Showing papers in "Psychological Assessment in 1993"

Review of the Satisfaction With Life Scale

Abstract: The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was developed to assess satis-faction with the respondent’s life as a whole. The scale does not assess satisfaction with life domains such as health or finances but allows subjects to integrate and weight these domains in whatever way they choose. Normative data are presented for the scale, which shows good convergent validity with other scales and with other types of assessments of subjective well-being. Life satisfaction as assessed by the SWLS shows a degree of temporal stability (e.g., 0.54 for 4 years), yet the SWLS has shown sufficient sensitivity to be potentially valuable to detect change in life satis-faction during the course of clinical intervention. Further, the scale shows discrim-inant validity from emotional well-being measures. The SWLS is recommended as a complement to scales that focus on psychopathology or emotional well-being because it assesses an individuals’ conscious evaluative judgment of his or her life by using the person’s own criteria.

The Parenting Scale: A measure of dysfunctional parenting in discipline situations.

Abstract: A rating scale was designed to measure dysfunctional discipline practices in parents of young children. Three stable factors of dysfunctional discipline style were identified: (a) Laxness, (b) Overreactivity, and (c) Verbosity. The Parenting Scale exhibited adequate internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Mothers of clinic children reported more dysfunctional parenting than did mothers of nonclinic children. Parenting Scale scores were related to maternal ratings of child behavior and marital discord. Most important, Parenting Scale scores correlated significantly with observational measures of dysfunctional discipline and child misbehavior.

Comprehensive effects of alcohol: Development and psychometric assessment of a new expectancy questionnaire.

Abstract: A comprehensive measure of alcohol outcome expectancies was developed through the use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The questionnaire assesses both positive and negative expected effects of alcohol as well as the subjective evaluation of those effects. The measure was found to demonstrate adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, and construct validity. Criterion validity was demonstrated through structural regression analyses of the independent and combined influences of outcome expectancies and subjective evaluation on three measures of alcohol use. Information on subjects' dose-related expectancies provided further validation of the expectancy construct and yielded information about the effects people associate with drinking different amounts of alcohol

Alcohol Outcome Expectancies: Scale Construction and Predictive Utility in Higher Order Confirmatory Models

Abstract: The goals of this research were to develop a scale to measure alcohol outcome expectancies that incorporated important features suggested by previous research; to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument, with particular attention to item discrimination; and to examine the relationship of positive and negative expectancy to self-reported alcohol use. In Study 1, a preliminary expectancy scale was constructed; factor analysis showed 2 general constructs representing positive and negative consequences of drinking. In Study 2, the scale was refined through tests of item discrimination and was used to predict alcohol use using structural equation modeling

Psychometric evaluation of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Scale

Abstract: The psychometric properties of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC) Scale were examined. Subjects (N = 374) completed the SOC scale and a battery of theoretically relevant questionnaires. Principal-components analysis with a Varimax-Promax rotation produced a solution with 5 factors, which were further reduced to 1 factor, suggesting that the SOC scale is a unidimensional instrument. Additional analyses indicated satisfactory internal consistency as well as test-retest reliability at 1 and 2 weeks. Evidence for the validity of the SOC scale was obtained in that nonclinical subjects obtained higher SOC scores than did clinical subjects. Additional validity evidence was provided by negative correlations between SOC scores and self-reports of (a) perceived stress, (b) trait anxiety, and (c) current depression; Discriminant evidence for the validity of the SOC scale was mixed

Representation of personality disorders in circumplex and five-factor space: explorations with a clinical sample

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between DSM-III-R personality disorders and the interpersonal circumplex and Big Five models of personality traits. One hundred and two consecutive referrals for group therapy for personality disorders were evaluated using the Personality Disorder Examination (PDE) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory II (MCMI-II) personality-disorder scales. Their placement in circumplex space was assessed using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales, whereas their standing on the Big Five traits was measured with the 50-Bipolar Self-Rating Scales (50-BSRS). We found that many disorders could be meaningfully located in circumplex space, whereas the use of the Big Five model led to even better placement for several disorders. Further examination of the residuals from the PDE, after the 50-BSRS scales were partialed out, indicated that the remaining common variance also be understood in terms of the Big Five model

Reliability of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale.

