THE CONFLICT TACTICS SCALES CTS2 and CTSPC

1
THE CONFLICT TACTICS SCALESCTS2 and CTSPC
Soc 695 Research On Family Violence In World
Perspective Murray A. Straus

• WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE CTS
• Most widely used instrument in family violence
  research
• Much of what we know about FV is based on CTS
  data
• The key instrument of the IDVS
• Illustrates the importance of measurement in all
  the sciences
• Help you learn about the concepts of reliability
  and validity of a measure
• Sociology of Science Example The same process
  that led Galileo to be Imprisoned and Bruno to
  be burned at the stake still occurs

• HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS INSTRUMENT? WHAT
  ABOUT IT?

2

• WHAT WILL BE COVERED
• The crucial role of measurement in science
• Variables measured by the CTS
• History of the CTS
• Theoretical basis
• Measurement strategy
• Reliability and validity
• Uses of the CTS
• Criticisms of the CTS and attempts to ban the CTS
• The controversy about partner violence (PV) by
  women

3
THE ROLE OF MEASUREMENT IN SCIENCE

• To understand any field of science, requires
  understanding of the way the it measures what it
  studies
• No one can be an astronomer without understanding
  the Hubble space telescope revolutionized
  astronomy
• No one can understand family violence as a field
  of science without understanding the CTS
• Applies regardless of opinion of the CTS
• A large part of what is known about family
  violence is based on data obtained with the CTS

4
(No Transcript)
5

• LIKE THE INVENTION OF THE TELESCOPE
• Could see things that could not be seen before,
  even though they were there
• Led to a tremendous expansion of research

• RESEARCH USING THE CTS
• 10 Books
• 600 Scientific Journal Articles
• 5 Scientific Journal Articles Published
  every month
• These are minimum estimates

6
VARIABLES MEASURED BY THE CTS

• CTS2 (FOR MEASURING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MARRIED
  OR DATING PARTNERS)
• PHYSICAL ASSAULT
• INJURY
• SEXUAL COERCION
• PSYCHOLOGICAL AGGRESSION
• NEGOTIATION
• CTSPC (FOR MEASURING PARENT-T0-CHILD
  RELATIONSHIPS
• Non-Violent Discipline
• Physical Assault
• Minor Corporal Punishment, Severe Physical
  Abuse
• Psychological Aggression

7
Relationship BehaviorsNo matter how well a
couple gets along, there are times when they
disagree, get annoyed with the other person, want
different things from each other, or just have
spats or fights because they are in a bad mood,
are tired, or for some other reason. Couples
also have many different ways of trying to settle
their differences. This is a list of things that
might happen when you have differences. Please
circle how many times you did each of these
things in the past year, and how many times your
partner did them in the past year. If you or
your partner did not do one of these things in
the past year, but if happened before that,
circle 7. 1 Once in the past year
2 Twice in the past year
3 3-5 times in the
past year 4 6-10 times in the past
year 5 11-20 times in the past year 6
More than 20 times in past year 7
Not in the past year, but it did happen before
0 This has never happened
THE CONFLICT TACTICS SCALES (CTS2)
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
HISTORY OF THE CTS ILLUSTRATES THE INVESTMENT
NEEDED TO DEVELOP ADEQUATE MEASURES  
QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION (1970-71) ACTS,
VOCABULARY, MEANING   FORM A (1971-72) STUDENT
RESPONDENT STUDY ILLUSTRATES REPLICATION FOR
SEVERAL ROLES   FORM N 1975 NATIONAL FAMILY
VIOLENCE SURVEY R 1985 NATIONAL FAMILY
VIOLENCE SURVEY MANY MODIFICATIONS BY OTHERS

• REVISED CTS
• CTS2, 1996
• CTSPC, 1998
• ADULT-RECALL/CHILD-REPORT VERSIONS, 1999
• SHORT FORMS 2004

12

THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE CTS
CONFLICT THEORY CONFLICT VERSUS CONFLICT
TACTICSCTS MEASURES CONFLICT TACTICS, NOT
CONFLICT, EXCEPT BY INFERENCE EXAMPLE OF A
MEASURE OF CONFLICT
13
4. MEASUREMENT STRATEGY    MEASURES BEHAVIOR,
NOT ATTITUDES OR MOTIVES DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN
ACTS AND INJURIES INTENDED FOR USE WITH OTHER
INSTRUMENTS PROVIDES DATA ON MINOR AND SEVERE
LEVELS         MODULAR AND SYMMETRICAL  ( Analo
gous to a fully crossed experiment            
14

