Scoring the BBTS

The BBTS can be scored in various ways. One way is to use it to group people into various categories (for instance: those with high betrayal experiences and those without). Another way is to create subscales such as a "high betrayal score" and a "low betrayal score" that can be then used to predict other variables such as dissociation or anxiety.

Some examples of these different approaches (full text of articles are posted at http://pages.uoregon.edu/dynamic/jjf/traumapapers.html)

Creating Categories of Participants:

Cromer, L.D. & Freyd, J.J. (2007). What influences believing abuse reports? The roles of depicted memory persistence, participant gender, trauma history, and sexism. Psychology of Women's Quarterly, 3, 13-22.

Becker-Blease, K.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2008). A Preliminary Study of ADHD Symptoms and Correlates: Do Abused Children Differ from Non-Abused Children? Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 17(1), 133-140.

Gobin, R.L. & Freyd, J.J. (2009). Betrayal and revictimization: Preliminary findings.  Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,1, 242-257.

Creating Subscales:

Freyd, J.J., Klest, B., & Allard, C.B. (2005). Betrayal trauma: Relationship to physical health, psychological distress, and a written disclosure intervention. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 6(3), 83-104.

Kaehler, L.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2009). Borderline personality characteristics: A betrayal trauma approach.  Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 1, 261-268.

Hulette, A.C., Kaehler, L.A., & Freyd, J.J. (2011).  Intergenerational Associations between Trauma and Dissociation.  Journal of Family Violence, 26, 217-225.

Suggested Categorization of BBTS Items into A) Three Scales (High, Medium, and Low Betrayal) or B) Two Scales (High/More Betrayal and Low/Less Betrayal)

A) Three Scales: Traumas with High, Medium, and Low Betrayal

Trauma with High Betrayal

• You were deliberately attacked that severely by someone with whom you were very close.
• You were made to have some form of sexual contact, such as touching or penetration, by someone with whom you were very close (such as a parent or lover).
• You were emotionally or psychologically mistreated over a significant period of time by someone with whom you were very close (such as a parent or lover).

Trauma with Medium Betrayal

• Witnessed someone with whom you were very close (such as a parent, brother or sister, caretaker, or intimate partner) committing suicide, being killed, or being injured by another person so severely as to result in marks, bruises, burns, blood, or broken bones. This might include a close friend in combat.
• Witnessed someone with whom you were very close deliberately attack another family member so severely as to result in marks, bruises, blood, broken bones, or broken teeth.
• You were deliberately attacked that severely by someone with whom you were not close.
• You were made to have such sexual contact by someone with whom you were not close
• Experienced the death of one of your own children.
• Experienced a seriously traumatic event not already covered in any of these questions.

Trauma with Low Betrayal

• Been in a major earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane, or tornado that resulted in significant loss of personal property, serious injury to yourself or a significant other, the death of a significant other, or the fear of your own death.
• Been in a major automobile, boat, motorcycle, plane, train, or industrial accident that resulted in similar consequences.
• Witnessed someone with whom you were not so close undergoing a similar kind of traumatic event.

B) Two Scales: Traumas with High/More Betrayal and Low/Less Betrayal

Trauma with More Betrayal

• Witnessed someone with whom you were very close (such as a parent, brother or sister, caretaker, or intimate partner) committing suicide, being killed, or being injured by another person so severely as to result in marks, bruises, burns, blood, or broken bones. This might include a close friend in combat.
• Witnessed someone with whom you were very close deliberately attack another family member so severely as to result in marks, bruises, blood, broken bones, or broken teeth.
• You were deliberately attacked that severely by someone with whom you were very close.
• You were made to have some form of sexual contact, such as touching or penetration, by someone with whom you were very close (such as a parent or lover).
• You were emotionally or psychologically mistreated over a significant period of time by someone with whom you were very close (such as a parent or lover).

Trauma with Less Betrayal

• Been in a major earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane, or tornado that resulted in significant loss of personal property, serious injury to yourself or a significant other, the death of a significant other, or the fear of your own death.
• Been in a major automobile, boat, motorcycle, plane, train, or industrial accident that resulted in similar consequences.
• Witnessed someone with whom you were not so close undergoing a similar kind of traumatic event.
• Witnessed someone with whom you were not so close deliberately attack a family member that severely.*
• You were deliberately attacked that severely by someone with whom you were not close.
• You were made to have such sexual contact by someone with whom you were not close
• You were emotionally or psychologically mistreated over a significant period of time by someone with whom you were not close.*

*Items from the BBTS-14

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Last update 10-Mar-2011 , jjf@dynamic.uoregon.edu
Please note: Due to the large volume of correspondence I receive, I cannot answer most messages.
Copyright © 1995-2008 Jennifer J. Freyd.