Brief Acrimony Scale – 8 (BACS-8) for Separated Parents – Development and Validation. Issue 8 (16th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rahimullah, Riyad H.; Sanri, Cagla; Halford, W. Kim; Lohan, Aditi; Petch, Jemima F.
• Is Part Of: Journal of divorce & remarriage. Volume 61:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: 574
• Page End: 581
• Publication Date: 2020-11-16
• Subjects: Acrimony -- conflict -- separation -- co-parenting -- mediation -- short version; Divorce -- Law and legislation -- United States -- Periodicals; Divorce -- Periodicals; Remarriage -- Periodicals; 306.89
• DOI: 10.1080/10502556.2020.1799309
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-2556

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The current study aimed to develop a reliable, valid, and condensed version of the 25-item Acrimony Scale. In a sample of 451 separated parents seeking family mediation, an Exploratory Factor Analysis showed 8 items, focusing on inter-parental hostility, loading highly on a single factor. In a second sample of 447 separated parents, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis replicated the structure. The Brief Acrimony Scale-8 (BACS-8) was correlated with co-parental conflict communication, and with parental alliance. The BACS-8 has high internal consistency, a replicable factor structure, and is potentially useful for quick, routine screening of co-parenting conflict.