seven-point scale, ranging from 0=never to 6=almost every day. Interviewers were also asked to answer the following question, Has the parent had a partner in the past year? 1

2 II. Report Sample These analyses were conducted on the high-risk (control and intervention) sample (n=310) and the normative sample (n=387, N= including overlap) from the first year of administration of the study. Four records were missing the complete measure. Of these, 3 were from the control sample (2 from Durham and 1 from Pennsylvania). One record, from Nashville, was missing from the normative sample. These numbers may reflect some overlap between the two samples. III. Scaling This instrument has four scales: Parent-Child (Scale 1), Partner-Child (Scale 2), Parent-Partner (Scale 3), and Partner-Parent (Scale 4). The parent-child and partner-child conflict scales each have five subscales and the two parent-partner scales have four subscales each. The five subscales (Strassberg, Dodge, Bates, and Pettit, 1992; Strassberg, Dodge, Pettit, and Bates, 1994) are: verbal discussion, verbal aggression, hostile-indirect withdrawal, physical aggression, and spanking. The parent-partner and partner-parent scales do not include the spanking subscale. Subscale scores were created by taking the mean for each set of variables for a given subscale. Cronbach s alphas for these subscales are reported in the table below: Variable Name High Risk Normative Verbal Discussion Scale Verbal Aggression Scale Physical Aggression Scale Hostile-Indirect Scale Spanking Scale Verbal Discussion Scale Verbal Aggression Scale Physical Aggression Scale Hostile-Indirect Scale Spanking Scale Verbal Discussion Scale Verbal Aggression Scale Physical Aggression Scale Hostile-Indirect Scale Verbal Discussion Scale Verbal Aggression Scale Physical Aggression Scale Hostile-Indirect Scale The reliability coefficients for most of these subscales for both samples indicated an acceptable reliability. However, there were several subscales that indicated a low reliability. These were: Hostile-Indirect Scale 1 (high risk samples), Physical Aggression Scale 2 (both samples), and Hostile-Indirect Scale 2 (normative sample). 2

3 IV. Differences between Groups A series of t-tests indicated significant differences between the high risk and normative samples at the.05 level for 14 of the 18 subscales, with the high risk samples scoring higher than the normative sample in each case. One scale, Verbal Discussion Scale 3 (p = 0.08), approached significance; families from the high risk samples scored higher than did families from the normative sample. Variable Label Comparison of Means for Normative and High Risk for Continuous Scales and Items Normative High Risk Mean Std Dev Mean Std Dev DF t Value Pr > t CFT1PA CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression subscale <.0001 CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale <.0001 CFT1PA CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale T-tests between the control and intervention samples indicated a significant difference for one scale, Verbal Discussion Scale 3, with the control sample parents being more likely to indicate that their partners used verbal discussion to resolve conflicts that the parents in the intervention sample. Comparison of Means for Control and Intervention for Continuous Scales and Items Control Intervention Variable Label Mean Std Dev Mean Std Dev DF t Value Pr > t CFT1PA CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale

4 Comparison of Means for Control and Intervention for Continuous Scales and Items Control Intervention Variable Label Mean Std Dev Mean Std Dev DF t Value Pr > t CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale Variable A chi-square test of response frequency on whether the parent had had a partner in the past year indicated a significant difference between the normative and the high risk samples, with the parents in the high risk samples being more likely than parents in the normative sample to have had a partner in the past year. Conflict Tactics Scale Y1 Normative Proportions 0=No 1=Yes High Risk Proportions DF Chi Square Statistic P-value N Has the parent had a partner in the past year? (CFT1PAR ) V. Recommendations for Future Use Analysts should be aware of possible distributional issues; floor effects were noted for a number of the scales. Physical Aggression Scale 1: 49% of the normative sample and 40% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. Hostile-Indirect Scale 1: 55% of the normative sample and 40% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. Physical Aggression Scale 2: 72% of the normative sample and 58% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. Hostile Indirect Scale 2: 69% of the normative sample and 57% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. Physical Aggression Scale 3: 82% of the normative sample and 71% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. Verbal Aggression Scale 4: 18% of the normative sample scored a zero on the scale. Physical Aggression Scale 4: 85% of the normative sample and 74% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. Hostile Indirect Scale 4: 38% of the normative sample and 27% of the high risk samples scored a zero on the scale. In addition, it needs to be noted that items on one subscale, Physical Aggression Scale 2 (both samples), had an item with a zero variation. 4

