Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD)

Abstract

The Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD) is a psychological scale designed to quantify the extent to which an individual can accept and manage opposition or divergence of opinions during communication. Developed by Teven, Richmond, and McCroskey (1998), the TFD is rooted in the study of interpersonal communication dynamics and conflict resolution, suggesting that an individual’s level of tolerance significantly predicts how conflict is handled in relationships. This conceptualization is similar to the construct of argumentativeness, where those high in TFD are expected to handle disagreement more effectively than those scoring low.

Keywords

Tolerance for disagreement, TFD, conflict management, argumentativeness, communication styles, relational conflict, communication research, psychological assessment.

Authors

Teven, J. J., Richmond, V. P., McCroskey, J. C.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the TFD scale is to measure an individual’s capacity to tolerate viewpoints that contradict their own established beliefs or statements during interaction. This measure is crucial for understanding how individuals navigate potentially volatile conversational environments and how they contribute to conflict dynamics.

The scale serves as a diagnostic tool in communication studies, predicting behavioral responses to conversational conflict. It helps researchers and practitioners assess the likelihood of constructive versus destructive conflict engagement, recognizing that conflict in interpersonal settings is often a function of the interactants’ tolerance levels, in conjunction with the level of liking between them.

Construct

The core construct measured is Tolerance for Disagreement (TFD), defined as the psychological and behavioral disposition to accept or welcome opposing beliefs and viewpoints without experiencing significant distress or resorting to avoidance behaviors. This construct is conceptually related to, but distinct from, argumentativeness.

Individuals scoring high on TFD are generally more willing to engage in robust discussions where their beliefs are challenged. Conversely, those scoring low tend to avoid conflict, change the subject, or withdraw from conversations when disagreement arises. TFD is considered a key factor influencing conflict outcomes in interpersonal communication.

Validity

While the original source excerpt does not explicitly list multiple forms of validity (e.g., construct, convergent, discriminant), the conceptual framework established by Teven et al. (1998) suggests strong face and content validity, as the items directly address feelings toward and behavior during disagreement.

The scale’s theoretical relationship with related communication constructs, such as argumentativeness, implies ongoing investigation into its construct validity. Further research utilizing the TFD scale typically seeks to establish its predictive validity in organizational and relational contexts by correlating TFD scores with observable conflict management strategies and communication satisfaction.

Reliability

The TFD scale demonstrates strong internal consistency, which is a key indicator of its reliability. Original psychometrics analyses reported alpha reliability estimates consistently in the neighborhood of .85.

This high Cronbach’s Alpha score indicates that the 15 items within the scale measure a single, unified construct effectively, ensuring that the measurement is stable and consistent across different administrations within similar populations. Comprehensive details regarding test-retest reliability and other psychometric properties can be found in the primary reference listed in the reference section.

Factor Analysis

Although specific details of the factor analysis were not provided in the source excerpt, communication scales developed by this research team often utilize factor analysis to confirm the underlying structure of the construct. Given the strong reliability reported (Alpha = .85), the scale is likely treated as primarily uni-dimensional, measuring a single, overarching factor of tolerance for disagreement.

The 15 items appear to capture both positive engagement with disagreement (e.g., items 1, 2, 5) and negative avoidance of disagreement (e.g., items 3, 4, 6). The scoring procedure, which involves reversing negative items, confirms the scale’s intention to aggregate these items into a single, cohesive measure of overall tolerance.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological scale

Format: 15 items utilizing a 5-point Likert-type scale.

Language Available: English (Primary publication language).

Population Group: General population, frequently used in communication, organizational, and educational research.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically college-aged and older).

Population Details: Primarily developed and validated using samples of university students and organizational employees focusing on communication behaviors.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement (from 1=Strongly Disagree to 5=Strongly Agree) regarding statements about their preferences and behaviors during conversational disagreement.

Keywords

Communication conflict, conflict avoidance, interpersonal relations, McCroskey scales, self-report measures, organizational communication, TFD scoring.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Contact through primary institutional affiliations of authors: Teven, Richmond, McCroskey)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The TFD scale was first published in 1998. The scale is generally available for non-commercial academic research use through citation of the primary article. Specific commercial licensing or fee requirements must be confirmed by contacting the primary authors or the publisher, Communication Research Reports.

Reference’s

The core psychometric data and scale development are detailed in the following publications:

• Teven, J. J., Richmond, V. P., & McCroskey, J. C. (1998). Measuring tolerance for disagreement. Communication Research Reports, 15, 209-217.
• Richmond, V. P., & McCroskey, J. C. (2001). Organizational communication for survival: Making work, work (2nd Ed.) Chapter 14. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Items of the Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD)

The tolerance for disagreement scale is designed to measure the degree to which an individual can tolerate other people disagreeing with what the individual believes to be true.

Instructions: This questionnaire involves people’s feelings and orientations. Hence, there are no right or wrong answers. We just want you to indicate your reaction to each item. All responses are to reflect the degree to which you believe the item applies to you. Please use the following system to indicate the degree to which you agree that the item describes you:

• 5 = Strongly Agree
• 4 = Agree
• 3 = Undecided
• 2 = Disagree
• 1 = Strongly Disagree

1. It is more fun to be involved in a discussion where there is a lot of disagreement.
2. I enjoy talking to people with points of view different than mine.
3. I don’t like to be in situations where people are in disagreement.
4. I prefer being in groups where everyone’s beliefs are the same as mine.
5. Disagreements are generally helpful.
6. I prefer to change the topic of discussion when disagreement occurs.
7. I tend to create disagreements in conversations because it serves a useful purpose.
8. I enjoy arguing with other people about things on which we disagree.
9. I would prefer to work independently rather than to work with other people and have disagreements.
10. I would prefer joining a group where no disagreements occur.
11. I don’t like to disagree with other people.
12. Given a choice, I would leave a conversation rather than continue a disagreement.
13. I avoid talking with people who I think will disagree with me.
14. I enjoy disagreeing with others.
15. Disagreement stimulates a conversation and causes me to communicate more.

Scoring:

Step 1. Add the scores for the following items: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15.

Step 2. Add the scores for the following items: 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

Step 3. Complete the following formula: TFD = 48 + total of Step 1 – total of Step 2.

Scores above 46 indicate High TFD. Scores below 32 indicate Low TFD. Scores between 32 and 46 indicate moderate TFD.