Showing papers in "Research in Nursing & Health in 1989"
TL;DR: Reliability and validity of the Flanagan Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) were tested in four chronic illness groups and Appropriate validity coefficients indicated both convergent and discriminant construct validity.
Abstract: Reliability and validity of the Flanagan Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) were tested in four chronic illness groups. Open-ended questions and four instruments, the QOLS, Duke-UNC Health Profile (DUHP), Life Satisfaction Index (LSI-Z), and either the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) or the Ostomy Adjustment Scale (OAS) were administered by telephone interview and mailed questionnaires to 227 adults three times over 6 weeks. Subjects generated verbal responses that substantiated the content validity of the QOLS. Stability reliability estimates for all instruments ranged from .53 to .90. Cronbach's alpha coefficients averaged .87 for the QOLS. Appropriate validity coefficients indicated both convergent and discriminant construct validity.
341 citations
TL;DR: Examination of the relationship of six aspects of a healthy lifestyle with selected demographic variables, perceived health status, and health locus of control in the well elderly revealed that perceived health Status and health Locus of Control were significant predictors of healthy lifestyles.
Abstract: Adoption of a healthy lifestyle can slow physical decline and improve well being of the elderly. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of six aspects of a healthy lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, stress management, self actualization, health responsibility, and interpersonal support) with selected demographic variables, perceived health status, and health locus of control in the well elderly. The sample consisted of 297 volunteers. Person product-moment correlations and stepwise multiple regression procedures revealed that perceived health status and health locus of control were significant predictors of healthy lifestyles. Demographic variables, posited as modifying factors, were found to be associated with perceived health and locus of control but were not predictive of lifestyle practices.
174 citations
TL;DR: The new character of the research relationship is examined in light of possible strategies for protection of research participants while preserving the integrity of qualitative investigation.
Abstract: Traditional values in nursing dictate a high level of concern for the welfare of research participants. Initial attempts at setting minimal ethical standards stemmed from the quantitative approaches. As qualitative modalities are more widely used, nurses must become acutely aware of possible problems in study design and planning, the dangers of coercion and deception, threats to confidentiality and trust, implications of the emergent design, and providing for a new concept of informed consent. The new character of the research relationship is examined in light of possible strategies for protection of research participants while preserving the integrity of qualitative investigation.
173 citations
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that high emotional empathy may predispose helping professionals to emotional exhaustion and that emotional exhaustion, if not mediated by personal accomplishment, may lead to the development of depersonalization.
Abstract: Relationships between empathy and burnout and possible confounding influences of sex and profession were explored in a sample of 492 male and female nurses, social workers, and teachers. Respondents completed Mehrabian's Emotional Empathy Scale, Stotland's Fantasy-Empathy Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). There were no main effects of profession on empathy or burnout variables. There was, however, an interaction effect of sex and profession on depersonalization, which was accounted for by subjects in social work and teaching. Women had significantly higher empathy scores than men; however, men had higher scores than male normative groups. Age related negatively to depersonalization and emotional exhaustion for women, whereas percentage of work time spent in direct practice correlated with depersonalization for men. The possibility that empathy and burnout might represent opposite poles of the same underlying construct was examined but not found. Instead, emotional empathy was significantly positively correlated with both emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment, whereas emotional exhaustion was also positively related to depersonalization. It is hypothesized that high emotional empathy may predispose helping professionals to emotional exhaustion and that emotional exhaustion, if not mediated by personal accomplishment, may lead to the development of depersonalization. This more complex, interactive model of the empathy–burnout relationship needs longitudinal study.
167 citations
TL;DR: Verity and reliability of markings on a body outline were examined in a convenience sample of 8- to 17-year-old hospitalized children to provide strong support for the validity and reliability and for its inclusion in a multidimensional pediatric pain tool.
Abstract: Although pain location is an important assessment parameter, little research has addressed validity and reliability of a body outline in pediatric populations. In a descriptive study, validity and reliability of markings on a body outline were examined in a convenience sample of 8- to 17-year-old hospitalized children (n = 175). Children marked their pain location on a body outline. Each child then pointed to the pain location on his/her body as a nurse data collector, blind to the child's markings, recorded the location on a second body outline. Data were obtained to substantiate the pain location. Findings provide strong support for the validity and reliability of a body outline and for its inclusion in a multidimensional pediatric pain tool.
