Use of the Reality-Fantasy Scale (RFS) in Identifying and Diagnosing Dissociative Experiences

Rachel Forman, Pace University

Abstract

This study examines the utility of the Rorschach Reality-Fantasy Scale (RFS; Tibon et al., 2005), a performance based measure developed to analyze experiences of reality and fantasy collapse within a Rorschach profile, in the identification of dissociative experiences in adolescents, in comparison to self-report measures of dissociative experiences. RFS-SD scores were examined in a sample of 86 adolescent inpatients alongside their self-reports of dissociation, as assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory — Adolescent Version (MMPI-A; Butcher et al., 1992), and the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSCC; Briere, 1996). Given the link between trauma and dissociation the current study utilized the PTSD scales of the MMPI-A as an indicator of dissociative experiences, with more direct attention focused on the items used within the scales of the Phillips Dissociation Scale (PDS; Phillips, 1994).Results indicated that no significant correlation was found between the standard deviation (RFS-SD) scores derived from the Reality-Fantasy Scale and the self report measures, as determined by the MMPI-A items and the scales within the TSCC within the overall sample. Additional results indicated significant findings across nearly every factor pair within the two self report measures (MMPI-A, TSCC) for the overall sample, however no significant correlations between either of the self report measures and the RFS-S were found. The significance and implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the development of more precise empirical assessment and deeper understanding of dissociative phenomena in this younger population, and the advancement of the possibility for earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Subject Area

Clinical psychology|Psychology|Quantitative psychology

Recommended Citation

Forman, Rachel, "Use of the Reality-Fantasy Scale (RFS) in Identifying and Diagnosing Dissociative Experiences" (2019). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI27794077.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI27794077

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