5 VI. Item and Scale Means and SDs Normative Sample Descriptive Statistics Normative Sample P1E1HI1 Sulked or refused to talk P1E1HI2 Stomped out of room or house P1E1HI3 Threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E1HI4 Threw something at child P1E1PA1 Pushed, grabbed, shoved child P1E1PA2 Hit or tried to hit child P1E1PA3 Hit or tried to hit child w/ something P1E1PA4 Beat up your child P1E1SP1 Spanked child P1E1SP2 Spanked child with something P1E1VA1 Argued angrily, did not yell P1E1VA2 Yelled, insulted, swore at child P1E1VA3 Threatened to throw something at child P1E1VA4 Threatened to spank child P1E1VA5 Threatened to hit child P1E1VA6 Threatened to beat up child P1E1VD1 Tried to discuss calmly P1E1VD2 Did discuss issue calmly P1E1VD3 Got information to back up side P1E1VD4 Brought someone to help settle things P1E2HI1 Partner sulked or refused to talk P1E2HI2 Partner stomped out of room or house P1E2HI3 Partner threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E2HI4 Partner threw something at child P1E2PA1 Partner pushed, grabbed, shoved child P1E2PA2 Partner hit or tried to hit child P1E2PA3 Partner hit or tried to hit child w/ something P1E2PA4 Partner beat up your child P1E2SP1 Partner spanked child P1E2SP2 Partner spanked child with something P1E2VA1 Partner argued angrily, did not yell P1E2VA2 Partner yelled, insulted, swore at child P1E2VA3 Partner threatened to throw something at child P1E2VA4 Partner threatened to spank child P1E2VA5 Partner threatened to hit child P1E2VA6 Partner threatened to beat up child P1E2VD1 Partner tried to discuss calmly P1E2VD2 Partner did discuss issue calmly

6 Descriptive Statistics Normative Sample P1E2VD3 Partner got information to back up side P1E2VD4 Partner brought someone to help settle things P1E3HI1 Sulked or refused to talk P1E3HI2 Stomped out of room or house P1E3HI3 Threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E3HI4 Threw something at partner P1E3PA1 Pushed, grabbed, shoved partner P1E3PA2 Hit or tried to hit partner P1E3PA3 Hit or tried to hit partner w/ something P1E3PA4 Beat up your partner P1E3VA1 Argued angrily, did not yell P1E3VA2 Yelled, insulted, swore at partner P1E3VA3 Threatened to throw something at partner P1E3VA5 Threatened to hit partner P1E3VA6 Threatened to beat up partner P1E3VD1 Tried to discuss calmly P1E3VD2 Did discuss issue calmly P1E3VD3 Got information to back up side P1E3VD4 Brought someone to help settle things P1E4HI1 Partner sulked or refused to talk P1E4HI2 Partner stomped out of room or house P1E4HI3 Partner threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E4HI4 Partner threw something at parent P1E4PA1 Partner pushed, grabbed, shoved parent P1E4PA2 Partner hit or tried to hit parent P1E4PA3 Partner hit or tried to hit parent w/ something P1E4PA4 Partner beat up your parent P1E4VA1 Partner argued angrily, did not yell P1E4VA2 Partner yelled, insulted, swore at parent P1E4VA3 Partner threatened to throw something at parent P1E4VA5 Partner threatened to hit parent P1E4VA6 Partner threatened to beat up parent P1E4VD1 Partner tried to discuss calmly P1E4VD2 Partner did discuss issue calmly P1E4VD3 Partner got information to back up side P1E4VD4 Partner brought someone to help settle things CFT1PA1 Physical Aggression Subscale CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression Subscale CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion Subscale CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale

