Abstract
The Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire (PRBQ) assesses extent of engagement in posttrauma reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs). Given PRBQ’s recent development with limited psychometric investigations, we used item response theory to examine (a) item analysis, (b) person fit, and (c) differential item functioning (DIF) across gender-based groups and two different samples. One sample included 464 participants reporting potentially traumatic experiences (Mechanical Turk [MTurk], recruited online), and the other sample included 171 trauma-exposed women reporting current intimate partner violence and substance use (recruited in-person). All PRBQ items contributed to the RSDB scale, and all PRBQ items and the PRBQ scale provided maximum information for high levels of the RSDB latent trait. Seven and 11 items were conceptualized as low information items in the MTurk and intimate partner violence samples, respectively. Eight MTurk participants’ responses did not fit the overall pattern of responses as expected. Seven items were flagged for DIF between the two samples, and eight items were flagged for DIF between men and women in the MTurk sample. However, all effect sizes were <8%. Conclusively, results suggest good psychometric properties for the PRBQ and support its use to compare RSDBs across different samples and gender-based groups.
Highlights
Evidence suggests that trauma-exposed individuals are more likely to engage in reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs) such as gambling (Roberts et al, 2017), problematic media/technology use (Contractor, Frankfurt, et al, 2017), disordered eating behaviors (Brewerton, 2007), substance use (Clark et al, 2001), aggressive behaviors (Lusk et al, 2017), and self-injurious/suicidal acts (Spitzer et al, 2020; Stein et al, 2010)
The Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire (PRBQ) examines posttrauma RSDBs covered by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition (DSM-5) E2 criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); examples include substance use, dangerous driving, and suicidal behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
The PRBQ is not limiting to a symptom criterion of PTSD, which has changed across DSM versions; and the PRBQ can be used to examine posttrauma RSDBs spanning diverse research questions, contexts, and diagnostic constructs
Summary
Evidence suggests that trauma-exposed individuals are more likely to engage in reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs) such as gambling (Roberts et al, 2017), problematic media/technology use (Contractor, Frankfurt, et al, 2017), disordered eating behaviors (Brewerton, 2007), substance use (Clark et al, 2001), aggressive behaviors (Lusk et al, 2017), and self-injurious/suicidal acts (Spitzer et al, 2020; Stein et al, 2010). In the short-run, engaging in posttrauma RSDBs may serve to avoid, escape from, or distract from trauma-related aversive emotional/cognitive states (Cooper et al, 2000; Pat-Horenczyk et al, 2007); such engagement in posttrauma RSDBs may have negative consequences in the long-run (Ben-Zur & Zeidner, 2009) Posttrauma symptoms such as arousal or dissociation, may interfere with one’s ability to avoid or escape from risky situations (Noll & Grych, 2011), increasing engagement in posttrauma RSDBs. engaging in posttrauma RSDBs may help individuals reproduce the arousal linked to their trauma (Van der Kolk et al, 1985), which may explain elevated impulsivity and sensationseeking among trauma-exposed individuals (Contractor et al, 2016; Roley et al, 2017). It would be helpful to examine if the existing response categories for the PRBQ items are optimal and useful (e.g., few participants in the samples used for the PRBQ validation paper endorsed “frequently and “very frequently” responses; Contractor et al, 2020); to identify groups with levels of RSDB latent trait that are most appropriate for PRBQ administration; to determine how much information each item adds to the PRBQ; and to examine differential item functioning (DIF) of PRBQ items across groups differentiated by demographic, clinical, or social characteristics
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