Dehumanizing Deindividuation in Couples (DDC) Scale

Description

The Dehumanizing Deindividuation in Couples (DDC) Questionnaire (Brock & Gervais, 2025) is a measure designed to assess dehumanizing deindividuation within intimate relationships. The scale’s development was informed by items from the Individuality in Couples Questionnaire (ICQ; Brock et al., 2023), focusing on a critical manifestation of dehumanization in intimate relationships, specifically dehumanizing deindividuation. The psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated using two samples comprising undergraduates and community members in intimate relationships. Eleven items from the original 25 items from Brock et al. (2023) scale development project, reflecting dehumanizing disregard and contempt from partner were modeled as indicators of a single factor. Parallel versions of the 10 items were created and rephrased to assess enacted DDC toward partner instead of received from partner. Following the removal of one item due to redundancy, the global fit of the revised model was found to be excellent. Results concerning the reliability and validity were reported.

Alternate Test Names
DDC Scale
Dehumanizing Deindividuation in Couples Scale

Purpose

The primary purpose of the DDC Scale is to evaluate the extent of dehumanization within intimate relationships.

Validity

Convergent Validity: Correlations of (dyadic) DDC scores with nonphysical valuation (NPV; Meltzer & McNulty, 2014) (r = −.31) and Dehumanization in Romantic Relationship Scale (DIRRS; Pizzirani et al., 2019; Karantzas et al., 2023) (r = .59) were significant, positive, and moderate to large in magnitude.

Incremental Validity: Results of path analyses demonstrate that the DDC was uniquely associated with (lower) global relationship satisfaction, greater perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), and greater IPV victimization, controlling for NPV and DIRRS.

The DDC had significant, large correlations with ICQ scores (−.64 in Sample 1 for dyadic DDC, −.53 for enacted DDC, and −.66 for received DDC; −.70 in Sample 2 for received DDC), providing evidence that dehumanizing deindividuation as measured with the DDC is closely (and inversely) related to individuation but that the DDC and ICQ are not redundant according to a criterion of poor discriminant validity (r < .80).

Test Methodology: Test Validity; Construct Validity; Convergent Validity; Criterion Validity; Discriminant Validity

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The internal consistency of the final 10 items were as follows: McDonald’s ω = .88, average interitem correlation [AIC] = .436, Cronbach’s a = .88).

Test Methodology: Test Reliability; Internal Consistency

Factor Analysis

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: When replicating the DDC factor structure, initial findings indicated the global model fit was inadequate (CFI = .86, RMSEA = .095, SRMR = .059). Closer examination of residual covariances pointed to a source of redundancy, and the decision to drop “My partner interrupted me” (factor loading = .56) and retain “My partner talked over me” given the more active nature of this behavior and the larger factor loading (.60). The global fit of this revised model was excellent (CFI = .96, RMSEA = .053, SRMR = .042) with significant and salient factor loadings (from .60 to .74).

Test Methodology: Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Test Methodology

Test Validity; Construct Validity; Convergent Validity; Criterion Validity; Discriminant Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Population Details

The test has been administered to the following populations:

• Human

• Male

• Female

• Transgender

Gender Identities Reported: Female/Male; Male/Man; Genderqueer/Gender Nonconforming/Nonbinary; Transgender Man; Transgender Women
Location: United States
Respondents: Undergraduates; Community Members
Sexual Orientations Reported: Heterosexual/Straight; Bisexual; Lesbian; Pansexual; Gay; Queer; Asexual

Age Group

The DDC Scale is suitable for the following age groups:

• Adolescence (13-17 yrs)

• Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

• Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs)

• Thirties (30-39 yrs)

• Middle Age (40-64 yrs)

• Aged (65 yrs & older)

Population Group

• Human

• Male

• Female

• Transgender

Test Type

Original

Instrument Type

Rating Scale

Format

Participants are instructed to consider their interactions with their partner over the past month and rate their agreement with each statement using a scale: 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral, 4=agree, 5=strongly agree.
Administration Method: Electronic

Language Available

English

Keywords

Couples; Dehumanization; Deindividuation; Enacted Version; Incremental Validity; Received Version
Index Terms: Couples; Interpersonal Influences; Relationship Quality; Test Forms; Marriage and Partner Measures; Incremental Validity

Test Year

2025

Author

Brock, Rebecca L.; Gervais, Sarah J.

Author Orcid Identifier

Brock, Rebecca L. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7826-6421

Affiliation

Brock, Rebecca L.: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Gervais, Sarah J.: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Email

Brock, Rebecca L.: [email protected]

Files

No file is Available

Permissions

May use for Research/Teaching

Fee

No

Correspondence Address

Brock, Rebecca L.: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Psychology, 220 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 68588-0308, [email protected]

reference’s

Brock, R. L., & Gervais, S. J. (2025). The psychometric properties of a new scale of dehumanizing deindividuation in couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 39(2), 171–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001311

Items of the Dehumanizing Deindividuation in Couples (DDC) Scale

Instructions: Thinking about interactions with your partner over the past month, please rate the extent to which you agree with each of the following statements as it applies to you and your relationship using the scale below:

1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = neutral
4 = agree
5 = strongly agree

Items Set 1

Over the past month ….

1. My partner disregarded my opinions

2. My partner treated me like a child

3. My partner acted superior to me

4. My partner ignored me

5. My partner talked over me

6. My partner told me they were right and I was wrong

7. My partner seemed to be irritated by me

8. I felt like I got on my partner’s nerves

9. My partner nagged me to do certain things or stop doing certain things

10. My partner was bossy toward me

Items Set 2

Over the past month ….

1. I disregarded my partner’s opinions

2. I treated my partner like a child

3. I acted superior to my partner

4. I ignored my partner

5. I talked over my partner

6. I told my partner they were wrong and I was right

7. I was irritated by my partner

8. My partner got on my nerves

9. I nagged my partner to do certain things or stop doing certain things

10. I was bossy toward my partner

Scoring Instructions:

1. Average items for each version (received or enacted)

2. Enacted and received scores have demonstrated high correlations, so it is recommended that correlations are reviewed in your sample, and that you consider whether to average across enacted and received scores for a dyadic level score of DDC

3. The name of the measure and the description of the versions (received, enacted) are included for researchers, but are removed prior to measure administration with participants.