Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS)

Abstract

The Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS), developed by Gazarian et al. (2023), are designed to quantify the decision to withhold subjective distress, recognizing it as a multifactorial and context-sensitive process. The development of the 13-item CCS followed recommendations by Devellis and Thorpe (2021), incorporating several preliminary steps. The scale was evaluated across diverse samples, including male students, mixed-gender community participants, and international community participants. Initial psychometric properties, including factor analysis, reliability, and validity, have been reported for these items. The authors emphasize that the presented evidence represents initial demonstrations of validity and that further psychometric evaluations are crucial for a comprehensive assessment of this measure.

Keywords

Concealment, Emotional Distress, Problem-Context, Decision Processes, Disclosure Desire, Social Fear, Privacy Management

Authors

• Douglas Gazarian

• Michael E. Addis

• Jonathan D. Jampel

• Ethan Hoffman

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS) is to assess multiple processes central to both the concealment and disclosure of emotional distress, while specifically accounting for the influence of the problem-context.

Validity

Construct Validity: Structural validity of the CCS was indicated by the results of the factor analysis.

Convergent and Discriminant Validity: The Privacy Management and Social Fear subscales demonstrated positive correlations with other measures of concealment, and negative correlations with measures of disclosure, supporting their convergent and discriminant validity.

Concurrent Validity: All scores from the CCS scales showed positive associations with measures of psychological distress and psychosocial dysfunction, indicating strong concurrent validity.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The Privacy Management, Disclosure Desire, and Social Fear scales within the CCS demonstrated good internal consistency, with McDonald’s Omega values of .95, .91, and .90, respectively.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis: Parallel analysis results initially suggested a four-factor solution for the CCS.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: A revised three-factor solution was tested and demonstrated a good fit with the collected data. The fit statistics were: Chi-squared(62) = 349.49, p < .001, CFI = .959, RMSEA = .069 (90% CI [.062-.076]), SRMR = .045.

Measurement Invariance: The configural invariance model showed adequate fit when all parameters between groups were estimated freely: Chi-squared(124) = 409.07, p < .001, CFI = .958, RMSEA = .070 (90% CI [.062-.078]), SRMR = .050. Similar results were observed for a strong invariance model, suggesting consistency across different groups.

Instrument: Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS)

• Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire

• Format: The main items are rated on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (a lot), following initial introductory questions.

• Language Available: English

• Population Group: Human (Male and Female)

• Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older)

• Population Details: Respondents included male students, mixed-gender community participants, and international community participants from various locations such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.

• Test Methodology: The methodology involved various psychometric evaluations, including Test Validity (Concurrent Validity, Construct Validity, Convergent Validity, Discriminant Validity), Test Reliability (Internal Consistency), and Factor Analysis (Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Measurement Invariance).

Keywords

Concealment, Emotional Distress, Problem-Context, Decision Processes, Disclosure Desire, Social Fear, Privacy Management

Authors

• Douglas Gazarian

  • Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4186-5006

  • Affiliation: Clark University, Department of Psychology

  • Email Address: [email protected]

  • Correspondence Address: Clark University, Department of Psychology, 950 Main St, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01610, [email protected]

• Michael E. Addis

  • Affiliation: Clark University, Department of Psychology

• Jonathan D. Jampel

  • Affiliation: Clark University, Department of Psychology

• Ethan Hoffman

  • Affiliation: VA Palo Alto Healthcare System

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

• Permissions: Contact Publisher

• Fee: No

• Test Year: 2023

References

Gazarian, D., Addis, M. E., Jampel, J. D., & Hoffman, E. (2023). Contexts of concealment: Initial validation of three disclosure avoidance process measures. Journal of Personality Assessment, 105(2), 249–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2022.2085110

Items of the Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS)

The Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS) consists of 13 items. No data is Available regarding the specific content of each item.

Subscales

The CCS is comprised of the following subscales:

• Privacy Management

• Disclosure Desire

• Social Fear

Supplementary Appendix

Contexts of Concealment Scales (CCS)

Instructions: Please take a few moments to identify the most distressing thing in your life. This may be something that’s happening right now, or it could be something that happened within the past year. If there is more than one thing, please pick the one that is troubling you the most right now. Please describe it briefly:

a. How often do you think about this issue? (Select one)
(1) Almost Never (2) less than once per month (3) A few times per month (4) A few times per week (5) Every day (6) Almost all the time

b. When you think about this issue, how much does it trouble you? (Select one)
(1) (2) (3) (4) Somewhat (5) (6) (7) A lot
Not at all

c. How well does each statement below describe your thoughts and feelings about this issue? Please rate each statement from 1 (not at all) to 7 (a lot):