Showing papers in "Psychological Assessment in 2002"
TL;DR: The revised OCI (OCI-R) improves on the parent version in 3 ways: It eliminates the redundant frequency scale, simplifies the scoring of the subscales, and reduces overlap across subscales.
Abstract: This article reports on the development of a revised version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI; E. B. Foa, M. J. Kozak, P. Salkovskis, M. E. Coles, & N. Amir, 1998), a psychometrically sound, theoretically driven, self-report measure. The revised OCI (OCI-R) improves on the parent version in 3 ways: It eliminates the redundant frequency scale, simplifies the scoring of the subscales, and reduces overlap across subscales. The reliability and validity of the OCI-R were examined in 215 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 243 patients with other anxiety disorders, and 677 nonanxious individuals. The OCI-R, which contains 18 items and 6 subscales, has retained excellent psychometric properties. The OCI-R and its subscales differentiated well between individuals with and without OCD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses demonstrated the usefulness of the OCI-R as a diagnostic tool for screening patients with OCD, utilizing empirically derived cutscores.
2,310 citations
TL;DR: Efforts to develop and validate a brief (155-item) form of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, the MPQ-BF, which was evidenced by uniformly high correlations between the brief- and full-form trait scales and consistency of higher order structures.
Abstract: The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; A. Tellegen, 1982, in press) provides for a comprehensive analysis of personality at both the lower order trait and broader structural levels. Its higher order dimensions of Positive Emotionality, Negative Emotionality, and Constraint embody affect and temperament constructs, which have been conceptualized in psychobiological terms. The MPQ thus holds considerable potential as a structural framework for investigating personality across varying levels of analysis, and this potential would be enhanced by the availability of an abbreviated version. This article describes efforts to develop and validate a brief (155-item) form, the MPQ-BF. Success was evidenced by uniformly high correlations between the brief- and full-form trait scales and consistency of higher order structures. The MPQ-BF is recommended as a tool for investigating the genetic, neurobiological, and psychological substrates of personality.
605 citations
TL;DR: No single- informant measure proved to be the best predictor of relational adjustment, and a multi-informant composite measure yielded better estimates of relationaladjustment than any single-informsant measure.
Abstract: Two studies were conducted to investigate cross-informant measures of children's peer victimization. In Study 1, self- and peer reports of victimization were compared for 197 children from Kindergarten (M age = 5.73) to Grade 4. Before Grade 2, peer reports were less reliable than self-reports and were poor estimators of relational adjustment. In Study 2, single- versus multiple-informant (self, peer, teacher, parent) victimization measures were compared for 392 children across grades 2 (M age = 8.73) to 4. Results indicated that (a) data from the four informants were reliable and increasingly concordant over time, (b) no single-informant measure proved to be the best predictor of relational adjustment, and (c) a multi-informant composite measure yielded better estimates of relational adjustment than any single-informant measure.
528 citations
TL;DR: 3 competing cognitive decision models of the Bechara task are compared in terms of their ability to explain the performance deficits observed in Huntington's disease patients as compared with healthy populations and people with Parkinson's disease.
Abstract: The Bechara simulated gambling task is a popular method of examining decision-making deficits exhibited by people with brain damage, psychopathology, antisocial personality, or drug abuse problems However, performance on this task is confounded by complex interdependencies between cognitive, motivational, and response processes, making it difficult to sort out and identify the specific processes responsible for the observed behavioral deficits The authors compare 3 competing cognitive decision models of the Bechara task in terms of their ability to explain the performance deficits observed in Huntington's disease patients as compared with healthy populations and people with Parkinson's disease The parameters of the best fitting model are used to decompose the observed performance deficit of the Huntington patients into cognitive, motivational, and response sources
450 citations
TL;DR: Support was found for Hewitt and Flett's (1991) original 3-factor conceptualization of perfectionism, although only for an empirically derived 15-item subset and 2 higher-order factors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism were found.
