Reviews the rationale and concepts involved in the behavioral evaluation of delinquents and provides several approaches and instruments for organizing information about youths in trouble. