Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory – TRGI
A multidimensional self-report measure designed to assess cognitive and emotional aspects of guilt associated with a specific traumatic event.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory – TRGI was developed by Edward S. Kubany, Sandra N. Haynes, Francisco R. Abueg, Fred P. Manke, Joseph M. Brennan, and Caron Stahura (1996). It is designed to measure Trauma-related guilt. The scale is intended for use with Trauma survivors.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 32 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Global Guilt, Distress, Hindsight-Bias/Responsibility, Wrongdoing, Lack of Justification.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Global Guilt | 13,18,22,25 | 4 |
| Distress | 2,6,10,15,20,24 | 6 |
| Hindsight-Bias/Responsibility | 1,5,9,14,19,26,30 | 7 |
| Wrongdoing | 3,7,11,16,21,23,28,29,31,32 | 10 |
| Lack of Justification | 4,8,12,17,27 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all true / Never / None / Not guilty at all, 2 = Slightly true / Rarely, 3 = Moderately true / Sometimes, 4 = Mostly true / Often, 5 = Extremely true / Always / Extreme / Extremely guilty.
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Global Guilt, Guilt Cognitions, and Distress scales range from .89 to .91; Hindsight-Bias/Responsibility, Wrongdoing, and Lack of Justification subscales range from .60 to .79..
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.