Validation of an extended violent ideations scale to measure both non-sexual and sexual violent ideations (The VIS-X)

A previous study developed and validated a multi-item instrument for the assessment of violent ideations, the “Violent Ideations Scale” (VIS). However, the final 12-item scale contained no items relating to sexual violence and was thus lacking an important dimension of violence. The current study explores an expansion of the original VIS to include ideations of sexual violence and investigates the psychometric properties of this new version: The Violent Ideations Scale-Extended (VIS-X). The VIS-X was completed by participants in the latest wave of the z-proso study (n=1177; 595 females, 580 males aged 19 to 22). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted in a calibration sample and confirmatory factor analysis in a validation sample to establish a two sub-scale structure as optimal. Cronbach’s Alpha and Composite Reliability suggested good internal consistency. Nomological analysis supported the convergent validity of the scores.