Modeling the connection between self-reported trauma and dissociation in a student sample
Section snippets
Participants
There is no consensus about the minimum satisfactory sample size that is required for conducting structural equation modeling (Schumacker & Lomax, 1996). Indeed, some authors (e.g. Lawrence et al., 1995) relied on sample sizes of less than 100, while other authors recommended sample sizes of 400 or more (Boomsma, 1982). In the absence of clear rules, we set our sample size on 30 participants per variable (see later). Of the 120 participants tested, 11 had missing values leaving 109 students (26
Results
Table 1 shows descriptive statistics of the measures. Mean scores on dissociation (DES), absent-mindedness (CFQ), and fantasy proneness (CEQ) are in close agreement with results obtained in previous non-clinical studies (e.g. Van Ijzendoorn and Schuengel, 1996, Broadbent et al., 1982, Merckelbach et al., 2001, respectively). As to the mean score on the trauma scale (CTQ), direct comparisons are difficult because normative scores for the Short Form of the CTQ have not yet been reported in
Discussion
The results of the present study can be summarized as follows. To begin with, the current study replicates previous findings (e.g. Merckelbach et al., 1999, Merckelbach et al., 2000, Merckelbach et al., 2000, Merckelbach et al., 2000, Rauschenberg and Lynn, 1995, Silva and Kirsch, 1992) in that robust correlations were found between dissociative tendencies as measured by DES and absent-mindedness and fantasy-proneness as indexed by CFQ and CEQ, respectively. Secondly, like previous non-clinical
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