Abstract: This study examined the reliability of Spanier's (1976) Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Middle-aged men and women (N = 158) completed the DAS on 2 occasions separated by approximately 2 weeks. Separate alpha and stability coefficients were calculated for each of the 4 DAS subscales as well as the Total score. Coefficients alpha ranged from. 70 (for the 4-item Affectional Expression subscale) to.95 (for the 32-item Total score), Mdn =.87. Stability coefficients ranged from.75 (Affectional Expression) to.87 (Total), Mdn =.81. Partial correlations revealed that the stability of the DAS was not influenced by subjects'age, educational attainment, number of children, relationship duration, or the length of the test-retest interval. These results suggest the DAS and its 4 subscales are internally consistent and stable over the interval examined in this study

The Beck Anxiety Inventory: a psychometric analysis

Abstract: This study sought to provide information on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) with respect to psychometric properties, gender differences, and relation to depression. A sample of 291 psychiatric patients completed the BAI, and a subsample of 251 completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The results from factor analyses demonstrated that the BAI has 2 factors, corresponding to cognitive and somatic symptoms. Although men and women did not differ in terms of factor structures, they did differ on mean levels of cognitive and somatic symptom scores and on total BAI scores. Finally, the authors found that BAI items were distinguishable from BDI items, suggesting that the symptoms measured in the two scales are not entirely overlapping

Patient Adherence to Cancer Control Regimens: Scale Development and Initial Validation

Abstract: This article describes the development of a 38-item self-report Adherence Determinants Questionnaire (ADQ) to assess 7 elements of patients' adherence to medical treatment and prevention: (a) perceptions of interpersonal care, (b) beliefs about susceptibility to disease, (c) beliefs about severity of disease, (d) assessments of perceived utility of adhering (efficacy and benefits vs. costs of adhering), (e) perceptions of subjective social norms for adhering, (f) intentions to adhere, and (g) perceptions of supports available for and absence of barriers to adherence. Past adherence and health value were also assessed

Identification of Malingered Head Injury on the Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised.

Abstract: Thirty-nine head-injured outpatients were compared with 39 age-matched subjects who were instructed to malinger head trauma symptoms on the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Head-injured patients were selected who were not involved in litigation or pursuing a Worker's Compensation claim. Groups did not differ significantly on IQs or memory indexes. Discriminant function analyses based on the WMS-R subtests and indexes were able to accurately classify 91% and 83% of the cases, respectively. Decision rules were cross-validated on published data from several independent studies and statistically by means of the jackknife procedure. Head-injured patients appear to show a pattern of WMS-R scores that can be discriminated from the profile produced by individuals who attempt to malinger head trauma symptoms

Reporting Errors in Studies of the Diagnostic Performance of Self-Administered Questionnaires: Extent of the Problem, Recommendations for Standardized Presentation of Results, and Implications for the Peer Review Process.

Abstract: Diagnostic efficiency statistics include sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive power. In reviewing the literature on the performance of self-report questionnaires to screen for depression, we found errors in several published articles in which these statistics were computed. To determine the extent of this problem we examined all studies of the diagnostic performance of self-report scales published between 1980 and 1991 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. We found 26 relevant studies: 9 had an error in the calculation of diagnostic efficiency statistics and 3 made calculations based on unconventional definitions of the terms. Moreover, no study reported all 4 diagnostic statistics together with the total and chance-corrected level of agreement between the scale and the diagnostic gold standard

If it changes, it might be unstable: examining the factor structure of the ways of coping questionnaire

Abstract: The Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) is the most widely used measure of basic coping responses. In Study 1, 6 different theoretical models corresponding to the various dimensions of coping as assessed by the WCQ were tested for goodness of fit using confirmatory factor analysis. College students (N = 530) completed the WCQ before a midterm exam, and their responses were the basis of the analysis. None of the coping models were good representations of the data. Study 2 aimed to derive a replicable set of coping dimensions using a series of exploratory factor analyses with the data collected in Study 1. A 4-factor model was derived and subsequently tested for its goodness of fit with another sample of 392 college students who were also preparing for a midterm exam

The Pre-School Activities Inventory: A standardized assessment of gender role in children.

