Showing papers in "Psychological Assessment in 1998"

Psychometric properties of the 42-item and 21-item versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in clinical groups and a community sample.

Abstract: The factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; S. H. Lovibond & P. F. Lovibond, 1995) and the 21-item short form of these measures (DASS-21) were examined in nonclinical volunteers (n = 49) and patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnoses of panic disorder (n = 67), obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 54), social phobia (n = 74), specific phobia (n = 17), and major depressive disorder (n = 46). This study replicates previous findings indicating that the DASS distinguishes well between features of depression, physical arousal, and psychological tension and agitation and extends these observations to the DASS-21. In addition, the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the DASS and DASS-21 were in the acceptable to excellent ranges. Mean scores for the various groups were similar to those in previous research, and in the expected direction. The implications of these findings are discussed.

A psychometric evaluation of the Beck Depression inventory-II

Abstract: This article provides psychometric information on the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II; A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996), with respect to internal consistency, factorial validity, and gender differences. Both measures demonstrated high internal reliability in the full student sample. Significant differences between the mean BDI and BDI-II scores necessitated the development of new cutoffs for analogue research on the BDI-II. Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a 2-factor solution optimally summarized the data for both versions of the inventory and accounted for a cumulative 41% and 46% of the common variance in BDI and BDI-II responses, respectively. These factor solutions were reliably cross-validated, although the importance of each factor varied by gender. The authors conclude that the BDI-II is a stronger instrument than the BDI in terms of its factor structure.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale: Evidence for the Dimensionality of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Abstract: The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; Blake et al., 1990) is a structured interview that assesses the 17 key symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). CAPS data from 524 treatment-seeking male military veterans were submitted to confirmatory factor analysis to test a series of nested models reflecting alternative representations of PTSD dimensionality : (a) a 4-factor, 1st-order solution; (b) a 2-factor, higher order solution; (c) a single-factor, higher order solution; and (d) a single-factor, 1st-order solution. The model of best fit was the 4-factor, 1st-order solution, containing moderately to highly correlated yet distinct 1st-order factors corresponding to the reexperiencing, effortful avoidance, emotional numbing, and hyperarousal aspects of PTSD. Implications for theory, assessment, and future research are presented in this article.

The Validation of a New Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Scale: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory

Abstract: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI) is a new self-report instrument developed to address the problems inherent in available instruments for determining the diagnosis and severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The OCI consists of 42 items composing 7 subscales: Washing, Checking, Doubting, Ordering, Obsessing (i.e., having obsessional thoughts), Hoarding, and Mental Neutralizing. Each item is rated on a 5-point (0-4) Likert scale of symptom frequency and associated distress. One hundred and forty-seven individuals diagnosed with OCD; 58 with generalized social phobia; 44 with posttraumatic stress disorder; and 194 nonpatients completed the OCI and other measures of OCD, anxiety, and depression. The present article describes the psychometrics of the OCI including (a) scale construction and content validity, (b) reliability (internal consistency and retest reliability), and (c) convergent and discriminant validity. The OCI exhibited satisfactory reliability and validity with all 4 samples.

Psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test in psychiatric outpatients.

Abstract: Individuals with severe mental illness frequently have substance abuse and dependence problems, placing them at increased risk for poor treatment outcome. However, the reliability and validity of self-report measures assessing substance abuse and dependence remains understudied in this population. This investigation evaluates 2 versions of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST; H. Skinner, 1982) as screening tools for an outpatient psychiatric sample. Participants were 73 men and 24 women Who had been receiving treatment at a public psychiatric facility. All participants completed the DAST along with other measures of substance use and psychiatric status. The DAST demonstrated adequate internal consistency and temporal stability in this sample. Factor analysis supports a multidimensional scale. We evaluated criterion-related, concurrent and discriminant evidence for validity, and we have concluded that both tested versions of the DAST have sound psychometric properties when used with psychiatric outpatients.

