Initial Development and Validation of the Likelihood to Physically Abuse Scale in an American Male Sample

In two studies, a psychological measure that predicts the likelihood of a male partner to physically abuse a female intimate partner—the Likelihood to Physically Abuse (LPA) scale—was developed. The LPA scale’s internal reliability and validity were tested in Study I (N = 183). In Study II, 299 men were administered the LPA scale online along with validated measures related to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration to further test the internal reliability of the LPA scale and test its construct and external validity. Overall, the results from both studies showed excellent internal reliability (α ≥ 90) and support for the LPA scale’s validity with all but one measure showing moderate (r ≥ .30) to strong correlational relationships (r ≥ .50).