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Effects of context and question type on endorsement of childhood sexual abuse
Author(s) -
Fricker Adrienne E.,
Smith Daniel W.,
Davis Joanne L.,
Hanson Rochelle F.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1023/a:1023748124626
Subject(s) - psychology , context (archaeology) , sexual abuse , developmental psychology , presentation (obstetrics) , child abuse , child sexual abuse , clinical psychology , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , social psychology , medicine , paleontology , environmental health , radiology , biology
Use of contextual information and behaviorally specific questions have been found to detect higher rates of child sexual abuse (CSA); however, no study has examined the use of contextual information or question type within 1 study. This study examined 236 college students randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: noncontext/label questions, noncontext/specific question, context/label questions, context/specific questions. Reported history of CSA did not differ across presentation of videotaped contextual information. However, respondents endorsed behaviorally specific questions significantly more (32%) than label questions (9%). Results suggest that researchers and clinicians attempting to detect childhood victimization history should utilize multiple behaviorally specific screening questions.