An application of expectancy theory to eating disorders: Development and validation of measures of eating and dieting expectancies.

Abstract: Instruments for measuring learned expectations for reinforcement from eating and from dieting and thinness were constructed and validated. Five eating reinforcement expectancies and 1 dieting-thinness reinforcement expectancy were identified and their factor structure replicated on an independent sample. The expectancy that dieting and thinness lead to overgeneralized self-improvement characterized bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa patients and correlated with dieting behavior in a general sample. Expectancies for negative reinforcement from eating (e.g., eating helps manage negative affect) characterized bulimic but not anorexic individuals and were correlated with indexes of restraint plus disinhibition in a general sample. Positive reinforcement expectancies (e.g., eating is pleasurable and rewarding) were unrelated to disinhibited eating, but anorexic patients expected significantly less positive reinforcement from eating than did bulimic patients or controls.

Long-Term Stability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition

Abstract: Long-term stability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) was investigated with a sample of 344 students from 2 school districts twice evaluated for special education eligibility at an average interval of 2.84 years. Test-retest reliability coefficients for the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), Working Memory Index (WMI), Processing Speed Index (PSI), and the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) were .72, .76, .66, .65, and .82, respectively. As predicted, the test-retest reliability coefficients for the subtests (Mdn = .56) were generally lower than the index scores (Mdn = .69) and the FSIQ (.82). On average, subtest scores did not differ by more than 1 point, and index scores did not differ by more than 2 points across the test-retest interval. However, 25% of the students earned FSIQ scores that differed by 10 or more points, and 29%, 39%, 37%, and 44% of the students earned VCI, PRI, WMI, and PSI scores, respectively, that varied by 10 or more points. Given this variability, it cannot be assumed that WISC-IV scores will be consistent across long test-retest intervals for individual students.

Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire—Revised: Psychometric examination.

Abstract: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire—Revised (CASQ-R; N. J. Kaslow & S. Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), a 24-item shortened measure derived from the 48-item CASQ designed to assess children's causal explanations for positive and negative events. The data for this study come from 1,086 children, 9 to 12 yean* old, with equal representation of boys and girls and African American and Caucasian children. Approximately one half (n = 475) of the youths also completed the CASQ-R 6 months later. Results revealed that although the CASQ-R was somewhat less reliable than the original CASQ, with moderate internal consistency reliability and fair test-retesl reliability, it demonstrated equivalent criterion-related validity with self-reported depressive symptoms. Psychometric properties of the CASQ-R showed some variation by race, such that the overall composite demonstrated better internal consistency and criterion-related validity among Caucasian youths than among African American youths.

Five Validation Experiments of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM)

Abstract: The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM; T. N. Tombaugh, 1996) is a newly developed visual recognition test that uses pictures of common objects as stimuli. Prior normative research with community-dwelling adults and neurologically impaired patients has shown that the TOMM possesses a high degree of specificity and is not affected by demographic variables such as age and education. The current series of 5 integrated experiments was designed to provide important validation data. Converging evidence from all studies showed that scores on the TOMM are able to detect when an individual is not putting forth maximum effort. Overall, the TOMM's high levels of sensitivity and specificity suggest that it has high promise as a clinical test for detecting malingering of memory impairments.

Criterion-Related Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory in a Prison Sample

Abstract: The Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; S. O. Lilienfeld & B. P. Andrews, 1996), a self-report measure of psychopathic personality features, and R. D. Hare's (1991) Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were administered to adult youthful offender prison inmates (N = 50). As hypothesized, PPI scores were significantly correlated with scores on the PCL-R, providing evidence of concurrent validity for the PPI. Moreover, unlike existing self-report psychopathy measures, the PPI showed a moderate and positive correlation with PCL-R Factor 1 (i.e., the core personality traits of psychopathy). Discriminant function analysis using the optimal PPI total score value to predict PCL-R classifications of psychopath (n = 10) and nonpsychopath (n = 40) resulted in accurate classification of 86% of the cases (sensitivity =.50, specificity =.95). Results are discussed in terms of the relative merits of these 2 measures of psychopathy and the validation of the PPI for clinical use.

