Can I use subscale totals as formative indicators of an LV?

[caliaubs]

Can I use subscale totals (from a particular measure) as formative indicators for an LV, assuming that the subscales are not necessarily correlated? Or is it better to separate the subscales as different LVs, each with reflective indicators of the items on that subscale?

For example, if a LV such as child abuse victimization is measured by 2 subscales (e.g., physical abuse and sexual abuse), can I use these 2 subscale totals as formative indicators of the LV "child abuse"?

Or is it better to separate out "child abuse" into separate LVs of "physical abuse" and "sexual abuse" and use the items on that subscale as reflective indicators?

[margaretferraz]

Hey,

Did you get any answer on this? I have the same doubt :/