7 Descriptive Statistics Normative Sample CFT1PA2 Physical Aggression Subscale CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression Subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion Subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1PA3 Physical Aggression Subscale CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression Subscale CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion Subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA4 Physical Aggression Subscale CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression Subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion Subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PAR Has the parent had a partner in the past year? Control Sample Descriptive Statistics - Control Sample P1E1HI1 Sulked or refused to talk P1E1HI2 Stomped out of room or house P1E1HI3 Threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E1HI4 Threw something at child P1E1PA1 Pushed, grabbed, shoved child P1E1PA2 Hit or tried to hit child P1E1PA3 Hit or tried to hit child w/ something P1E1PA4 Beat up your child P1E1SP1 Spanked child P1E1SP2 Spanked child with something P1E1VA1 Argued angrily, did not yell P1E1VA2 Yelled, insulted, swore at child P1E1VA3 Threatened to throw something at child P1E1VA4 Threatened to spank child P1E1VA5 Threatened to hit child P1E1VA6 Threatened to beat up child P1E1VD1 Tried to discuss calmly P1E1VD2 Did discuss issue calmly P1E1VD3 Got information to back up side P1E1VD4 Brought someone to help settle things P1E2HI1 Partner sulked or refused to talk P1E2HI2 Partner stomped out of room or house

8 Descriptive Statistics - Control Sample P1E2HI3 Partner threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E2HI4 Partner threw something at child P1E2PA1 Partner pushed, grabbed, shoved child P1E2PA2 Partner hit or tried to hit child P1E2PA3 Partner hit or tried to hit child w/ something P1E2PA4 Partner beat up your child P1E2SP1 Partner spanked child P1E2SP2 Partner spanked child with something P1E2VA1 Partner argued angrily, did not yell P1E2VA2 Partner yelled, insulted, swore at child P1E2VA3 Partner threatened to throw something at child P1E2VA4 Partner threatened to spank child P1E2VA5 Partner threatened to hit child P1E2VA6 Partner threatened to beat up child P1E2VD1 Partner tried to discuss calmly P1E2VD2 Partner did discuss issue calmly P1E2VD3 Partner got information to back up side P1E2VD4 Partner brought someone to help settle things P1E3HI1 Sulked or refused to talk P1E3HI2 Stomped out of room or house P1E3HI3 Threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E3HI4 Threw something at partner P1E3PA1 Pushed, grabbed, shoved partner P1E3PA2 Hit or tried to hit partner P1E3PA3 Hit or tried to hit partner w/ something P1E3PA4 Beat up your partner P1E3VA1 Argued angrily, did not yell P1E3VA2 Yelled, insulted, swore at partner P1E3VA3 Threatened to throw something at partner P1E3VA5 Threatened to hit partner P1E3VA6 Threatened to beat up partner P1E3VD1 Tried to discuss calmly P1E3VD2 Did discuss issue calmly P1E3VD3 Got information to back up side P1E3VD4 Brought someone to help settle things P1E4HI1 Partner sulked or refused to talk P1E4HI2 Partner stomped out of room or house P1E4HI3 Partner threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E4HI4 Partner threw something at parent P1E4PA1 Partner pushed, grabbed, shoved parent P1E4PA2 Partner hit or tried to hit parent

9 Descriptive Statistics - Control Sample P1E4PA3 Partner hit or tried to hit parent w/ something P1E4PA4 Partner beat up your parent P1E4VA1 Partner argued angrily, did not yell P1E4VA2 Partner yelled, insulted, swore at parent P1E4VA3 Partner threatened to throw something at parent P1E4VA5 Partner threatened to hit parent P1E4VA6 Partner threatened to beat up parent P1E4VD1 Partner tried to discuss calmly P1E4VD2 Partner did discuss issue calmly P1E4VD3 Partner got information to back up side P1E4VD4 Partner brought someone to help settle things CFT1PA CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PAR Has the parent had a partner in the past year? Intervention Sample Descriptive Statistics - Intervention Sample P1E1HI1 Sulked or refused to talk P1E1HI2 Stomped out of room or house P1E1HI3 Threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E1HI4 Threw something at child P1E1PA1 Pushed, grabbed, shoved child P1E1PA2 Hit or tried to hit child