Factor analysis of the Children's Depression Inventory in a community sample

Abstract: The factor structure of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; M. Kovacs, 1992) was evaluated in a large community sample of 1,777 children and 924 adolescents. There were 5 first-order factors (Externalizing, Dysphoria, Self-Deprecation, School Problems, and Social Problems) for the child group; the adolescent group yielded the same 5 factors plus a 6th factor (Biological Dysregulation). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the stability and replicability of the obtained factor structures. Both samples yielded 2 higher order factors-Internalizing and Externalizing. The factors were compared with previous CDI factors identified for clinical (B. Weiss et al., 1991) and community (M. Kovacs, 1992) samples. Other notable findings included more boys reporting high scores (17 and above) on the CDI among the child sample, whereas, among adolescents more girls reported high scores (17 and above) on the total CDI as well as higher scores on the biological dysregulation factor.

Assessing acute stress disorder: Psychometric properties of a structured clinical interview.

Abstract: This study presents the development ofa structured clinical interview to diagnose acute stress disorder (ASD). The Acute Stress Disorder Interview (ASDI) is a 19-item, dichotomously scored interview schedule that is based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). It was validated against clinician-based diagnoses of ASD on 65 trauma survivors assessed between 1 and 3 weeks posttrauma. It possessed good internal consistency (r = .90), sensitivity (91%), and specificity (93%). Test-retest reliability was evaluated on 60 trauma survivors between 1 and 3 weeks posttrauma, with a readministration interval of 2 to 7 days. Test-retest reliability of ASDI severity scores was strong (r = .88), and diagnostic agreement for presence (88%) and absence (94%) of ASD diagnosis was high. The ASDI appears to be a useful tool to identify those individuals who suffer ASD and are at risk of long-term posttraumatic stress disorder.

Toward a Comprehensive Assessment of Fundamental Motivation: Factor Structure of the Reiss Profiles.

Abstract: Two instruments were developed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the strength of a person's fundamental end goals and motivational sensitivities. One instrument was a self-report inventory for adolescents and adults in general, and the other was an informant-rating scale for adolescents and adults with mental retardation and development disabilities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and test-retest reliabilities are reported in 7 studies, with independent samples of participants from diverse geographical areas, occupations, and social groups, N = 2,548. Each instrument was found to have a 15-factor solution, and the 2 solutions were similar to one another. Because the factors assess universal motives that are also seen in animals, a genetics-behavior-cognitive model of fundamental motivation is suggested.

Coping with Health Problems: Developing a Reliable and Valid Multidimensional Measure.

Abstract: Current conceptions relating psychological variables to health recognize the key role of coping processes as mediating variables between stress and illness, yet few reliable and valid instruments exist for the assessment of coping with physical health problems. A self-report instrument, the Coping With Health Injuries and Problems Scale (CHIP) was developed identifying 4 basic coping dimensions for responding to health problems: distraction, palliative, instrumental, and emotional preoccupation coping. The CHIP's factor structure, established with a large derivation sample of adults, is cross-validated in a heterogenous group of general medical patients and a homogeneous group of patients being treated for lower back pain. Preliminary construct validity data are presented by comparing the coping behaviors of patients with chronic and acute illnesses and by comparing CHIP scores with basic coping styles.

The Body Investment Scale: Construction and validation of a body experience scale.

