Relation of the Revised Repression-Sensitization Scale to Measures of Self-Description

Abstract

internal-consistency item-analysis was carried out for the 182-item Repression-Sensitizarion Scale. Responses to each question were correlated with Total R-S score for two samples consisting of 370 undergraduates each. A revised scoring key was made, consisting of 127 cross-validated items. Using a new sample, reliability coefficients of .74 (split-half) and .82 (testretest) were found. In subsequent investigations, R-S scores were found to be positively related to self-ideal discrepancy and negative self-description on Worchel's SAI. O n a measure of Hostility Incongruency, R-S scores were positively related to each of three types of incongruency. There were only minimal differences between the two scoring keys in the relationships found. The consistent finding that self-report measures are related to the R-S Scale was discussed and alternate hypotheses were advanced to account for these relationships.The behaviorial dimension of repression-sensitizacion is one which places individuals along a continuum with respect to cheir characteristic mode of response to chreatening stimuli. The repressive extreme involves avoidance defenses, such as denial, while the sensicizing extreme refers to approach defenses, such as intellectualization.Among many attempts co measure this dimension has been that of Altrocchi, Parsons, and Dickoff (1960) with the MMPI. In their repression-sensitization index, the total of the D plus Pt plus Welsh Anxiety scores was subtracted from the total of L plus K plus Hy denial scores. In order to overcome a number of measurement problems arising from this procedure, Byrne (1961) utilized a scoring system in which each of the items of these six scales is scored once, and in which inconsistently scored items are omitted. A questionnaire (labeled che "Health and Opinion Survey") was constructed using all 182 icems of the six original scales; 156 of these were scorable and 26 served as buffer items. One point is assigned for each item answered in the sensitization direction; thus, tocal scores could range from zero to 156. High scores indicace sensitization and low scores, repression. Subsequenr investigation of this Repression-Sensitization (R-S) Scale indicated a corrected split-half reliability of .88 and a test-retest (six wk.) reliability which was also .88 (Byrne, 1961). In a number of validational investigations, chis scale has been found to be related to Ullmann's 'The authors wish to express their appreciation to the following individuals for their assistance on this project:

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