The Assessment of Dating Aggression

Two studies were conducted to examine the component structure of response patterns on the Conflict Tactics Scale in dating samples. In Study 1, CTS responses for 268 male and 399 female unmarried college students were subjected to principal components analyses. For both sexes, these analyses revealed a 4-component solution (Reasoning, Verbal Aggression/Coercion, Physical Aggression/Threat, and Severe Aggression). In Study 2, the component solution was replicated with a combined-sex sample of 288 (116 men, 172 women) unmarried college students. The component solution found in these samples was consistent with those found in earlier studies of the CTS with married samples. Differences between the empirically supported component structure and the rationally derived aggression indices for the CTS may have implications for understanding the underlying dimensions tapped by the CTS.