Abstract: A new measure of emotional investment in the body is presented The Body Investment Scale (BIS) pertains especially to self-destructive behavior and can be used to study a variety of normal and pathological behaviors Studies 1 and 2 describe the construction of the BIS, factor analysis, and a group comparison (suicidal and nonsuicidal inpatients and normal adolescents) Study 3 tested the relationship between the BIS, physical anhedonia, depression, and suicidal tendencies Study 4 examined the relationship between the BIS, perceived early care, self-esteem, and suicidal tendencies The BIS consists of four internally reliable factors (body image feelings and attitudes, comfort in touch, body care, and body protection) The construct validity hypotheses were confirmed The relevance of the BIS to self-destructive behavior and related processes is discussed

Development and Validation of the Satisfaction with Appearance Scale: Assessing Body Image among Burn-Injured Patients.

Abstract: The Satisfaction With Appearance Scale (SWAP) is a 14-item questionnaire, assessing both the subjective appraisal and social-behavioral components of body image among burn survivors. Burn survivors requiring hospitalization (n = 165) completed a packet of psychometric instruments, including the SWAP at 1-week postdischarge. The SWAP demonstrated a high level of intemal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, r a = .87; the mean interitem correlation, r ii = .32, the mean item-total correlation, r ii = .53). Eighty-four participants were retested approximately 2 months after the initial assessment to evaluate test-retest reliability (r ii , = .59). A principal-components analysis with a varimax rotation yielded 4 easily interpretable factors accounting for 66% of the total variance. The correlations of the SWAP total score with other selected psychometric measures provided evidence for both convergent and discriminant validity. This initial evaluation of the SWAP suggests that it is both a reliable and valid measure of body image for a burn-injured population.

Psychometric Properties of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication

Abstract: University of VirginiaThis article describes the development of a new clinical instrument for use in assessments of adultcriminal defendants' competence to proceed to adjudication, the MacArthur Competence AssessmentTool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA). The MacCAT-CA was derived from a more comprehen-sive research instrument (MacArthur Structured Assessment of Competencies of Criminal Defendants;Hoge, Bonnie, Poythress, Monahan, & Eisenberg, 1997) on the basis of considerations efface validityfor use in legal contexts, psychometric analyses, and advice from mental health experts who reviewedan earlier prototype. This article presents the results from an National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored validation study that investigated the psychometric properties of the MacCAT-CA.At least 25,000 criminal defendants are referred annually forevaluation of their competence to participate in legal proceed-ings (Steadman & Hartstone, 1983). Although a number ofmeasures have been specifically designed to assess defendants'capacities in this area (e.g., Competence Screening Test [CST],Lipsitt, Lelos, & McGarry, 1971; Georgia Court CompetencyTest [GCCT], Wildman et al., 1980; CADCOMP, Barnard etal., 1991; Competency Assessment Instrument [CAI], Labora-tory of Community Psychiatry, 1974; Interdisciplinary FitnessInterview [IFI], Golding, Roesch, & Schreiber, 1984; Fitnessto Stand Trial Interview, Menzies, Webster, Roesch, Jensen, R RobertA. Nicholson, Department of Psychology, University of Tulsa; JohnMonahan and Richard J. Bonnie, School of Law, University of Virginia;Steven K. Hoge, School of Law and School of Medicine, University ofVirginia; Marlene Eisenberg, Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and PublicPolicy, University of Virginia.John F. Edens is now at the Department of Psychology, Sam HoustonState University.This research was supported by the MacArthur Foundation ResearchNetwork on Mental Health and the Law, and by Grant RO1MH54517-O1A1 from the National Institute of Mental Health. We are grateful toTom Feucht-Haviar for his assistance on a pilot test of this measure.Norman G. Poythress, John Monahan, Richard J. Bonnie, and StevenK. Hoge are authors of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA) published by Psychological As-sessment Resources. Randy K. Otto, Norman G. Poythress, Robert A.Nicholson, John F. Edens, John Monahan, Richard J. Bonnie, and StevenK. Hoge are authors of the MacCAT-CA manual, also published byPsychological Assessment Resources.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to RandyK. Otto, Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Florida MentalHealth Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. DownsBoulevard, Tampa, Florida 33612-3899. Electronic mail may be sent toorto@hal.fmhi.usf.edu.Eaves, 1984), each exhibits various limitations (Grisso, 1991;Melton, Petrila, Poythress, & Slobogin, 1997; Nicholson, 1992).Briefly, some measures were designed to serve primarily asscreening instruments (e.g., CST and GCCT) and appear mainlyto be collections of items having various legal content but littleor no underlying conceptual structure. Others (e.g., CAI and IFI)lack standardized administration and criterion-based scoring,relying instead on the judgment of the clinician to determine,on a case-by-case basis, which questions to pose to the defendantand how to rate the responses received. None is designed toprovide quantitative indexes of discrete competence-related abil-ities, nor have interpretative norms based on large, nationalsamples been developed for any of these measures.Given the pivotal role of a defendant's competence, one of themajor research initiatives of the MacArthur Foundation ResearchNetwork on Mental Health and the Law was the developmentof a standardized research instrument for evaluating criminaldefendants' psycholegal abilities related to competence to pro-ceed to adjudication. The MacArthur Structured Assessmentof Competencies of Criminal Defendants (MacSAC-CD; Hoge,Bonnie, Poythress, Monahan, & Eisenberg, 1997) was based onBonnie's (1992, 1993) comprehensive theory of legal compe-tence, and it contains measures of discrete competence-relatedabilities. Items in the MacSAC-CD were modeled after thosecreated by Grisso, Appelbaum, Mulvey, and Fletcher (1995) forthe assessment of competence to consent to treatment (see, moregenerally, Grisso & Appelbaum, 1998). Each measure in theMacSAC-CD involves standardize d administration an crite-rion-based scoring, thus reducing much of the discretionary(and potentially idiosyncratic) scoring that plagues existingmeasures.Hoge et al. (1997) recently described the MacSAC-CDand presented the primary findings from a field study that in-volved both incompetent and competent defendants as researchparticipants. The results of this field study indicated that the

