Dissociative Experiences Scale – DES-II
A 28-item self-report questionnaire that measures the frequency of dissociative experiences.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Dissociative Experiences Scale – DES-II was developed by Eve Bernstein Carlson & Frank W. Putnam (1993). It is designed to measure Dissociation. The scale is intended for use with Adults and clinical populations.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 28 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = 0% (Never), 10 = 10%, 20 = 20%, 30 = 30%, 40 = 40%, 50 = 50%, 60 = 60%, 70 = 70%, 80 = 80%, 90 = 90%, 100 = 100% (Always).
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Non-clinical / Normal dissociative experiences: 0 – 15
- Moderate / Suggestive of trauma-related disorders: 16 – 30
- High / High likelihood of a dissociative disorder: 31 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90 – 0.95.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.