147 citations
TL;DR: An integrated model of turnover incorporating personal, organizational, and job experience variables as well as job attitudes and behavioral intentions as predictors of voluntary turnover among staff nurses confirmed the hypothesis that intention to leave would be the most immediate determinant of actual turnover.
Abstract: An integrated model of turnover incorporating personal, organizational, and job experience variables as well as job attitudes and behavioral intentions as predictors of voluntary turnover among staff nurses was tested. Results confirmed the hypothesis that intention to leave would be the most immediate determinant of actual turnover. Personal, organizational, and job experience variables were found to influence voluntary turnover only indirectly through their effects on three attitudinal variables: felt stress, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and intention to leave. As hypothesized, the strength of the intention-turnover relationship decreased as the time interval between expressed intentions and turnover behavior increased.
130 citations
TL;DR: The results demonstrate the importance of the traditional nursing support role during childbirth, and three variables were found to predict perceived control during childbirth--expectations of control, the presence of a continuous professional caregiver, and pain medication usage.
Abstract: The purpose of this stratified randomized trial was to determine the physical and psychological effects of continuous, one-to-one professional support on childbirth outcomes. Data were gathered during prenatal and postpartum interviews with, and from the medical records of, 103 low-risk women. All subjects had attended one of two types of prenatal education programs, were accompanied by husbands or partners during labor, and had vaginal deliveries. Subjects in the experimental group were less likely to have medication for pain relief and less likely to have episiotomies. Three variables were found to predict perceived control during childbirth—expectations of control, the presence of a continuous professional care-giver, and pain medication usage. The results demonstrate the importance of the traditional nursing support role during childbirth.
129 citations
TL;DR: Personality hardiness, occupational stress, and burnout were investigated in 100 critical care nurses and it was found that one of the three dimensions of hardiness was the only variable to account for significant amounts of variance across three of four measures of burnout.
Abstract: Personality hardiness, occupational stress, and burnout were investigated in 100 critical care nurses. Hardiness was predictive of occupational stress and burnout. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that one of the three dimensions of hardiness, commitment to work, was the only variable to account for significant amounts of variance (up to 24%) across three of four measures of burnout. The study did not provide support for the stress buffering effect of hardiness. That is, an interaction term, hardiness × occupational stress, was not convincingly predictive of burnout in nurses. The findings are discussed in terms of other research on burnout in critical care nurses and recent issues on the conceptualization of hardiness.
129 citations
TL;DR: The findings confirmed that mid-pregnancy measures of these psychosocial variables were valid indicators of their level over the course of the remainder of the pregnancy, allowing for early assessment and intervention to improve perinatal well-being.
Abstract: The stability and multivariate effects of life stress, social support, and anxiety from mid to late pregnancy in a sample of low-income women were examined. The sample of 190 was approximately equally divided among black, Hispanic, and white groups. Scores from the two time periods were highly consistent. The multivariate effects of life stress and social support on anxiety were similar at the two time periods, explaining 30% to 34% of the variance in anxiety, over and above the effects of ethnicity or marital status. The prospective test (Time 1 variables predicting Time 2 anxiety), however, explained only 22% of the variance in anxiety. Significant stress-buffering effects from social support were found for both the Time 1 regression and the prospective test. The combination of high life stress and low partner support was associated with the highest anxiety. The findings confirmed that mid-pregnancy measures of these psychosocial variables were valid indicators of their level over the course of the remainder of the pregnancy, allowing for early assessment and intervention to improve perinatal well-being.
122 citations
TL;DR: This paper is a guide to writing the proposal for research in the naturalist paradigm, and includes illustrative sections of a proposal recently funded by the National Center for Nursing Research.
Abstract: The preparation of the research proposal for a study that involves an emergent research design compels the investigator to negotiate the paradox of planning what should not be planned in advance. This paper is a guide to writing the proposal for research in the naturalist paradigm, and includes illustrative sections of a proposal recently funded by the National Center for Nursing Research.
117 citations
TL;DR: Confused patients were: hypernatremic, hypokalemic, hyperglycemic, hypotensive, had elevated blood levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen, received more medications, were more frequently perceived by nurses as confused, had more orienting objects in their immediate environment, and fewer interactions with significant others.
