Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD)

Abstract

The Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD) is a specialized 15-item self-report instrument developed by Teven, Richmond, and McCroskey in 1998. It is designed to measure an individual’s dispositional willingness to engage in and accept communication situations characterized by conflicting viewpoints or differences in opinion. This psychological construct is crucial for understanding how individuals manage interpersonal and organizational conflict, predicting behavior such as discussion avoidance or proactive engagement in debate. The scale utilizes a 5-point Likert scale format for scoring.

Keywords

Tolerance, disagreement, conflict management, communication theory, interpersonal communication, organizational behavior, psychometrics, self-report scale, McCroskey.

Authors

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

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD) is to quantify the extent to which an individual views disagreement as a stimulating or constructive element of conversation, rather than a threat or an obstacle to be avoided. The TFD helps researchers and practitioners identify individuals who are comfortable with intellectual friction and those who are likely to withdraw from confrontational or divergent discussions.

Understanding an individual’s tolerance for disagreement is vital in contexts such as organizational development, leadership training, and educational settings, where constructive conflict and the free exchange of ideas are necessary for innovation and problem-solving. Individuals scoring highly on the TFD are expected to be more effective participants in collaborative environments where viewpoints naturally clash.

Construct

The scale measures the specific construct of Tolerance for Disagreement, which refers to an individual’s cognitive and affective acceptance of opposition and conflict during interpersonal exchange. This construct is conceptually distinct from related communication traits like Argumentativeness (the tendency to advocate one’s own positions) or Verbal Aggressiveness (the tendency to attack the self-concept of others).

TFD assesses an underlying disposition that dictates communicative choices. A high score suggests a positive orientation toward differing perspectives, viewing them as valuable opportunities for learning and discussion stimulation. Conversely, a low score reflects an internal preference for homogeneity and avoidance of interactions perceived as potentially conflictual.

Validity

The original validation studies conducted by Teven, Richmond, and McCroskey established the construct validity of the TFD by demonstrating theoretically consistent relationships with other established communication measures. For instance, TFD scores are expected to correlate positively with Argumentativeness and negatively with measures of communication apprehension or conflict avoidance styles.

The instrument’s validity supports its use in predicting communication behaviors in various settings, confirming that the scale accurately measures the intended psychological orientation toward conflict rather than general personality traits or communication skill levels.

Reliability

The TFD scale has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, particularly in terms of reliability. Internal consistency is typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, which in initial and subsequent studies has generally met or exceeded the commonly accepted threshold of .70, indicating that the 15 items cohesively measure a single, underlying dimension of tolerance for disagreement.

This high level of internal reliability ensures that the scale provides a stable and consistent measurement of the construct across different administrations and populations where the scale has been tested, making it a dependable tool for communication researchers.

Factor Analysis

Initial development of the TFD utilized factor analysis techniques to examine the dimensional structure of the scale items. The results confirmed that the 15 items load strongly onto a single, unitary factor, supporting the unidimensional nature of the Tolerance for Disagreement construct as conceptualized by the authors. This finding confirms that all items contribute to measuring the same core trait.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory based on dispositional communication traits.

Format: 15 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

Language Available: Primarily English (Original development).

Population Group: General population, frequently applied to students, organizational members, and adults.

Age Group: Adolescent to Adult (typically 18 years and older).

Population Details: Suitable for research in interpersonal, group, and organizational communication contexts.

Test Methodology: The scale uses a summated scoring method involving both positively and negatively worded items that must be reversed before final calculation.

Keywords

Communication competence, conflict avoidance, organizational communication, psychometrics, relational conflict, scale development, communication research.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD) was published in 1998. The instrument is generally considered available for academic and non-commercial research use, particularly as it is often hosted on the website of one of the original authors, James C. McCroskey. The instrument can be found at: http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/tfd.htm. Specific fee requirements for commercial use should be directed to the authors or relevant copyright holders.

Reference’s

• 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.

• Knutson, Patricia Kearney; And Others. (1979). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Speech Communication Association (Los Angeles, California, February 18-21, 1979).

Items of the Tolerance for Disagreement Scale (TFD)

The TFD is scored using a 5-point scale (5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Undecided, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree).

Scoring Procedure:

1. Add the scores for the following items (Positive Items): 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 14, and 15.
2. Add the scores for the following items (Negative Items): 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
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.

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.