• RELIABILITY OF THE CTS
• PURPOSE To explain the concept of reliability
  and
• how it is measured
• WHAT IS RELIABILITY?
• The consistency of measurement
• An instrument can be highly reliable and be
  consistently wrong
• INTERNAL CONSISTENCY RELIABILITY
• Alpha coefficient
•       Factor Structure
• Not a necessary characteristic of a measure
• TEMPORAL CONSISTENCY RELIABILITY
• Test-Retest Correlation
• An essential characteristic of a measure -
  necessary
• EXAMPLES OF HIGH RELIABILITY AND ZERO VALIDITY
• Dot test for admission to graduate school
• Color as measure of wine quality

15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
  VALIDITY OF THE CTS
WHAT IS VALIDITY The extent to which an
instrument measures what it is intended to
measure MEASURES OF VALIDITY - Content
Validity spelling test example - High
Disclosure Rate - Concurrent Validity
Correlation of partner reports Correlation
with other instruments - Construct Validity
18
CTS RATE
ISCOMPARISON OF CTS WITH GREATERNATIONAL
CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY 18 TIMES
NATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN SURVEY 15 TIMESCLIENTS OF COUPLE
AND FAMILY THERAPY 4 TIMES
NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE NEGLECT DATA SYSTEM 16
TIMESNATIONAL INCIDENCE STUDY OF CHILD ABUSE
8 TIMES
HIGH DISCLOSURE RATE
19

• WHY DOES THE CTS SECURE
• MORE DISCLOSURE? 
• CONTEXT OF LEGITIMATION (WE ALL DO IT
  APPROACH)
• EXCULPATORY INTRODUCTION
• HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU DO IT, NOT WHETHER DONE
• ASKS WHAT BOTH RESPONDENT AND PARTNER DID 
• FAMILY PROBLEMS CONTEXT RATHER THAN SAFETY,
  INJURY CRIME, OR FEAR 
• FOCUS IS ON BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN OUTCOMES SUCH
  AS INJURY (INJURY IS RELATIVELY RARE)
• AVOIDS DISPARAGING TERMS SUCH AS ABUSE OR
  VIOLENCE 
• ALSO MEASURES NEGOTIATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
  AGGRESSION, WHICH CAN JUSTIFY HITTING (TRIED
  EVERYTHING)
• DOES NOT DEPEND ON BEHAVIOR BEING KNOWN OR
  REPORTED BY OTHERS

20
EXAMPLE OF CONCURRENT VALIDITY
WHY DOES THIS INDICATE VALIDITY?
21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
EXAMPLE OF CONSTRUCT VALIDITY EVIDENCE
E
25
USE OF THE CTS2 TO MEASURE WHETHER GROUP
TREATMENT WORKS TO REDUCE PARTNER VIOLENCE BY
WOMEN WHO HAVE PTSD AND THOSE WHO DO NOT WHAT DO
THE RESULTS IN EACH ROW SHOW?
26
THE CTS AND THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT VIOLENCE BY
WOMEN

• Previous slides are a small fraction of the
  evidence showing that the CTS is a valid
  instrument - Hundreds of studies
• At the same time many books and articles assert
  that the CTS is not valid and that it produces
  misleading results
• Why? Studies using the CTS show that women
  perpetrate partner violence (PV) at about the
  same rate as men. Therefore the CTS must be
  invalid.

27
CENSORSHIP OF SCIENCE WHEN IT CONFLICTS WITH
DEEPLY HELD BELIEFS OR CONTRADICTS THOSE IN POWER

• LATE 16th century Rejection of the evidence from
  the newly invented telescope that the earth
  revolves around the sun (heliocentric nature of
  the solar system)
• LATE 20th century and continuing Rejection of
  the evidence from the newly invented CTS that
  about the same percent of women assault their
  partners as men
• LATE 20th century and continuing Rejection of
  the evidence that spanking children is harmful
• MANY OTHER EXAMPLES
• Global warming
• Evolution
• Abstinence only sex education
• Boot camps and Scared Straight

28
Scientists Accuse White House of Distorting
Facts By JAMES GLANZ New York Times February
18, 2004 The Bush administration has
deliberately and systematically distorted
scientific fact in the service of policy goals on
the environment, health, biomedical research and
nuclear weaponry at home and abroad, a group of
about 60 influential scientists, including 20
Nobel laureates, said in a statement issued
today. The sweeping charges were later discussed
in a conference call with some of the scientists
that was organized by the Union of Concerned
Scientists, an independent organization that
focuses on technical issues and has often taken
stands at odds with administration policy. The
organization also issued a 37-page report today
that it said detailed the accusations.
29
THE TELESCOPE AND THE LIES IT REVEALED