Abstract: Seventy-one non-surgical patients over age 60 years were studied to obtain information about the incidence, onset and variables associated with the onset of confusion. The incidence of confusion was 38%; 27 of the 71 subjects developed confusion during hospitalization. Nineteen of the 27 patients developed confusion by the second day of hospitalization; no new cases of confusion were detected after the sixth day of hospitalization. An examination of the psychophysiologic variables associated with the onset of confusion produced a profile of the confused elderly patient. Confused patients were: hypernatremic, hypokalemic, hyperglycemic, hypotensive, had elevated blood levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen, received more medications, were more frequently perceived by nurses as confused, had more orienting objects in their immediate environment, and fewer interactions with significant others. Recommendations for the continued investigation and care of confused patients are offered.
TL;DR: With improved subscales affording a more comprehensive assessment of maternal experience, the WPL-R is a better instrument for evaluation of maternal adaptation than the original WPL.
Abstract: Revision of the self-report instrument, What Being the Parent of a New Baby Is Like (WPL), is reported. The WPL, developed to examine parents' perceptions of themselves as parents and of the parenting experience with young infants, was revised by improving its two subscales, Success (renamed Evaluation) and Centrality, and adding a third subscale, Life Change. With a sample of mothers of healthy infants, all three subscales of the revised instrument, WPL-R, had acceptable levels of internal consistency at 7, 30, and 90 days postpartum, and stability across administrations. Parity differences were demonstrated for all three subscales at 7 days and for Centrality at 30 days. Factor analysis identified item clusters consistent with the three subscales. With improved subscales affording a more comprehensive assessment of maternal experience, the WPL-R is a better instrument for evaluation of maternal adaptation than the WPL.
TL;DR: The stepwise analysis suggested that of the nine variables, confidence in ability to handle labor was the most significant predictor of all components of pain during active labor.
Abstract: This study was designed to investigate the relationships between the perception of pain during active labor and nine predictor variables: age, parity, childbirth preparation, state anxiety, confidence in ability to handle labor, concern regarding the outcome of labor, fear of pain, cervical dilatation and frequency of uterine contractions. The sample included 134 low-risk women at term with a normal singleton pregnancy. Standard and stepwise regression was used to examine the ability of the selected variables to explain the variance in the sensory, affective, and evaluative components of pain as measured by the subscales of the Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Although significant proportions of variance were explained for each component of pain, the study variables were most powerful in their ability to explain the variance in the affective component of active labor pain. The stepwise analysis suggested that of the nine variables, confidence in ability to handle labor was the most significant predictor of all components of pain during active labor.
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey of 8 to 12-year-old children reported on the strategies they use to cope with stressors and found significant differences in the frequency with which all categories of strategies were used.
Abstract: School age children, 8 to 12 years old (N = 103), reported on the strategies they use to help them deal with stressors. Individual questionnaires contained 518 coping strategies that were sorted into 13 categories inductively derived from the content of the behaviors. Girls named significantly more social support and emotional behaviors than boys, while boys named significantly more physical exercise activities than girls. Examination of the data by age revealed significant differences in the frequency with which all categories of strategies were used except for aggressive motor and spiritual activities. The data also revealed particular strategies that were used in different stages of the coping process, and strategies that the children perceived to be helpful versus not helpful to them.
TL;DR: Single-parent families were significantly lower on financial well-being and the mother's coping related to maintaining family integration, cooperation, and optimism about the situation and were higher on family adaptability, reflecting an ability to be more flexible in family rules, power structure, and role relationships.
Abstract: Using the Typology Model of Adjustment and Adaptation, a family stress model, the differences in family stressors, resources, family types, parental coping patterns, and child health indices were examined in 27 single-parent families and 27 two-parent families who had a child with cerebral palsy. The two groups of families were matched on the severity of the child's handicap and the age and gender of the parent. There was no significant difference between the two groups of families on the accumulation of stressors and demands, resource strains, family types, family cohesion, family resources of esteem/communication, mastery/health, extended family social support, and the child health indices of overall physical health status and health improvement. Single-parent families were significantly lower on financial well-being and the mother's coping related to maintaining family integration, cooperation, and optimism about the situation. Single-parent families also were higher on family adaptability than two-parent families, reflecting an ability to be more flexible in family rules, power structure, and role relationships.
