Attentional Resource Allocation Scale (ARAS)

Abstract

The Attentional Resource Allocation Scale (ARAS) is a 15-item, self-report psychometric instrument developed by Carleton, Abrams, and Asmundson (2010). It is specifically designed to measure attention-modifying trait constructs, primarily the interwoven concepts of absorption and dissociation. The ARAS integrates items adapted from two highly regarded existing measures: the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; Bernstein & Putnam, 1986) and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS; Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974). Respondents rate items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (always), yielding a total score that reflects an individual’s propensity for these attentional states.

Keywords

Attentional Resource Allocation Scale, ARAS, dissociation, absorption, psychometrics, imaginative involvement, attentional dissociation, dissociative amnesia, trait constructs.

Authors

Carleton, R. N., Abrams, M. P., Asmundson, G. J. G.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Attentional Resource Allocation Scale (ARAS) is to provide a concise and reliable measure of individual differences in the capacity to modulate attentional resources. Specifically, it aims to capture trait-level tendencies toward both psychological absorption and non-pathological forms of dissociation using a single, integrated instrument.

By combining items from the DES and the TAS, the ARAS facilitates the simultaneous study of these constructs, which are believed to share a common underlying mechanism related to focused attention and the temporary alteration of consciousness.

Construct

The ARAS measures the broad construct of attention-modifying traits, which encompasses both the capacity for deep immersive focus (absorption) and experiences related to the disruption of normal integration of consciousness (dissociation). The scale’s development was based on the premise that absorption and dissociation are interrelated attentional phenomena, reflecting different outcomes of how individuals allocate or fail to allocate cognitive resources.

The scale items are categorized into three underlying factors: Imaginative Involvement (related to absorption and imaginative states), Dissociative Amnesia (related to gaps in memory or awareness), and Attentional Dissociation (related to detachment or reduced awareness of surroundings). The total score is frequently utilized to represent the overall degree of attentional modulation capacity.

Validity

While specific detailed validity coefficients (e.g., concurrent or discriminant validity) are typically reported in the primary academic literature, the validity of the ARAS is strongly supported by its derivation from two highly validated and established measures in psychology: the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS). This foundational linkage suggests strong content validity, as the items selected represent core components of both absorption and dissociation as defined by decades of research.

The scale’s factor structure, which consistently suggests three distinct subscales, further contributes to its construct validity, demonstrating that it measures theoretically expected dimensions of attentional resource allocation. The use of the ARAS in subsequent research across various clinical and non-clinical populations has provided ongoing evidence supporting its utility as a valid composite measure of these trait constructs.

Reliability

The ARAS has demonstrated high levels of internal consistency across different samples, indicating strong reliability. Internal consistency is a key psychometric property that ensures the items within the scale measure the same underlying construct.

Specific reliability data reported by Carleton et al. (2010) show acceptable to excellent internal consistency, measured using Cronbach’s alpha (α). In undergraduate student samples, the reliability was found to be high (α = .85). Furthermore, in broader community samples, the ARAS displayed even stronger internal consistency (α = .91), confirming its robustness across diverse populations.

Factor Analysis

Initial analyses of the Attentional Resource Allocation Scale (ARAS) consistently suggested a three-factor structure, which provides a comprehensive breakdown of the attentional processes being measured. These factors move beyond a simple dichotomy of absorption versus dissociation to capture specific facets of attentional modulation.

The three empirically supported factors are:

• Imaginative Involvement: This factor (items 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12) primarily relates to the capacity for deep immersion in imaginative experiences, music, or art, aligning closely with the construct of absorption.
• Dissociative Amnesia: This factor (items 2, 5, 7, 11, 13) captures experiences of memory gaps, derealization, or depersonalization, reflecting classic dissociative symptoms, particularly those related to memory disruption.
• Attentional Dissociation: This factor (items 4, 6, 14, 15) focuses on lapses in attention, such as driving without remembering parts of the trip, or becoming deeply absorbed in media to the exclusion of external reality.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychometric Scale

Format: 15 items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0=never to 4=always).

Language Available: English (Primary publication language)

Population Group: General Population, Undergraduate Students, Community Samples, and potentially Clinical Populations studying attentional pathology.

Age Group: Adults (Typically 18+)

Population Details: Validation studies cited utilized both undergraduate and community samples, suggesting broad applicability across non-clinical adult populations.

Test Methodology: Summation of scores across all 15 items provides a total ARAS score. Subscale scores (Imaginative Involvement, Dissociative Amnesia, Attentional Dissociation) can also be calculated based on the factor groupings.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, attention, self-report scale, psychometric properties, clinical psychology, cognitive traits, DES, TAS.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and published in 2010. Specific information regarding current licensing fees or required permissions for clinical or research use should be sought directly from the primary authors (Carleton, Abrams, & Asmundson) or the publisher of the journal Depression and Anxiety.

Reference’s

Bernstein, E.M., & Putnam, F.W. (1986). Development, reliability, and validity of a dissociation scale. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174(12), 727-735.

Carleton, R. N., Abrams, M. P., & Asmundson, G. J. G. (2010). The attentional resource allocation scale (ARAS): Psychometric properties of a composite measure for dissociation and absorption. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 775-786. doi: 10.1002/da.20656

Tellegen, A. & Atkinson, G. (1974). Openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences (“absorption”), a trait related to hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 83(3), 268-277.

Items of the Attentional Resource Allocation Scale (ARAS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Imaginative Involvement Subscale: items 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12
• Dissociative Amnesia Subscale: items 2, 5, 7, 11, 13
• Attentional Dissociation Subscale: items 4, 6, 14, 15

1. When I listen to music, I can get so caught up in it that I don’t notice anything else (TAS 12)
2. I find evidence that I have done things that I do not remember doing (DES 25)
3. When listening to organ music or other powerful music
4. I sometimes feel as if I am being lifted into the air (TAS 24) I sometimes sit staring off into space, thinking of nothing, and am not aware of the passage of time (DES 20)
5. Listening to someone talk and suddenly realizing that I did not hear all or part of what was said (DES 2)
6. I find that when I am watching television or a movie I become so absorbed in the story that I am unaware of
7. other events happening around me (DES 17) The experience of being in a familiar place but finding it strange and unfamiliar (DES 16)
8. The experience of finding myself in a place and having no idea how I got there (DES 3)
9. The sound of a voice can be so fascinating to me that I can just go on listening to it (TAS 30)
10. It is sometimes possible for me to be completely immersed in nature or in art and to feel as if my whole state of consciousness has somehow been temporarily altered (TAS 16)
11. The experience of feeling that other people, objects, and the world around me are not real (DES 12)
12. If I wish, I can imagine (or daydream) some things so vividly that they hold my attention as a good movie or story does (TAS 7)
13. The experience of feeling as though I am standing next to myself or watching myself do something as if I were looking at another person (DES 7)
14. The experience of driving a car and suddenly realizing that I don’t remember what has happened during all or part of the trip (DES 1)
15. I am able to wander off into my thoughts while doing a routine task and actually forget that I am doing the task, and then find a few minutes later that I have completed it (TAS 18)