10 Descriptive Statistics - Intervention Sample P1E1PA3 Hit or tried to hit child w/ something P1E1PA4 Beat up your child P1E1SP1 Spanked child P1E1SP2 Spanked child with something P1E1VA1 Argued angrily, did not yell P1E1VA2 Yelled, insulted, swore at child P1E1VA3 Threatened to throw something at child P1E1VA4 Threatened to spank child P1E1VA5 Threatened to hit child P1E1VA6 Threatened to beat up child P1E1VD1 Tried to discuss calmly P1E1VD2 Did discuss issue calmly P1E1VD3 Got information to back up side P1E1VD4 Brought someone to help settle things P1E2HI1 Partner sulked or refused to talk P1E2HI2 Partner stomped out of room or house P1E2HI3 Partner threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E2HI4 Partner threw something at child P1E2PA1 Partner pushed, grabbed, shoved child P1E2PA2 Partner hit or tried to hit child P1E2PA3 Partner hit or tried to hit child w/ something P1E2PA4 Partner beat up your child P1E2SP1 Partner spanked child P1E2SP2 Partner spanked child with something P1E2VA1 Partner argued angrily, did not yell P1E2VA2 Partner yelled, insulted, swore at child P1E2VA3 Partner threatened to throw something at child P1E2VA4 Partner threatened to spank child P1E2VA5 Partner threatened to hit child P1E2VA6 Partner threatened to beat up child P1E2VD1 Partner tried to discuss calmly P1E2VD2 Partner did discuss issue calmly P1E2VD3 Partner got information to back up side P1E2VD4 Partner brought someone to help settle things P1E3HI1 Sulked or refused to talk P1E3HI2 Stomped out of room or house P1E3HI3 Threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E3HI4 Threw something at partner P1E3PA1 Pushed, grabbed, shoved partner P1E3PA2 Hit or tried to hit partner P1E3PA3 Hit or tried to hit partner w/ something

11 Descriptive Statistics - Intervention Sample P1E3PA4 Beat up your partner P1E3VA1 Argued angrily, did not yell P1E3VA2 Yelled, insulted, swore at partner P1E3VA3 Threatened to throw something at partner P1E3VA5 Threatened to hit partner P1E3VA6 Threatened to beat up partner P1E3VD1 Tried to discuss calmly P1E3VD2 Did discuss issue calmly P1E3VD3 Got information to back up side P1E3VD4 Brought someone to help settle things P1E4HI1 Partner sulked or refused to talk P1E4HI2 Partner stomped out of room or house P1E4HI3 Partner threw, smashed, hit, kicked something P1E4HI4 Partner threw something at parent P1E4PA1 Partner pushed, grabbed, shoved parent P1E4PA2 Partner hit or tried to hit parent P1E4PA3 Partner hit or tried to hit parent w/ something P1E4PA4 Partner beat up your parent P1E4VA1 Partner argued angrily, did not yell P1E4VA2 Partner yelled, insulted, swore at parent P1E4VA3 Partner threatened to throw something at parent P1E4VA5 Partner threatened to hit parent P1E4VA6 Partner threatened to beat up parent P1E4VD1 Partner tried to discuss calmly P1E4VD2 Partner did discuss issue calmly P1E4VD3 Partner got information to back up side P1E4VD4 Partner brought someone to help settle things CFT1PA CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale

12 Descriptive Statistics - Intervention Sample CFT1PA CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PAR Has the parent had a partner in the past year? VII. Subscale Correlations Conflict Tactics Scales Full Sample Subscale Correlations Pearson Correlation Coefficients Prob > r under H0: Rho=0 Number of Observations CFT1HI1 CFT1PA1 CFT1VA1 CFT1DS1 CFT1SP1 CFT1HI2 CFT1PA2 CFT1VA2 CFT1DS2 CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression subscale

13 Pearson Correlation Coefficients Prob > r under H0: Rho=0 Number of Observations CFT1HI1 CFT1PA1 CFT1VA1 CFT1DS1 CFT1SP1 CFT1HI2 CFT1PA2 CFT1VA2 CFT1DS2 CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion subscale Pearson Correlation Coefficients Prob > r under H0: Rho=0 Number of Observations CFT1SP2 CFT1HI3 CFT1PA3 CFT1VA3 CFT1DS3 CFT1HI4 CFT1PA4 CFT1VA4 CFT1DS4 CFT1HI1 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA1 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS1 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1SP1 Spanking subscale CFT1HI2 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA2 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS2 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1SP2 Spanking subscale CFT1HI3 Hostile-Indirect subscale

14 Pearson Correlation Coefficients Prob > r under H0: Rho=0 Number of Observations CFT1SP2 CFT1HI3 CFT1PA3 CFT1VA3 CFT1DS3 CFT1HI4 CFT1PA4 CFT1VA4 CFT1DS4 CFT1PA CFT1VA3 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS3 Verbal Discussion subscale CFT1HI4 Hostile-Indirect subscale CFT1PA CFT1VA4 Verbal Aggression subscale CFT1DS4 Verbal Discussion subscale