Abstract: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate 2 multidimensional measures of perfectionism (R. O. Frost, P. Marten, C. Lahart, & R. Rosenblate, 1990; P. L. Hewitt & G. L. Flett, 1991). On a first-order level, support was found for Hewitt and Flett's (1991) original 3-factor conceptualization of perfectionism, although only for an empirically derived 15-item subset. Support was also obtained for 5 of the 6 dimensions proposed by R. O. Frost et al. (1990), but the model only displayed good fit when a refined scale containing 22 of the original 35 items was used. A second-order analysis found evidence for 2 higher-order factors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Perfectionism dimensions correlated in expected directions with personality domains, symptom distress, and academic achievement. The brief measures of perfectionism also retained the construct-related validity displayed by the full-item versions.
380 citations
TL;DR: Multidimensional, latent-construct, confirmatory factor analyses supported the within-construct internal consistency, cross-construct discrimination, and multidimensionality of SIP patterns and the relevance of Sip patterns in children's aggressive behavior problems.
Abstract: Social information processing (SIP) patterns were conceptualized in orthogonal domains of process and context and measured through responses to hypothetical vignettes in a stratified sample of 387 children (50% boys; 49% minority) from 4 geographical sites followed from kindergarten through 3rd grade. Multidimensional, latent-construct, confirmatory factor analyses supported the within-construct internal consistency, cross-construct discrimination, and multidimensionality of SIP patterns. Contrasts among nested structural equation models indicated that SIP constructs significantly predicted children's aggressive behavior problems as measured by later teacher reports. The findings support the multidimensional construct validity of children's social cognitive patterns and the relevance of SIP patterns in children's aggressive behavior problems.
266 citations
TL;DR: Reliability and validity testing of the MASI is discussed as well as the utility of this measure in assessing acculturative stress among adults of Mexican origin are discussed.
Abstract: The Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory (MASI), a 36-item stress measure that was developed to assess acculturative stress among persons of Mexican origin living in the United States, was tested on a community sample of 174 adults (117 women, 57 men). Principal-components analyses yielded 4 stable and internally consistent factors: Spanish Competency Pressures (7 items), English Competency Pressures (7 items), Pressure to Acculturate (7 items), and Pressure Against Acculturation (4 items). These 4 factors accounted for 64.4% of the variance and correlated in the expected directions with criterion measures of acculturation and/or psychological adjustment. Further reliability and validity testing of the MASI is discussed as well as the utility of this measure in assessing acculturative stress among adults of Mexican origin.
248 citations
TL;DR: The revised version of the OCD (OCI-R) as discussed by the authors improves on the parent version in three ways: it eliminates the redundant frequency scale, simplifies the scoring of the subscales, and reduces overlap across subscales.
Abstract: This article reports on the development of a revised version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI; E. B. Foa, M. J. Kozak, P. Salkovskis, M. E. Coles, & N. Amir, 1998), a psychometrically sound, theoretically driven, self-report measure. The revised OCI (OCI-R) improves on the parent version in 3 ways: It eliminates the redundant frequency scale, simplifies the scoring of the subscales, and reduces overlap across subscales. The reliability and validity of the OCI-R were examined in 215 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 243 patients with other anxiety disorders, and 677 nonanxious individuals. The OCI-R, which contains 18 items and 6 subscales, has retained excellent psychometric properties. The OCI-R and its subscales differentiated well between individuals with and without OCD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses demonstrated the usefulness of the OCI-R as a diagnostic tool for screening patients with OCD, utilizing empirically derived cutscores.
238 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the validity of the psychopathy syndrome in adolescents using the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) and found that the ratings predicted not only antisocial behaviour but also other indices of childhood psychopathology, interpersonal behaviors associated with adult psychopathy, and a lack of attachment to parents.