Abstract: The Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI) is a new psychometric scale for the assessment of gender role behavior in young children. Its design and test specification are reported, and the piloting and item analysis are described. Evidence of reliability is given, and several validation studies are reported, as are data on age standardization and norming. Some applications of the PSAI are considered. A number of studies have demonstrated that children show gender-stereotyped toy and activity choices from as early as 18 months of age and that this pattern is well established by 3 years old (Caldera, Huston, & O'Brien, 1989; Fagot, 1974,1978; Lytton & Romney, 1991; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974; O'Brien & Huston, 1985; Perry, White, & Perry, 1984). In spite of the variety of behaviors investigated and methods used, the findings are relatively consistent in showing that boys and girls respectively choose stereotyped masculine and feminine toys and activities. Although many measures of gender-role behavior have been developed for children ages 5 years and older (for a review, see Beere, 1979,1990), few are available for younger children, and those that do exist have a number of difficulties associated with them. A major problem is their focus on the child's reported preferences for pictured toys, games, or activities, rather than the child's actual involvement in gender-typed play. In addition, little or no information is given about the reliability or validity of these tests. They are also somewhat outdated, which may be important given the changes that have taken place in attitudes toward children's gender-typed play over the past two decades. It is now more acceptable for boys and girls to engage in a wide range of activities that are not traditionally associated with their gender. The particular toys, games, and activities that children like have also changed considerably over the years. A further drawback of existing tests is their failure to discriminate within the sexes (i.e., to differentiate between masculine and feminine

The structure of patient satisfaction with outpatient medical care

Abstract: Patient satisfaction data for 2,226 patients in the Medical Outcomes Study were used to determine the dimensions of satisfaction with medical care, the relation between direct and indirect methods of assessing global satisfaction with care, and the extent to which visit-specific and global satisfaction with one's medical care covary. Results supported the multidimensionality of satisfaction ratings but showed substantial covariation among some dimensions. Direct and indirect methods of assessing global satisfaction with care also covaried markedly. Global satisfaction was significantly, albeit modestly, correlated with visit-specific satisfaction

The Fear-of-Intimacy Scale: Replication and extension.

Abstract: This study investigated the validity of the Fear-of-Intimacy Scale (FIS) with a middle-aged sample, using many of the same measures that Descutner and Thelen (1991) used previously with college students, and explored the dimensions of adult attachment as potential correlates of fear of intimacy. Data were obtained from 171 Ss (83 men, 88 women; age range = 35-55) who had completed a battery of questionnaires containing the FIS and other measures of personality, behavior, and background data

Symptoms and traits of personality disorder: Two new methods for their assessment.

Abstract: This study examines the reliability and validity of 2 dimensional methods for the assessment of personality disorder symptoms and traits. In Study 1, three groups that varied in personality pathology level completed the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP; Clark, 1993), a self-report questionnaire that measures traits relevant to Axis II pathology. Differences among the groups, which were patterned in theoretically interesting ways, are discussed. In Study 2, two independent judges rated 22 clusters of Axis II symptoms in 56 state hospital inpatients based on chart information. Good interrater reliability was obtained (median coefficient =.71), and personality-related pathology was quite prevalent. Relations among symptom ratings, SNAP scores, and chart diagnoses were generally systematic, but anomalous findings also emerged

Reliability of the Revised Psychopathy Checklist in Substance Abuse Patients.

