Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 11(4), Dec 2024, 477-492; doi:10.1037/cns0000334
It is imperative that psychological measures demonstrate strong psychometric properties in order to increase study replicability, develop an accurate understanding of constructs, identify potential mechanisms, and accurately determine treatment efficacy. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) is the most widely used measure of dissociation. However, concerns have been raised about the DES’s response format and items. In addition, the measure has demonstrated poorer dependability (e.g., short-term test–retest reliability) than other dissociation measures. The current research examines these issues across two studies. The goal of Study 1 (N = 163 undergraduates) was to empirically test concerns regarding the DES’s response format and items. Participants’ responses to the DES using the standard response format did not align with their subsequent estimates of how frequently those items occurred. Moreover, participants often did not interpret the DES items in the way intended by the measure. In Study 2 (N = 447 undergraduates, 2-week retest interval), we attempted to improve the dependability of the DES by changing the standard DES’s response format without substantially altering its items. Changing the response format did not appear to improve the dependability of the DES, suggesting other features of the measure are responsible for its poor dependability. In conclusion, the present studies provide empirical evidence for concerns about the DES’s psychometric properties and indicate the DES demonstrates low reliability that appears to result, in part, from item wording. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)