Abstract: Current knowledge about the validity of the psychopathy syndrome in youth is limited largely to studies relying on parent-teacher rating scales or slight modifications of adult measures. Recently, the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) was designed for use with adolescents. However, most studies that have used this measure examined incarcerated males and addressed only validity criteria related to antisocial behavior. We investigated the generality and construct validity of the psychopathy syndrome in an adolescent sample by assessing 115 adolescent males on probation with the PCL:YV. Reliability of measurement was high. PCL:YV ratings predicted not only antisocial behaviour but also other indices of childhood psychopathology, interpersonal behaviors associated with adult psychopathy, and a lack of attachment to parents. These findings suggest that the PCL:YV identifies a syndrome in adolescence consistent with theory and research on adult males.
218 citations
TL;DR: Results indicated that life-course-persistent antisociality can be assessed well by measures of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder.
Abstract: Early starting, lifetime criminal persistence has been called sociopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and psychopathy. There is, however, disagreement about its core features and which measure is best for identifying such individuals. In the 1st of 2 studies of male offenders (n = 74), we found a large association between scores on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) antisocial personality disorder criteria scored as a scale. The second study (n = 684) replicated this finding and found that, as previously shown for PCL-R scores, a discrete class (or taxon) also underlies scores on items reflecting antisocial personality disorder. The high association among these sets of items and their similarity in predicting violence suggested that the same natural class underlies each. Results indicated that life-course-persistent antisociality can be assessed well by measures of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder.
153 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, self-informant rating concordance for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms was assessed in 281 adults at the subscale (Inattention, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity) and individual symptom levels.
Abstract: Self-informant rating concordance for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms was assessed in 281 adults at the subscale (Inattention, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity) and individual symptom levels. Potential demographic, diagnostic, and informant identity moderators were also investigated. Concordance levels were similar for current and childhood symptoms. Although moderate positive correlations were found between self- and informant ratings on both subscales, informants endorsed more significant inattentive symptom severity. Kappa coefficients were variable, suggesting low concordance for certain symptoms. Sex and ADHD diagnosis moderated concordance, although effect sizes were small. These results have implications for the use of behavior rating scales in diagnosing ADHD, raise questions about the validity of self- and informant ratings, and support the need to investigate individual-differences variables that may impact concordance.
TL;DR: Although these results support the construct of adolescent psychopathy, they indicate substantial limitations in the use of psychopathy screening measures with juvenile offenders.
Abstract: How well do brief screening measures correspond with a full-scale assessment of psychopathy among juvenile offenders ? This study compared 3 independent screening measures (the Antisocial Process Screening Device [APSD] Self-Report [A. A. Caputo, P. J. Frick, & S. L. Brodsky, 1999], the APSD Staff Rating [P. J. Frick & R. D. Hare, 2001], and the Psychopathy Content Scale [D. C. Murrie & D. G. Cornell, 2000] on the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory [T. Millon, 1993]) with the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV; A. E. Forth, D. S. Kosson, & R. D. Hare, in press) in a sample of 117 incarcerated male juveniles. Modest correlations (.30-.49) were found between PCL:YV scores and those of the 3 screening measures, and there was moderate accuracy (67%-82%) in identifying youth who scored relatively high (> or = 25) on the PCL:YV. Although these results support the construct of adolescent psychopathy, they indicate substantial limitations in the use of psychopathy screening measures with juvenile offenders.
TL;DR: Meta-analytic techniques were applied to studies of the MMPI-2 in which participants given standard instructions were compared with participants instructed or believed to have been underreporting, suggesting that underreporting respondents differ from those responding honestly by a little more than 1 standard deviation on these scales.
Abstract: Meta-analytic techniques were applied to studies of the MMPI-2 in which participants given standard instructions were compared with participants instructed or believed to have been underreporting. Traditional and supplementary indices of underreporting yielded a mean effect size of 1.25, suggesting that underreporting respondents differ from those responding honestly by a little more than 1 standard deviation, on the average, on these scales. Analyses of classification accuracy suggested that several scales are moderately effective in detecting underreporting, although accuracy decreases if participants have been coached about validity scales. Base rates of defensive responding in relevant populations are reviewed, and methodological issues, including research designs, coaching, and incremental validity of supplementary underreporting scales, are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors demonstrated the application of an innovative item response theory (IRT) based approach to evaluate measurement equivalence, comparing a newly developed Spanish version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) with the established English version.