Evaluating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Using Multiple Informants: The Incremental Utility of Combining Teacher with Parent Reports.

Abstract: In a sample of students referred to a school-based Pupil Assistance Committee, the Inattention and Hyperactivity-impulsivity factors of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale-IV were used to predict diagnostic status, determined by a parent-reported diagnostic interview and teacher rating scale. Results of logistic regression and receiver operating curve analyses indicated that the Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity factors differentiated students with ADHD from controls and distinguished children with different ADHD subtypes. Symptom utility estimates demonstrated that a single informant approach was best suited for ruling out ADHD, whereas a combined informant method was optimal for positively diagnosing this disorder. Methods for determining the incremental utility of combining teacher with parent reports were demonstrated.

Progress in the technology of measurement: Applications of item response models.

Abstract: Despite advances in psychometric theory and analytic techniques, a number of issues regarding the assessment of depression remain unresolved, including the relative effectiveness of response options (option effectiveness), the ability of existing measures to detect differences in depressive severity (scale discriminability), and the extent to which certain groups of individuals use items and options differently (differential item functioning). One part of the article introduces the fundamentals of nonparametric item response models; the 2nd part of the article illustrates how item response models can be applied to address specific psychometric issues. Although the article focuses on the assessment of depression, the problems addressed in this article are present in virtually every field of psychological research, and the techniques offered may be applied broadly. Analytic techniques based on item response models are not only helpful in identifying and ultimately resolving many of these issues, they are essential to ensure that traits, abilities, and conditions, such as depression, are assessed fairly and equitably.

The Interview for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders--IV: Application to DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria.

Abstract: The authors describe the psychometric development of the fourth revision of the Interview for Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (IDED-IV). The IDED-IV was tested for the purpose of differential diagnosis of eating disorders, that is, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Evidence for internal consistency was found for symptom ratings relevant to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Support was found for the content validity as well as the concurrent and discriminant validity of the IDED-IV. Finally, tests of the interrater agreement for differential diagnosis of eating disorders found the IDED-IV to yield very reliable data. The authors conclude that the IDED-IV yields sufficiently reliable and valid data to be used for determining diagnoses in research studies and clinics specializing in the treatment of eating disorders.

