Betrayal trauma theory (BTT) explains the relationship between a victim and perpetrator to be an especially critical factor for predicting adverse trauma outcomes; however, to date, there is no adequate measure to assess this relationship. We aimed to create a measure of reliance, here defined as dependence on another for food, clothing, finances, emotional support, and more. We utilized a new scale, the Reliance on Perpetrator Scale, to measure this construct. 397 participants completed a battery of questionnaires to measure reliance and 4 primary outcomes of interpersonal trauma exposure: PTSD symptoms, depression, event centrality, and dissociation. A series of exploratory principal components factor analyses provided evidence for a 3 factor solution for this scale, though visual examinations of scree plots and a parallel analysis indicated 2 factors. We ultimately chose to retain 2 factors: practical reliance and emotional dependence. We expected and achieved predictive validity such that practical reliance and emotional dependence were both highly positively correlated with all outcomes. We expected and achieved convergent validity such that positive affect and secure attachment were highly positively correlated with emotional dependence as measured by an existing scale. The current study replicated previous findings that high betrayal events—as opposed to low betrayal events—are often accompanied by worse outcomes. The results of a hierarchical regression model found that both subscales of the Reliance on Perpetrator scale predicted significant unique variance in all outcomes. In conclusion, the current study provides the first empirical evidence to support BTT's idea that the victim-perpetrator relationship plays an integral role in outcomes of interpersonal trauma and provides a more comprehensive way to measure this relationship.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1833522 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Griffith, Elizabeth |
| Contributors | Boals, Adriel, Slavish, Danica, Wang, Chiachih |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iv, 61 pages, Text |
| Rights | Public, Griffith, Elizabeth, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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