Abstract: This study demonstrated the application of an innovative item response theory (IRT) based approach to evaluating measurement equivalence, comparing a newly developed Spanish version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL–C) with the established English version. Basic principles and practical issues faced in the application of IRT methods for instrument evaluation are discussed. Data were derived from a study of the mental health consequences of community violence in both Spanish speakers (n 102) and English speakers (n 284). Results of differential item functioning (DIF) analyses revealed that the 2 versions were not fully equivalent on an item-by-item basis in that 6 of the 17 items displayed uniform DIF. No bias was observed, however, at the level of the composite PCL–C scale score, indicating that the 2 language versions can be combined for scale-level analyses.
TL;DR: In this paper, the BDI responses of 2,260 college students were submitted to three taxometric procedures whose results were compared with those of simulated data sets with equivalent parameters, arguing against the use of BDI to classify analogue participants into groups.
Abstract: Research on depression is often conducted with analogue samples that have been divided into depressed and nondepressed groups using a cutoff score on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Although the relative merits of different cut scores are frequently debated, no study has yet determined whether the use of any cut score is valid, that is, whether the latent structure of BDI depression is categorical or dimensional in analogue samples. The BDI responses of 2,260 college students were submitted to 3 taxometric procedures whose results were compared with those of simulated data sets with equivalent parameters. Analyses provided converging evidence for the dimensionality of analogue depression, arguing against the use of the BDI to classify analogue participants into groups. Analyses also illustrated the notable impact of pronounced skew on taxometric results and the value of using simulated comparison data as an interpretive aid.
TL;DR: A new behavioral coding system using audiotapes permits reliable and valid assessment of components of social competence, including Interpersonal Skills (expressiveness, empathy), Goal-Oriented Strivings in coping, and Social Impact (high vs. low affiliation/control).
Abstract: A brief interview to measure stress coping capabilities was developed and tested in 4 samples of African American and White adolescents in low-income neighborhoods of 2 large U.S. cities. The Social Competence Interview (SCI) is a 10-min social stressor that assesses physiological and social– emotional responses to a recurring real-life problem. A new behavioral coding system using audiotapes permits reliable and valid assessment of components of social competence, including Interpersonal Skills (expressiveness, empathy), Goal-Oriented Strivings in coping (self defense, social acceptance, competitiveness, stimulation–pleasure, approval, self improvement), and Social Impact (high vs. low affiliation/ control). High SCI expressiveness and self-defensive striving create a critical–aggressive social impact, which is correlated with increased hostility and anger. The Social Competence Interview (SCI) measures personal capabilities that affect vulnerability to stress-related illnesses. It is derived from a competence model of risk in which the frequency, intensity, and duration of health-damaging stress is influenced by a person’s ability to relate to others and to regulate emotions under challenging circumstances. Social competence is defined broadly as the ability to select and pursue desired, attainable goals by achieving control over one’s actions and emotions by understanding, connecting with, and influencing other people. Although social competence is not a new concept—antecedents include Thorndike’s writings on “social intelligence” in the 1920s—renewed interest in the topic has been stimulated by the success of therapies based on social learning and informationprocessing models of mental health and adjustment (Argyle, 1970, 1983; Bandura, 1986; McFall, 1982; Spivack, Platt, & Shure,
TL;DR: A study of the construct validity of the Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale in a sample of 248 African American university students found that the relations of accULTurative stress to depressive and anxious (but not suicidal) symptoms remained.
Abstract: The properties of the main measure of acculturative stress have not been systematically examined. The authors conducted a study of the construct validity of the Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale (A. M. Padilla, Y. Wagatsuma, & K. J. Lindholm, 1985) in a sample of 248 African American university students (156 of whom attended a historically Black college). After controlling for general life stress, the authors found that the relations of acculturative stress to depressive and anxious (but not suicidal) symptoms remained. Also, African American students at a historically Black college reported less acculturative stress than African American students at a large state university. These findings clarify the nature of a key construct and measure of acculturative stress.