TL;DR: The number of supports reported by mothers was the most influential factor on duration of lactation, and women with no source of support were six times more likely to cease lactation than women with six sources of support.
Abstract: A prospective analytic study was conducted to examine the influences of the social network on the choice and duration of breast-feeding among 125 mothers of preterm infants. The Influence of Specific Referents (ISR) Scale was used to measure mothers' perceptions of the wishes of seven social referents regarding feeding choice and to assess mothers' motivation to comply with their referents' wishes. Referents included family members, friends, and health care professionals. Mothers choosing to breast-feed reported greater influence from referents than those choosing to formula-feed. Among the 88 mothers who initiated breast-feeding or expression, the number of supports reported by mothers was the most influential factor on duration of lactation. Women with no source of support were six times more likely to cease lactation than women with six sources of support.
TL;DR: The only mode of anger expression related to poorer health status was expression of anger via physical symptoms; anger-in, anger-out, and anger-discuss modes were unrelated.
Abstract: Anger expression modes were examined in a diverse sample of mid-life men and women (N = 139) participating in the third phase of a longitudinal study of health that began in 1982 at the World's Fair and a metropolitan general hospital in Tennessee. Contrary to previous studies, men and women did not differ in the likelihood of suppressing their anger (anger-in), nor were there gender differences in anger-out. However, t tests revealed significant differences between men and women in the likelihood of discussing anger and expressing anger via physical symptoms (women higher on both). The only mode of anger expression related to poorer health status was expression of anger via physical symptoms; anger-in, anger-out, and anger-discuss modes were unrelated. Correlates of anger symptoms for both men and women included lower levels of education and optimism, poorer health habits, and external locus of control beliefs. Several correlations were found to be gender-specific; e.g., women who exhibited more anger symptomatology were not suppressors of their anger, but directed it outward, taking it out on others and blaming others. Implications were discussed.
TL;DR: Predictors of maternal confidence during toddlerhood among mothers of children born preterm and fullterm were explored and if mothers of toddlersBorn preterm were less confident in parenting than mothers of babies born fullterm was determined.
Abstract: The purposes of this study were to explore predictors of maternal confidence during toddlerhood among mothers of children born preterm and fullterm and to determine if mothers of toddlers born preterm were less confident in parenting than mothers of toddlers born fullterm. Mothers of children born preterm (n = 62) and fullterm (n = 70) aged 12 months through 36 months (postnatal age) completed a measure of maternal confidence during toddlerhood, the Toddler Care Questionnaire (TCQ), and a family background form. Major predictor variables included the extent of the mother's prior childcare experience, toddler birth order, and maternal report of toddler handicaps and major health problems. Data on neonatal condition were collected from hospital records. There was no difference in mean TCQ score between the preterm and fullterm groups. In the preterm group, prior childcare experience, birth order, and maternal report of the toddler having cerebral palsy explained 33% of the variance. In the fullterm group, prior childcare experience, maternal age and toddler's birthweight explained 38% of the variance. The findings are discussed in light of Bandura's theory of self-efficacy (1982).
TL;DR: The pattern of results showed respondents of all ages expressing the belief that aging is associated with increased susceptibility to disease and lowered potential for control or cure, and implications for health monitoring and coping with illness are discussed.
Abstract: Findings from recent studies have demonstrated age group differences in coping with illness. One explanation for these age group differences has received little attention: perceptions of illness may differ with age and these differences in perception may account for the observed differences in coping. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of age on illness perceptions along dimensions that influence coping. Specifically, we explored perceptions about aging as a cause of illness and perceptions about the effect of age on seriousness, curability and controllability of illness. Four hundred fifty-one community-dwelling adults (age range 20 to 90 years) participated in the study. The pattern of results showed respondents of all ages expressing the belief that aging is associated with increased susceptibility to disease and lowered potential for control or cure. Implications of these beliefs for health monitoring and coping with illness are discussed.
TL;DR: Relationships of stress, social support, and risk in pregnancy were tested in low-income women receiving outpatient antepartal care and epinephrine level was positively correlated with norepinephrine level and age; anxiety was negatively correlated with partner support and age.