Development and Initial Validation of a New Procedure for Evaluating Adequacy of Effort Given During Neuropsychological Testing: The Letter Memory Test

Abstract: The authors report on results from a new procedure for evaluating adequacy of effort given during neuropsychological testing. The letter memory test (LMT) is a computer-administered, 45-item, forced-choice recognition task that uses consonant letters as stimuli and manipulates face difficulty level along 2 dimensions: number of letters to be remembered and number of choices amongst which the target stimulus must be identified. In 3 studies that included either analogue or known groups designs, the LMT discriminated poorly motivated from well-motivated groups at a moderately high level of accuracy, which was comparable to that of the Digit Memory Test and superior to that of the 21-Item Test. The internal consistency reliability of the LMT was also high.

A structured interview for the assessment of the Five-Factor Model of Personality.

Abstract: The authors report on the psychometric properties of a new semistructured interview, the Structured Interview for the Five-Factor Model of Personality (SIFFM; T. J. Trull & T. A. Widiger, 1997). The SIFFM assesses major dimensions of the five-factor model (FFM) as well as trait facets for each dimension. Analyses of data obtained from both nonclinical and clinical participants support the reliability and validity of SIFFM scores. Specifically, SIFFM scores were reliable across raters, were internally consistent and relatively stable over time, and were correlated with scores from related measures (e.g., personality, personality disorders). The authors discuss the need for and attractiveness of an interview-based measure of the FFM in assessing normal and dysfunctional personality traits.

Multinomial processing tree models and psychological assessment.

Abstract: Psychological assessment often focuses on individual participants in testing situations. Psychometric models for assessment include parameters for individual and item differences, but they rarely model the cognitive processes involved in responding to test items. Information-processing models of cognition focus on psychological mechanisms; however, they are rarely used in assessment situations. This article discusses a class of information-processing models for categorical data called multinomial processing tree (MPT) models. While MPT models have been developed mostly for experimental situations, there is a largely untapped potential for using them for assessment. Thus, the goal of this article is to discuss how MPT models can be developed into cognitively based psychometric tools.

Symptom severity in bilingual Hispanics as a function of clinician ethnicity and language of interview

Abstract: Research on bilingual patients is equivocal about how language influences clinical judgment in psychiatric interviews. In this study, 148 Hispanics with schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders were interviewed in English, Spanish, or both. Hispanic clinicians rated symptoms more severe than did Anglo clinicians, and severity was rated highest in bilingual interviews, followed by Spanish, and lowest in English. Results have implications for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) cultural considerations.

Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the Child Behavior Checklist/4–18.

Abstract: Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the 2-factor 2nd-order structure of T. M. Achenbach's (1991) Child Behavior Checklist in a sample of 577 children who had been identified as having serious emotional disturbance. An alternative 1-factor 2nd-order model also was tested. Results supported T. M. Achenbach's model in which the broadband Internalizing factor was represented by the narrowband Withdrawn, Somatic, and Anxious/Depressed syndromes, and the broadband Externalizing factor was represented by the narrowband Delinquent and Aggressive syndromes. Consistent with T.M. Achenbach's model, the remaining narrowband syndromes (i.e., Social, Thought, Attention) loaded equally on both broadband factors and should not be included in scoring either Internalizing or Externalizing. Fit of the 1-factor model also was good and only slightly poorer than the 2-factor model. Therefore, an overall score would be appropriate as a measure of global problem behavior.