TL;DR: The SIMS total score and the MMPI-2 Backpage Infrequency scale had relatively high negative predictive power and have potential usefulness as screens for malingering.
Abstract: Fifty-five men undergoing pretrial psychological evaluations for competency to stand trial or criminal responsibility in the federal justice system were administered the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2 (MMPI-2), and the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS). On the basis of results from the SIRS, 31 were classified as honest responders and 24 as feigning. Significant differences between the 2 groups were found on all SIMS scales as well as on all tested MMPI-2 fake bad validity scales. The SIMS total score and the MMPI-2 Backpage Infrequency (Fb) scale had relatively high negative predictive power (100% and 92%, respectively). On the basis of this clinically relevant methodology, both tests have potential usefulness as screens for malingering.
TL;DR: The findings support the value of internal representations as a means of understanding children's interpersonal functioning and contribute to the validity of the SCORS-Q for use with children.
Abstract: The authors investigated relationships among internal representations, empathy, and affective and cognitive processes in fantasy play to test the validity of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale Q-Sort (SCORS-Q: D. Westen, 1995) with children. Eighty-six 8-10-year-olds were administered 8 Thematic Apperception Test cards, a standardized play task, and a self-report empathy measure. Teachers rated children's empathy and helpfulness. As predicted, internal representations were related to empathy, helpfulness, and quality of fantasy play. Developmental differences on the SCORS-Q were consistent with object relations theory and with results from the original SCORS. The findings support the value of internal representations as a means of understanding children's interpersonal functioning and contribute to the validity of the SCORS-Q for use with children.
TL;DR: A modified version of the self-administered form of the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire, suitable for use with persons from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds is developed and validated.
Abstract: This article reports results from 3 studies conducted to develop and validate a modified version of the self-administered form of the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ; C. R. Marmar, D. S. Weiss, & T. J. Metzler, 1997). The objective was to develop an instrument suitable for use with persons from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. In Study 1, the original PDEQ was administered to a small sample (N = 15) recruited from among men admitted to the hospital for physical injuries stemming from exposure to community violence. Results led to modifications aimed at improving the utility of the instrument. In Study 2, the modified PDEQ was subjected to structural equation modeling and item response theory analyses to assess its psychometric properties in a larger, primarily male, sample of community violence survivors (N = 284). In Study 3, the reliability and validity of the modified instrument were further assessed in a sample of female survivors of sexual assault (N = 90). Results attest to the psychometric properties as well as the reliability and validity of the modified 8-item PDEQ.
TL;DR: In this paper, participants completed the Minnesota Multiphasic personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) under standard instructions and then were asked to fake posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when completing the MMPI2 for a 2nd time in 1 of 4 conditions with different instructions on how to fake PTSD: (a) uncoached, (b) coached about PTSD symptom information, (c) coach about validity scales, or (d) coached both symptoms and validity scales.
Abstract: In this study research participants completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) under standard instructions and then were asked to fake posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when completing the MMPI-2 for a 2nd time in 1 of 4 conditions with different instructions on how to fake PTSD: (a) uncoached, (b) coached about PTSD symptom information, (c) coached about MMPI-2 validity scales, or (d) coached about both symptoms and validity scales. These MMPI-2 protocols were then compared with protocols of claimants with workplace accident-related PTSD. Participants given information about the validity scales were the most successful in avoiding detection as faking. The family of F scales (i.e., F, FB, FP), particularly FP, produced consistently high rates of positive and negative predictive power.
TL;DR: The overall effect of psychopathology on self-ratings of personality traits, temperament, and interpersonal problems was minimal in the authors' patient sample, which runs counter to the intuitively appealing notion that psychopathology has a detrimental effect onSelf-awareness.
