READING LEVEL OF THE DISSOCIATIVE EXPERIENCES SCALE

Reading difficulty values based upon the Flesch reading grade level an d reading ease score (Flesch, 1949) were calculated for the 28 items o f the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; Bernstein & Putnam, 1986). Item reading levels ranged from the sixth to more than the thirteenth grade. According to the reading level formula, 43% of the items requir ed at least a high school education. The reading ease estimate suggest ed that only 1 item required at least 12 years of schooling. Overall, a tenth- to eleventh-grade reading level was required for the entire D ES. For persons with confirmed or suspected reading difficulties, inte rpretation of the DES should be made cautiously.