The measure of stage of readiness to change: Some psychometric considerations

Abstract: Previous research in the smoking cessation literature has shown that the key component of the transtheoretical model of change, the stage of readiness to change, is a valid independent measure (C. C. DiClemente & J. O. Prochaska, 1985; C. C. DiClemente et al., 1991; W. F. Velicer, J. S. Rossi, J. O. Prochaska, & C. C. DiClemente, 1996). Recently, however, other health service researchers (e.g., A. J. Farkas et al., 1996b) have begun to question the utility of this model; especially its predictive validity (e.g., A. J. Farkas et al., 1996a). However, no research to date has examined the reliability and stability of the stage of readiness to change measure. In this study, the longitudinal measurement of stage of readiness to change was treated as a quasi-simplex model (K. G. Joreskog, 1970). Estimates of the stability and reliability for 261 female smokers in a general community sample were obtained. Results indicate that the stage of change measure has desirable psychometric properties.

The ability of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 validity scales to detect fake-bad responses in psychiatric inpatients

Abstract: The effectiveness of P. A. Arbisi and Y. S. Ben-Porath's (1995) Infrequency-Psychopathology Scale, F(p), in discriminating between groups of psychiatric inpatients who were administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) under 2 scripted conditions, honest and fake bad, was examined. The F(p) scale's incremental validity, in reference to the Infrequency (F) scale, was tested with 74 Minneapolis Veteran Affairs Medical Center inpatients (64 men and 10 women). The results support the use of F(p) in the detection of malingering in psychiatric patients and indicate that in settings characterized by high base rates of psychopathology, F(p) outperforms F and accounts for all the predictive power when distinguishing between psychiatric inpatients responding honestly and attempting to fake bad.

Time and change: Using survival analysis in clinical assessment and treatment evaluation.

Abstract: Survival analysis is a set of statistical techniques that is useful for modeling the types of changes commonly encountered in clinical assessment and treatment evaluation. This article provides a practical, comprehensive, mathematically sound yet nontechnical introduction to survival methods. After discussing study design and data, a complete example data set from a fictitious study of alcohol relapse patterns is introduced to illustrate commonly used survival analysis procedures, including the life-table method, the Kaplan-Meier procedure, the Cox proportional hazards model, and fully parametric survival models. These methods are used to describe the general survival and hazard functions, compare survival probabilities for groups of patients, develop multivariate hazard models, model the shape of the hazard function over time, and use diagnostic tools to check statistical assumptions. Complete SAS and SPSS programs are included in Appendix B.

Validation of depression and anxiety measures in white and black youths : Multitrait-multimethod analyses

Abstract: The authors obtained yearly self-report, peer nomination, and teacher rating assessments of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and social acceptance on 2 cohorts of African American (ns = 139 and 184) and Caucasian school children (ns = 328 and 339), yielding a total of 6 waves of data between 3rd and 8th grade. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the measures manifested significant convergent and discriminant validity in both groups. Multigroup analyses further demonstrated that the measures were equally valid across ethnic groups. Peer nomination measures of depression and anxiety symptoms were biased, however, leading to the underestimation of psychopathology in African American children and adolescents. Allowing for this bias, the authors discovered that African American children evinced more signs of depression and anxiety in Grades 3, 4, and 5 than did Caucasian children. Such differences were not significant in Grades 6, 7, and 8. No ethnic group differences emerged on the social acceptance dimension.

Structure and validity of parent and teacher perceptions of children's competence: A multitrait–multimethod–multigroup investigation.

Abstract: Parents and teachers completed their respective versions of S. Harter's (1985b) Rating Scale of Children's Actual Behavior to assess 5 domains of competence in 321 3rd- and 403 6th-grade children. Peers completed a peer nomination index of multiple competencies. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed 5 factors in both the teacher and parent scales: Academic Competence, Social Acceptance, Athletic Competence, Physical Appearance, and Behavioral Conduct. Two higher order factors also emerged: a Well-Behaved/Good Student factor and an Athletic/Attractive/Popular factor. All 5 subscales of the teacher and parent scales manifested a high degree of discriminant validity. Significant levels of convergent validity emerged for most of these subscales.