• GALILEO GALILEI
• Born in Pisa, Italy in 1564. Professor of
  mathematics
• Most famous invention was the telescope (1609)
• Discovered the four satellites of Jupiter,
  observed a supernova, verified the phases of
  Venus, and discovered sunspots
• His discoveries proved the Copernican system
  which states that the earth and other planets
  revolve around the sun
• Was tried and sentenced to lifetime confinement
  in his home
• BRUNO
• Published book in 1585 defending the heliocentric
  theory of Copernicus
• Was tried as a heretic. Even after a long
  imprisonment, would not recant
• Burned at the stake
• DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GALILEO AND BRUNO
• Galileo was a prudent man and accepted his
  sentence
• Bruno was a firebrand and insisted on defying the
  church

30
THE CTS AND THE LIES THAT IT REVEALED WOMEN
PERPETRATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AT ABOUT THE SAME
RATE AS MEN U.S. NATIONAL FAMILY VIOLENCE
SURVEYS, AS REPORTED BY WOMEN ASSAULTS
BY Men WOMEN A. MINOR ASSAULTS 1975
8.6 8.3 1985 7.2 7.4 1992 10.5 10.0
B. SEVERE ASSAULTS 1975 4.1 4.4 1985
4.2 4.2 1992 2.4 2.9
31
ASSAULTS BY MEN WOMEN Minor assaults
as reported by female partner 17.4 17.7 Severe
assaults as reported by female partner 6.5
6.2
32
Fig. 6. Couple Symmetry Types By Sex of
Respondent (All Assaults)
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS STUDENTS
Male Aggressor
Female Aggressor
Male Aggressor
Both Aggress
Both Aggress
Female Aggressor
MALE RESPONDENTS N177
FEMALE RESPONDENTS N376
Chi-square 1.803, p .406 N for Male Respondents
177 (Male Aggressor19, Female Aggressor28,
Both Aggress130) N for Female Respondents 376
(Male Aggressor35, Female Aggressor77, Both
Aggress264)
ID12 E1a
33
NATIONAL SURVEY OF HOUSEHOLD FAMILIES
(BENSON, FOX DEMARIS, 2000)
SUDIES USING OTHER METHODS
WHAT ARE 3 RESULTS SHOWN?
African American
White
Hispanic
34
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SURVEY, 1999 MEN WOMEN ASS
AULTED BY A PARTNER IN LAST 5 YEARS 7 8 PHYSIC
ALLY INJURED BY PARTNER 13 40 RECEIVED
MEDICAL ATTENTION 3 15 FEARED FOR THEIR
LIFE 7 38 Family Violence in Canada A
Statistical Profile 2000. Statistics Canada,
July 2000. Publication 85-224-XIE
35
(No Transcript)
36
WOMEN'S SHARE OF HOMICIDE OF PARTNERS
37
D. WHAT EXPLAINS THE BELIEF THAT PARTNER
VIOLENCE IS PRIMARILY A MALE CRIME?

• AMONG CASES RECORDED BY POLICE 80-99 ARE BY MEN
• SYMPATHY FOR VICTIMS (WHO ARE PREDOMINANTLY
  WOMEN)
• OUTSIDE THE FAMILY, MALE VIOLENCE IS 10 TIMES
  GREATER
• EFFORTS OF FEMINISTS IS WHAT BROUGHT THE ISSUE
  ISSUE OF PARTNER VIOLENCE TO PUBLIC ATTENTION
• VIOLATES CULTURAL NORM OF "NEVER HIT A WOMAN"
  VERSUS
• IMPLICIT NORM TOLERATING VIOLENCE BY
  WOMEN
• MEDIA DISTORTIONS
• SUPPRESSION OF THE EVIDENCE BY RESEARCHERS
• Feminist researchers
• Fear of reprisal by other researchers

38
MEDIA COVERAGE OFTEN MISREPRESENTS
39
(No Transcript)
40
(No Transcript)
41

• SUPPRESSION OF THE EVIDENCE
• TWO VERSIONS OF THE SAME STUDY
• 1987 VERSION Rate Per 100 Couples
• Husband-to-Wife US ALBERTA
• Overall Violence (1-8) 11.3 11.2
• Severe Violence (4-8) 3.0 2.3
• Wife-to-Husband
• Overall Violence (1-8) 12.1 12.4
• Severe Violence (4-8) 4.4 4.7
• 1989 PUBLISHED VERSION Rate Per 100 Couples
• US ALBERTA
• Husband-to-Wife
• Overall Violence (1-8) 11.3 11.2
• Severe Violence (4-8) 3.0 2.3

