Agonizing Uncertainty: The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Abuse Doubt Scale

Childhood abuse (CA) may not only eventuate in distorted basic beliefs among survivors but also in survivors' doubt regarding key aspects of the abuse, of themselves during the abuse, and regarding the perpetrator. This phenomenon, which we term doubt regarding abuse-related appraisals (DARA), has not been empirically investigated. Filling this gap, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of a new measure: the Abuse Doubt Scale (ADS). The study was conducted using online surveys among convenience samples of female CA survivors. In Study 1, the ADS was administered to 155 participants. In Study 2, the ADS and a battery of questionnaires assessing abuse features, guilt, shame, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were administered to 192 participants. Three reliable ADS factors emerged from Study 1: doubt regarding the abuse, doubt regarding the perpetrator, and doubt regarding oneself. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the scale's underlying factor structure. Recurrence of CA, closeness and dependence upon the perpetrator, and the perpetrator being a parental figure were associated with higher scores. Additionally, scores were correlated with guilt, shame, dissociation, and PTSD symptoms. The current studies provide evidence for the psychometric properties of the ADS, demonstrating high internal consistency as well as good construct and concurrent criterion validity. However, further longitudinal research is needed to assess the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of the ADS.