Abstract: Relationships of stress, social support, and risk in pregnancy were tested in low-income women receiving outpatient antepartal care. Nineteen high-risk and 20 low-risk women completed the State Anxiety Inventory and Brown's Support Behavior Inventory. Urinary catecholamine levels from a single morning urine sample, determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography, were used as the indicator of physiological stress. There was a significant difference between the groups in epinephrine level, but not in norepinephrine level, anxiety, or social support scores. In the high-risk group, norepinephrine level and partner support were negatively correlated; there were no other significant correlations. In the low-risk group, epinephrine level was positively correlated with norepinephrine level and age; anxiety was negatively correlated with partner support and age.
TL;DR: The effects of role identity (occupancy and involvement), sex-role orientation, and role integration on perceived health status and psychological symptoms of women in multiple roles were examined.
Abstract: The effects of role identity (occupancy and involvement), sex-role orientation, and role integration on perceived health status and psychological symptoms of women in multiple roles were examined. The sample was comprised of 87 female clerical workers who were mothers with one or more children living at home. The mean age was 37; 47% were married; 44% were black, 24% Caucasian, 15% Asian, and 17% Hispanic. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine the significant predictors of perceived health status and psychological symptoms. Role involvement and role integration accounted for 24% of the variance in perceived health. Income and role integration accounted for 29% of the variance in psychological symptoms.
TL;DR: Two-way analyses of variances revealed no main or interaction effects when examining type of verbalization instructions by level of education, years of pediatric experience, or case familiarity, suggesting that there was no apparent effect of verbalizations of cognitive processes on performance regardless of level of expertise.
Abstract: Although verbalization of cognitive processes is a common strategy in the study of clinical decision making, the effect of verbalization on performance has not been adequately assessed. The effect of verbalization of cognitive processes on performance on a computer-assisted clinical simulation was examined using a three-group experimental design. Sixty pediatric nurses were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 20/group): instructions to think aloud, instructions to recall decision processes, or no instructions to verbalize. The experimental groups did not differ on proficiency or efficiency scores on the computerized clinical simulation. Two-way analyses of variances revealed no main or interaction effects when examining type of verbalization instructions by level of education, years of pediatric experience, or case familiarity, suggesting that there was no apparent effect of verbalization of cognitive processes on performance regardless of level of expertise. These findings support the continued use of verbalization of cognitive processes as a strategy to examine clinical decision making.
TL;DR: In general, black women had more knowledge of AIDS than Latina women and more positive attitudes and practices did not differ and both groups denied drug use and multiple sexual partners.
Abstract: As part of a larger study designed to provide an AIDS education and prevention program for low-income black and Latina women in Los Angeles County, a pilot study of black (n = 51) and Latina (n = 56) womens' AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and practices was conducted to gather baseline data and to test an instrument that would measure these variables. The factors underlying the instrument were identified and reliability coefficients were determined. The need for changes in the format and administration of the instrument was identified due to nonresponse to some items. There were sociodemographic differences between the two groups of women as well as differences in knowledge and attitudes. In general, black women had more knowledge of AIDS than Latina women and more positive attitudes. Practices did not differ. Both groups denied drug use and multiple sexual partners.
TL;DR: The findings in this study of 147 men agreed with earlier research that health status declines over the first 8 months of fatherhood and empirical respecified models showed moderate to strong predictive power and provide a base for future model testing and subsequent intervention studies.
Abstract: The findings in this study of 147 men agreed with earlier research that health status declines over the first 8 months of fatherhood. The study extends previous work in that causes of this decline were tested. Empirical respecified models predicting health perception during pregnancy, early postpartum 1, 4, and 8 months were able to predict from 20 to 60% of the variance. These models were substantively more powerful than the hypothesized theoretical model that was tested, which explained from 12 to 38% of the variance. At all time periods there was a link between negative life events and a direct or indirect predictor of health perception. Other variables that consistently entered the models with either direct or indirect links were self-esteem, mastery, and either depression or anxiety. The empirical respecified models showed moderate to strong predictive power and provide a base for future model testing and subsequent intervention studies.
TL;DR: Aberrant eating behavior among 14 elderly, non-demented and 10 demented patients with Parkinson's disease was studied by means of video-recordings and revealed problems in handling food on the plate, transporting food into the mouth, manipulating food in the Mouth, and swallowing.