Abstract: Psychological assessment of psychiatric patients frequently relies on self-report, yet descriptions from patients often are regarded as suspect. Investigation of agreement between reports from patients versus knowledgeable informants is critical to assessing the validity of self-ratings. Self- and informant reports of temperament, personality traits, and interpersonal problems were collected from an adult, nonpsychotic psychiatric sample (N = 90). The majority of patients had depressive diagnoses (62%), were female (81%), and were Caucasian (98%). Few mean-level differences between self- and informant reports were found. Self-informant agreement correlations were comparable in magnitude and variability to findings from nonclinical samples. Results suggest that the overall effect of psychopathology on self-ratings of personality traits, temperament, and interpersonal problems was minimal in the authors' patient sample. This conclusion runs counter to the intuitively appealing notion that psychopathology has a detrimental effect on self-awareness.
TL;DR: This article demonstrates how multinomial processing tree models can be used as assessment tools to measure cognitive deficits in clinical populations with a model developed by W. H. Batchelder and D. Riefer (1980) that separately measures storage and retrieval processes in memory.
Abstract: This article demonstrates how multinomial processing tree models can be used as assessment tools to measure cognitive deficits in clinical populations. This is illustrated with a model developed by W. H. Batchelder and D. M. Riefer (1980) that separately measures storage and retrieval processes in memory. The validity of the model is tested in 2 experiments, which show that presentation rate affects the storage of items (Experiment 1) and part-list cuing hurts item retrieval (Experiment 2). Experiments 3 and 4 examine 2 clinical populations: schizophrenics and alcoholics with organic brain damage. The model reveals that each group exhibits deficits in storage and retrieval, with the retrieval deficits being stronger and occurring more consistently over trials. Also, the alcoholics with organic brain damage show no improvement in retrieval over trials, although their storage improves at the same rate as a control group.
TL;DR: The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) is used to screen for depression in school-age children as discussed by the authors, and the cutoff scores are based on an erroneous base-rate calculation and an inadequate methodology.
Abstract: The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) is used to screen for depression in school-age children. Such screening uses the manual's reported information on suggested cutoff scores. These cutoff scores are based on an erroneous base-rate calculation and an inadequate methodology. Data are provided showing that for the suggested cutoff scores of 13 or 20, the CDI has poor receiver-operating characteristics. Indeed, for the cutoff score of 20, suggested as being suitable for screening in the general population (e.g., schools), clinicians will miss 86% of depressed children. In conclusion, it is recommended that the CDI is better suited as a continuous measure of mood and that cutoff scores should not be used to screen for the likely presence or absence of depression.
TL;DR: The author suggests these large differences could reflect not only effects of factors that caused underestimation of validities by DVSs of the 1994 study, but also effects of Factors that may have caused overestimation ofvalidities of the 1997 study.
Abstract: This article (a) describes and illustrates the nonredundant and clinically important information that may be obtained from 5 diagnostic validity statistics (DVSs): incremental validities of positive and negative test diagnoses, Cohen's kappas, Cohen's effect sizes, and areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and (b) determines values of these DVSs for 24 Million Multiaxial Clinical Inventory III scales from results reported in 1994 and 1997 validity studies. The DVSs for the 1997 study (T. Millon, R. Davis, & C. Millon, 1997) were often more than 3 times larger than corresponding DVSs for the 1994 study (T. Millon, 1994). The author suggests these large differences could reflect not only effects of factors that caused underestimation of validities by DVSs of the 1994 study, but also effects of factors that may have caused overestimation of validities by DVSs of the 1997 study.
TL;DR: The ability of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module's screening question to identify individuals with PTSD or sub-threshold PTSD was examined.
Abstract: The ability of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module's screening question to identify individuals with PTSD or subthreshold PTSD was examined. First, the screen's sensitivity for detecting a trauma history was determined. Second, the incremental validity of a more thorough trauma assessment was examined by determining how many individuals responded negatively to the screen but then were diagnosed with PTSD or subthreshold PTSD. Last, the optimal SCID termination point for assessing subthreshold PTSD was determined. Using a trauma list increased the number of participants reporting a trauma; however, the SCID screen captured almost all individuals who had PTSD or subthreshold PTSD. When one screens for subthreshold PTSD, the SCID can be terminated on failure to meet Criterion B.