Abstract: The Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) and the slightly revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) represent an alternate conceptualization to the antisocial personality disorder formulation of antisociality. The PCL and PCL-R have been found to have high reliability and good predictive validity in prisoner populations. Thus far, almost all published work has been based on prisoners. This study examined the 1-month test-retest reliability of the PCL-R in 88 methadone-maintained male patients as well as the effects of increased information (interview, clinical chart review, partial and complete criminal records) on PCL-R scores and on two diagnostic derivations of the PCL-R. PCL-R scores and diagnostic proportions were not found to differ significantly between baseline and 1 month

National standardization of uniform multisituational measures of child and adolescent behavior pathology.

Abstract: This article presents the design, nationwide standardization, and validation of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA), a device that bases psychopathology on pervasiveness of problem behavior across multiple situations. A norm sample of 1,400 5-through 17-year-old Ss was stratified according to the U.S. Census by age, gender, academic level, ethnicity, handicapping condition, national region, community size, and parent education. An additional 1,418 Ss composed supplementary validity generalization samples, and all Ss were evaluated by teachers using ASCA. Exploratory and confirmatory components analyses revealed 8 distinct and reliable syndromes, 6 of which are core syndromes found to be generalizable across age, gender, and ethnicity: Attention-Deficit Hyperactive, Solitary Agressive (Provocative), Solitary Agressive (Impulsive), Oppositional Defiant, Diffident, and Avoidant

Psychometric comparability of the State−Trait Anxiety Inventory for different ethnic subpopulations

Abstract: This study, which was based on 285 Ss who were experiencing stressful and potentially anxiety-producing situations associated with pain, revealed comparable psychometric adequacy in descriptive statistics and estimates of internal consistency for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Form Y across different ethnic groups and gender, namely, White, Black, and Latino men and women. Examination of item-remainder correlations identifies certain particularly salient screening items for Black men and underscores the importance of individualized item analysis in the interpretation of obtained scale scores

Psychometric evaluation of the Reasons for Living Inventory

Abstract: This study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL; Linehan, Goodstein, Nielsen, & Chiles, 1983) in a sample of college students with a range of suicidal ideation and behaviors. An exploratory factor analysis of the 48-item RFL extracted 6 factors, similar to those described by Linehan et al. (1983). All coefficients alpha and item-subscale correlations were adequate. Additional nonclinical normative data are presented. Multivariate analysis of variance identified 3 significant discriminant functions for group separation. Correlational analyses provided information about the relationships between the RFL and other self-report measures of suicide risk and general psychopathology. Three RFL subscales were useful in predicting suicide risk and general psychopathology

Validity of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test

Abstract: The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) is a motor-free screening measure of intelligence that yields Verbal, Nonverbal, and Composite IQ estimates. To determine its concurrent validity, the K-BIT and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) were administered as part of a neuropsychological examination to 200 clinical patients ages 16-74 years. Correlations between the Verbal, Nonverbal, and Composite scales of the 2 measures were.83,.77, and.88, respectively. WAIS-R and K-BIT scores were also similar across age and educational levels, although mean K-BIT scores tended to be approximately 5 points higher than their WAIS-R counterparts. Differences between the 2 measures could not be attributed to psychomotor speed, expressive language, or manual dexterity

Borderline Personality Disorder and Personality Traits: A Comparison of SCID-II BPD and NEO-PI.

Abstract: Hospitalized female patients with a clinical diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) were assessed for Axis II disorders by the SCID-II and for personality traits with the NEO-Personality Inventory (NEO-PI). The predominant personality trait profile for these patients involved a very high Neuroticism score and low Agreeableness score. Five of the 8 BPD criteria had significant correlations with NEO-PI scales. The combination of BPD severity and personality traits as measured on the NEO-PI had a significant relationship to the patients'social adjustment. The utility of gathering information on both borderline personality pathology and personality traits is discussed

The relations between observer-rating and self-report of depressive symptomatology.

