Compared two types of empirical study with two types of conceptual research on the validity of the Rorschach. Argues that the Rorschach does have some validity and that poor research is at least partly culpable for the Rorschach's perceived failure. (Author/BL)

Assessed the utility of the Velten mood induction procedure over two sessions. Students (N=72) read 25 or 50 statements that were elative, neutral, or depressive. On both days, statements were found to significantly influence mood ratings. Reading a full set of statements (50) had the greatest impact. (JAC)

Conducted systematic descriptive review of social support literature, outlining measurement problems, identifying nature of assessment inadequacies, and providing recommendations for future. Reviewed 262 empirically based articles published between 1980 and 1987. Designed system to organize data on sample characteristics, type of instrument,…

Replicated a previous investigation that compared a global measure of life change events (the Schedule of Recent Experience) with a restricted negative measure (the Life Experience Survey) in association with self-reported anxiety and depressive symptomatology. The previous finding of the superiority of the negative events measure was not…

Performed a principal axes factor anlaysis on Mini-Mult item data obtained from 249 medical and psychiatric patients. Six factors were extracted. Nonoverlapping summative scales were constructed and their reliabilities evaluated. The scales were recommended for applications in which it is desirable to avoid excessive item overlap. (JAC)

Appplied formulae for estimating the validity of random short forms to Reynolds' data on six short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne. Results showed some, but not all, of the short forms considered by Reynolds were appreciably better than random. (JAC)

Performed confirmatory factor analyses on the standardization data for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) to test competing two- and three-factor hypotheses. Results slightly favored the three-factor solution, but must be weighed against the greater convenience of the two-factor…

Contrary to prior assumptions, matched groups differed from each other nearly as much as they did from the unmatched group. This has implications for the ability to generalize from interspousal data even when comparison groups are matched on several traditional variables. (Author)

Reviewed clinical usefulness of obvious and subtle Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory subscales in the detection of malingering. Comparison of obvious-subtle differences indicative of malingering (Greene's criteria) and observed differences on random-response protocols were found to be indistinguishable. (Author/JAC)

Neither sex-ratio nor gender differences in depression were found in adult sample, similar to pattern found among university students. No demographic variable was correlated significantly with depression. Suggests results may be due to the elimination of face-to-face interviews, which expose males to greater negative repercussions for exhibiting…

Presented for 64 subjects a replication of the Family Environment Scale's maximum likelihood factor structure for which the two-factor, Varimax-rotated solution was found to be stable when the correlations among the subscales were corrected for the effects of social desirability response bias. (Author)

Investigated stimulus context (therapy session versus therapy description) and stimulus medium (audiovisual versus written) in preferences for the behavioral and person-centered orientations. Behavioral orientation was preferred when both orientations were presented audiovisually as a therapy session. Conversely, the person-centered orientation…

Used the Family Environment Scale to study order effects and nature of differences between subjects' (N=66) ratings of their current and past families. Results indicated that the order of administration is significant and that differences are due to intergenerational differences rather than to differences in current-past family functioning. (LLL)

Assessed whether accounting for variables in the scoring of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) would improve the predictive validity of the inventory. Results from 107 sets of questionnaires showed that income and level of education are significant predictors of the capacity to cope with stress. (JAC)

Provides a brief synopsis of the utility of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) short forms with psychiatric, medical and normal samples. Strengths and limitations of each MMPI short form are discussed. (Author)