TL;DR: The convergent validity of the Agnew Relationship Measure (ARM) and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) was assessed in samples drawn from 2 comparative clinical trials of time-limited psychotherapies for depression, supporting the assumption that the ARM and the WAI measure some of the same core constructs.
Abstract: The convergent validity of the Agnew Relationship Measure (ARM) and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) was assessed in samples drawn from 2 comparative clinical trials of time-limited psychotherapies for depression. In 1 sample, clients (n = 18) and therapists (n = 4) completed self-report versions of both measures after every session (n = 198). In the other sample, clients (n = 39) and therapists (n = 6) completed the ARM, and observers subsequently rated selected audiotaped sessions (n = 78) using the WAI. In both samples, the ARM's core alliance scales (Bond, Partnership, and Confidence) were correlated with the WAI's scales (Bond, Tasks, and Goals) strongly when assessed within client and therapist perspectives and, with some qualifications, moderately when assessed between client, therapist, and observer perspectives, supporting the assumption that the ARM and the WAI measure some of the same core constructs.
TL;DR: Investigation of ethnic differences on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 in 229 African American and 1,558 Caucasian psychiatric inpatients found mean differences were found on several MMPI-2 validity and clinical scales, consistent with differences between the groups.
Abstract: This study investigated ethnic differences on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) in 229 African American and 1,558 Caucasian psychiatric inpatients. Mean differences were found on several MMPI-2 validity and clinical scales. These were generally consistent with differences between the groups, indicated by the available extratest criterion data. To identify potential bias, the authors conducted 65 step-down hierarchical multiple regression analyses, predicting conceptually relevant clinical criteria from either MMPI-2 clinical or content scales for each gender. A number of MMPI-2 scales evidenced bias reflecting minor underprediction of psychopathology in African Americans. It is important to note that, in almost all cases, the magnitude of these differences was small and not clinically significant.
TL;DR: Naglieri et al. as discussed by the authors examined the extent to which the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED) was a significant predictor of behavioral functioning within a clinical sample of 68 latency-age children (6-12 years old) receiving counseling services at outpatient and residential treatment facilities.
Abstract: This validity study examined the extent to which the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED; J. A. Naglieri, T. J. McNeish, & A. N. Bardos, 1991) was a significant predictor of behavioral functioning within a clinical sample of 68 latency-age children (6-12 years old) receiving counseling services at outpatient and residential treatment facilities. Study results showed that the total DAP:SPED (man, woman, and self scores summed) was a significant predictor in explaining variation in internalizing behavioral disturbance. Specifically, the DAP:SPED remained a moderate strength predictor of internalizing behavioral disturbance after controlling for the Child and Adolescent Adjustment Profile parent-report behavioral measure. Findings lend preliminary support to the DAP:SPED's validity in providing assessment information about child behavioral functioning. Continued validation investigation along these lines is recommended.
TL;DR: The Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF) as mentioned in this paper has led to conclusions about which types of dyadic affect predict positive and negative outcomes in marriage, yet the lack of information about collinearity among the codes limits interpretation of SPAFF results.
Abstract: The Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF; J. M. Gottman & L. J. Krokoff, 1989) has led to conclusions about which types of dyadic affect predict positive and negative outcomes in marriage, yet the lack of information about collinearity among the codes limits interpretation of SPAFF results. Psychometric properties of SPAFF were examined by assessing the interactions of 172 newlywed couples with SPAFF and with an affect rating system developed for this study. For husbands and wives, factor analysis indicated 4 distinct factors of affect, representing anger/contempt, sadness, anxiety, and humor/affection. Anger/contempt and humor/affection were associated with marital satisfaction, relationship beliefs, and appraisals of the interactions. Correlations were in the expected directions. The strengths, limitations, and implications of the data are discussed.