Abstract: Sources of discrepancy between the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were investigated in 114 depressed inpatients treated with electroconvulsive therapy. Three previously reported observations were found to occur within the same sample: (a) There was only a moderate baseline correlation between the measures; (b) this correlation improved markedly at later assessment; (c) the HRSD had a greater effect size for change. The modest baseline correlation was largely due to patients who rated themselves as substantially less depressed than clinicians had rated them. Improvement in the correlation with repeated assessment was due to the representation of clinical responders

Goal systems: An organizing framework for clinical assessment and treatment planning.

Abstract: It is proposed that psychodiagnostic data gathering could be made more relevant to the ongoing process of intervention through the use of a goal systems conceptual framework and a goal-centered assessment program. An overview of the emergent conceptual model and a flexible approach to measurement preceded a clinical case illustration and a brief discussion of how the goal systems perspective can help the assessor (a) gather key information concerning client motivation and (b) integrate diverse and even conflicting data deriving from multimodal input sources

Development and validation of a computer-administered version of the Hamilton Rating Scale.

Abstract: The authors developed a computer-administered form of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS; Hamilton, 1959), designed to provide a high degree of correspondence with the clinician interview version of the HAS. Both computer and clinician forms of the HAS were administered to psychiatric outpatients (n = 214) and community-based adults (n = 78). The computer-administered HAS demonstrated high internal consistency (r α =.92) and test-retest reliability (r tt =.96). A correlation of r(290) =.92, p <.001, was found between the computer and the clinician versions. The mean score difference between versions was small but significant, F(1, 290) = 21.36, p <.0011. In subjects with anxiety disorders the mean score difference between computer and clinician versions was not significant

MMPI-2 profiles of motivated fakers given specific symptom information: A comparison to matched patients.

Abstract: Two groups of normal adults were given specific symptom information on posttraumatic stress disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, respectively, and instructed to simulate these disorders on the MMPI-2. Monetary prizes were offered for successful faking. To determine whether symptom information helped Ss produce responses that closely resembled patients' profiles, scores from fakers were compared with scores from patients with these disorders, using a 2 × 2 (Disorder × Response Style) analysis of variance. Results showed significant differences for response style, with fakers in both groups producing lower scores on K and higher scores on F, Fb, F-K, Ds, as well as on all 10 clinical scales, than patients

Assessing dysfunctional cognition in marriage: A reconsideration of the Relationship Belief Inventory.

Abstract: Although the Relationship Belief Inventory (RBI) is used widely in marital research, its psychometric properties have not been examined separately for men and women, it has not been validated in relation to observational measures, and the reliability of some of its scales has been questioned. To address these issues, 43 couples completed the RBI and a measure of marital satisfaction and were observed while discussing a marital difficulty

Organizational quality on the Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor Complex Figure Tests: A new scoring system.

Abstract: A new system for measuring organizational quality on the Complex Figure Test (Rey, 1942; Taylor, 1969) is described. This system extends the traditional use of the test as a measure of constructional ability and figural memory. The new system is easy to learn, quick to score, and shows very good interrater reliability. Organizational quality was found to correlate moderately with copy accuracy, half-hour recall, and percentage retained. In an initial application of the system (N = 63), organizational quality of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure successfully discriminated between symptomatic (those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS] or AIDS-related complex [ARC]) and asymptomatic subjects positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but organizational quality ratings of the Taylor figure did not

Assessment considerations in the identification of failing psychotherapy: Bringing the negatives out of the darkroom.

Abstract: Although failures in psychotherapy are widely acknowledged, minimal attention has been given to their assessment. However, early detection of failing psychotherapy is essential if harmful and cost-ineffective outcomes are to be avoided. Prior approaches to the study of psychotherapy failure are considered and a conceptual framework for detecting failing treatment is presented. The identification of failing psychotherapy requires the use of assessment practices that are theory-based, ongoing, have treatment utility, and are sensitive to intermediate outcomes and individual change. It is recommended that specific strategies for the detection of failing treatment, and an integration of assessment and treatment practices more generally, can be advanced through the development of an assessment infrastructure that is sensitive to both clinical and research needs