MISSING
42
EXAMPLES OF OTHER EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS

• UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
• Campaign to have Suzanne Steinmetz fired
• Bomb threat at daughter's wedding
• UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
• Lecturer's contract not renewed
• MY EXPERIENCES
• Prevented from speaking at U of Mass.
• Accused of wife beating
• Accused of sexually exploiting students
• Walk out at my SSSP presidential address
• Presidential address published with rejoinders
• Graduate student warned she will never get a job
  if she does her dissertation research with me
• MANY OTHER CASES
• A CLIMATE OF FEAR LED TO SELF-CENSORSHIP

43
MAIN REASON FOR REJECTION OF THE CTS AS A VALID
MEASURE

• STUDIES USING THE CTS SHOW THAT WOMEN PERPETRATE
  ASSAULTS ON PARTNERS AS OFTEN AS MEN
• CRITICS DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TRUE
• THEREFORE, THE CTS MUST BE INVALID
• "BLAMING THE MESSANGER FOR THE BAD NEWS"
• IGNORES THE FACT THAT STUDIES USING OTHER
  MEASURES ALSO FIND THIS
• THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS STUDIES USING POLICE CALLS,
  AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CASES
  IN WHICH THE POLICE ARE INVOLVED.

44

• 7. OTHER CRITICISMS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE CTS
•  
• PURPORTEDLY FEMINIST CRITICISMS
•        RESTRICTED TO CONFLICT RELATED VIOLENCE
•        IGNORES CONTEXT
•        IGNORES NON-CONFLICT ASSAULTS
•        DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SMALLER
  AVERAGE SIZE OF WOMEN
•        DOES NOT MEASURE INJURY
•        EQUATES ACTS THAT DIFFER IN SERIOUSNESS
•        IGNORES WHO INITIATES THE ASSAULTS
•  
• OTHER CRITICISMS OF THE CTS
•        FREQUENCY RESPONSE CATEGORIES ARE
  UNREALISTIC
•        ONE YEAR REFERENT PERIOD IS UNREALISTIC
•        LIMITED SET OF VIOLENT ACTS
•        CTS2 LONG IF ALL 5 SCALES ARE ASKED FOR
  RESPONDENT AND PARTNER
•  
• AS A PARENT-CHILD MEASURE
•        STILL NOT WELL SUITED TO INFANTS

45
POINTS TO BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND

• What the CTS2 measures
• How it measures these variable
• Reliability and validity of a measure
• Evidence of validity of the CTS2
• Disclosure rate
• Concurrent validity
• Construct validity
• Limitations of the CTS2
• Difference between men and women in partner
  violence (PV)
• Why the vitriolic criticism of the CTS and
  attacks on the author?

46
END
47
6. USES OF THE CTS   RESEARCH PREVALENCE
RATES THEORETICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM OUTCOME
EVALUATION RESEARCH SOCIAL CHANGE
RESEARCH   CLINICAL SCREENING IDENTIFY
CASES PROFILE OF SCORES ON THE FIVE
SCALES   OTHER USES CODING RECORDS CODING
OBSERVATIONS PEER MALTREATMENT  
48
DENIAL OF THE EVIDENCE ON EVOLUTION
TIME 31 Jan 05, p 54
49
Evolution Takes a Back Seat in U.S. Classes By
CORNELIA DEAN New York Times 1 Feb 05
Published February 1, 2005 John Frandsen, a
retired zoologist, was at a dinner for teachers
in Birmingham, Ala., recently when he met a young
woman who had just begun work as a biology
teacher in a small school district in the state.
Their conversation turned to evolution. "She
confided that she simply ignored evolution
because she knew she'd get in trouble with the
principal if word got about that she was teaching
it," he recalled. "She told me other teachers
were doing the same thing.
50
Together, the two documents accuse the
administration of repeatedly censoring and
suppressing reports by its own scientists,
stacking advisory committees with unqualified
political appointees, disbanding government
panels that provide unwanted advice, and refusing
to seek any independent scientific expertise in
some cases. "Other administrations have, on
occasion, engaged in such practices, but not so
systematically nor on so wide a front," the
statement from the scientists said, adding that
they believed the administration had
"misrepresented scientific knowledge and misled
the public about the implications of its
policies."
51
Page 854