Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the violent ideations scale and construction of a short form among Chinese University Students

Abstract

In 2018, Murray et al. developed the violent ideations scale (VIS). The reliability and validity of the scale in China have yet to be tested, and the scale uses only classical test theory to test its psychometric characteristics. The present study was based on a sample of Chinese university students. First, we used traditional classical testing theory, including common method bias, unidimensionality, local independence, internal consistency, and concurrent validity tests. Then, we adopted the item response theory approach to examine the item parameters, item characteristics, item information, differential item functioning, test information, and test reliability of the VIS. Finally, a short form was constructed, and the psychometric properties of the simple scale were also examined. The results were as follows: (1) This study verified the one-dimensional structure of the VIS, which had good internal consistency and concurrent validity. (2) All 12 items had high discrimination parameters and location parameters and were DIF-free by gender. The VIS had large information and good measurement reliability at medium and high θ levels. (3) A 7-item short form, which was highly consistent with the full form and retained adequate measurement precision with substantial item reduction, was constructed. The short form was a concise and reliable substitute for the full form. Both the short form and full form had good psychometric properties and were accurate and effective tools for measuring individuals with medium and high violent ideation levels in young Chinese people. These findings should still be replicated in other populations (e.g., in clinical and forensic samples).

Trial registration

The questionnaire and methodology for this study were approved by the research center of mental health of Jiangxi Normal University (Ethics approval number: HM20200160027).

Appendix

Violent Ideations Scale

VIS in English

People sometimes think about doing things that they would never actually do. How about you? Please indicate below how often you thought about these things in the past month.

I thought about…	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very often
… killing someone I know	1	2	3	4	5
… using violence to get back at someone who harmed me	1	2	3	4	5
… severely injuring someone I dislike	1	2	3	4	5
… beating up a stranger for no particular reason	1	2	3	4	5
… killing someone who insulted my family or friends	1	2	3	4	5
… humiliating someone I despise	1	2	3	4	5
… killing a person close to me who humiliated or offended me	1	2	3	4	5
… humiliating someone weaker than me	1	2	3	4	5
… using violence to get back at someone who harmed a person close to me	1	2	3	4	5
… beating up someone I find totally repulsive	1	2	3	4	5
… causing someone intense pain	1	2	3	4	5
… beating someone to a pulp because they made me truly angry	1	2	3	4	5

VIS in Chinese

人们有时会想象做一些他们实际上永远不会做的事情。你是不是也一样呢?请在下面说明你在过去一个月里对这些事情的想象频率。

我想过…	从不	很少	有时	经常	总是
…杀了某个我认识的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…用暴力报复那个伤害了我的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…重伤某个我不喜欢的人。	1	2	3	4	5
没有特别的理由时我就想过打一个陌生人。	1	2	3	4	5
…杀了那个侮辱我家人或朋友的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…羞辱某个我鄙视的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…杀了某个和我亲近却也羞辱或冒犯我的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…羞辱某个比我弱的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…用暴力报复那个伤害我身边人的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…打一个我觉得很讨厌的人。	1	2	3	4	5
…给某人带来强烈的痛苦。	1	2	3	4	5
…揍某个让我很生气的人一顿。	1	2	3	4	5