Abstract: Aberrant eating behavior among 14 elderly, non-demented and 10 demented patients with Parkinson's disease was studied by means of video-recordings. The findings revealed problems in handling food on the plate, transporting food into the mouth, manipulating food in the mouth, and swallowing. Interpretations were performed based on impairments of autonomic processes, perception, cognition, emotion, and motor performance that occur in the disease.
TL;DR: A nursing theoretical framework of violence using predictive model testing was tested to support the need for further research to identify nursing concepts that contribute to patient violence.
Abstract: Research from a nursing perspective on factors related to psychiatric inpatient violence is lacking. The purpose of the study was to test a nursing theoretical framework of violence using predictive model testing. Data were collected by 57 nursing staff on 162 hospitalized patients in four hospitals. Inconsistencies in the social and therapeutic rules predicted 18% of the violent behavior. Demographic and medical variables contributing to violence were: history of violence towards others, length of hospitalization, and the diagnosis of substance abuse. The findings support the need for further research to identify nursing concepts that contribute to patient violence.
TL;DR: Investigation of the effects of maternal presence or absence and childrearing practices on young children's response to an injection indicated that while maternal presence was associated with the children behaving more distressed during the interview, maternal presence had no effect on child behavior during the immunization.
Abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of maternal presence or absence and childrearing practices on young children's response to an injection. One hundred thirty-eight mothers and their children, who were attending a health screening clinic, were assigned to one of four groups in which mothers were either present or absent during an interview and an immunization. Mothers were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their childrearing practices. Child behavior was observed during both the interview and the immunization. Results indicated that while maternal presence was associated with the children behaving more distressed during the interview, maternal presence had no effect on child behavior during the immunization. Children whose mothers reported high levels of both control and warmth in their relationship (authoritative parents) were found to be significantly less distressed during the immunization than children of either the low-control, high-warmth (permissive), high-control, low-warmth (authoritarian) or low-control, low-warmth (nonresponsive) parent groups.
TL;DR: Responses with children tended to have been more recently homeless than those without children, and this must be taken into consideration when planning services.
Abstract: Interviews were conducted with 337 homeless people in Utah. There were 266 men (79%) and 71 women (21%) with varied social networks: 76% alone, 4.7% single parents with children, 11.9% couples, and 7.4% in two-parent families. The majority of men were alone (86.9%), compared to only 35.2% of the women. The women were more likely than the men to have children (31% compared to 7%), to have had recent contact with their absent children, to express the expectation that their absent children would live with them again, and to be psychologically distressed (65.7% compared to 39%). Of the 41 with children, 61% were in two-parent families. Respondents with children tended to have been more recently homeless than those without children. The homeless are a heterogeneous population, and this must be taken into consideration when planning services.
TL;DR: The results suggested that nurses used a variety of problem-oriented and emotion-oriented coping strategies, which they found helpful, and overall stress and satisfaction was inversely related to experience and education, but unrelated to stress.
Abstract: The stress and coping of NICU nurses were examined in this study. Questionnaires were designed to measure the coping strategies used by the nurses (N = 30); the perceived helpfulness of the coping strategies; the frequency, controllability, and stressfulness of eight common NICU situations; and overall stress and satisfaction. The results suggested that nurses used a variety of problem-oriented and emotion-oriented coping strategies, which they found helpful. Common coping strategies were identified regardless of the NICU situation. Overall satisfaction was inversely related to experience and education, but unrelated to stress. The implications of these findings for managing stress and reducing burnout were discussed.
TL;DR: Initial tests suggest that the BACS is potentially useful for both research and clinical applications, and strong evidence for internal consistency and for construct validity is suggested using the multitrait method.
Abstract: Four studies were conducted to refine and test a newly developed instrument designed to identify caregivers who are at high risk for providing poor-quality care to a dependent elder in the home: the Beliefs About Caregiving Scale (BACS). The BACS was tested for internal consistency, stability, and construct validity. Results suggest strong evidence for internal consistency and for construct validity using the multitrait method as well as moderate evidence for construct validity using predictive modeling. Although further refinements are required, initial tests suggest that the BACS is potentially useful for both research and clinical applications.