The underlying structure of the Postconcussion Syndrome Questionnaire (PCS) was evaluated in a large sample of 1,116 medical and psychiatric patients. Balancing internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis, and parsimony results in endorsement of the four-factor solution for the PCS for this sample. (SLD)

Reliability and validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Scale, a measure developed for adults, were studied for adolescents using a sample of 223 adolescents ages 12 to 18, from community and clinical sources. Results demonstrate that the instrument is a reliable and valid measure of social phobia for adolescents. (SLD)

A new procedure, the Letter Memory Test, was developed for evaluating adequacy of effort given during neuropsychological testing. It is a computer-administered forced-choice recognition task. In three studies involving nearly 400 patients and community volunteers, the test discriminated among poorly and highly motivated groups, and its internal…

Eight subtests were selected from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Third Edition (WISC-III) to make a short form for clinical use. Results with the 2,200 children from the WISC-III standardization sample indicated the adequate reliability and validity of the short form for clinical use. (SLD)

The Paired-Associate Recognition Test (PART) was developed to test declarative memory using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test stimuli. The reliability and construct validity of the PART were studied with 55 healthy adults. Overall results indicate that the PART can be administered reliably and that it requires declarative memory processes. (SLD)

A self-report, paper-and-pencil version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Hamilton Depression Inventory, was developed and tested with 140 depressed adults, 99 adults with anxiety disorders, and 118 nonreferred adults. Overall, data support the reliability and validity of the new measure. (SLD)

Provides psychometric information on the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (A. Beck, R. Steer, and G. Brown, 1996) for internal consistency, factorial validity, and gender differences. Results indicate that the BDI-II is a stronger instrument than its predecessor in terms of factor structure. (SLD)

Seven separate studies over 3.5 years developed the Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory, examined its internal consistency, factor structure, and the questionnaire's convergent and discriminant validity. Results with college students, veterans, and battered women support the conceptualization of trauma-related guilt as a multidimensional construct.…

One month test-retest reliability of the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) was examined in 88 methadone-maintained males, along with effects of increased information about patients on PCL-R scores and diagnostic derivations. Test-retest reliabilities are quite good. Other findings also confirm potential utility of the PCL-R for research. (SLD)

When 197 disadvantaged older medical patients completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the instrument demonstrated high internal consistency and no significant differences by sex or race, suggesting that it is appropriate for use with diverse populations. Total instrument scores correlated negatively with age. (SLD)

A developed computer-administered form of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and the clinician form of the instrument were administered to 214 psychiatric outpatients and 78 community adults. Results support the reliability and validity of the computer-administered version as an alternative to the clinician-administered version. (SLD)

In a counterbalanced, within subjects, repeated measures design, 130 undergraduates were administered the Computer-Assisted Hypnosis Scale (CAHS) and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale and were hypnotized. The CAHS was shown to be a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring hypnotic ability. (SLD)

A new instrument, the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C), was developed. Results from 6 studies with nearly 600 children indicate that the SPAI-C is a reliable and valid measure for childhood social anxiety and fear. It may be useful for improving clinical assessment and documenting treatment outcomes. (SLD)

In the context of developing assessment instruments in psychology, issues of standardization, norming procedures, and test reliability and validity are discussed. Criteria, guidelines, and rules of thumb are provided to help the clinician with instrument selection for a given psychological assessment. (SLD)

Development of a parent report measure for assessing the quality of life of children with cancer is described. The Pediatric Oncology Quality of Life Scale assesses physical function and role restriction, emotional distress, and reaction to current medical treatment. Reliability and validity assessments provide preliminary support for the…