Disclosure Expectancy Scale – Civilian Version (DExS)
Measures trauma survivors' expectations regarding the potential negative and positive outcomes of disclosing their traumatic experiences.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Disclosure Expectancy Scale – Civilian Version (DExS) was developed by Joshua D. Clapp, Matt J. Gray, Brett T. Litz, Ariel J. Lang, Alexandria F. Sowers (2023). It is designed to measure Trauma disclosure expectancies. The scale is intended for use with Trauma-exposed adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 33 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Negative expectations, Positive expectations.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Negative expectations | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 | 18 |
| Positive expectations | 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33 | 15 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Extremely unlikely, 2 = Very unlikely, 3 = Moderately likely, 4 = Very likely, 5 = Extremely likely.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 10 to 50. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Expectancy: 10 – 22
- Moderate Expectancy: 23 – 37
- High Expectancy: 38 – 50
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of omega = .94 (positive), .93 (negative).
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.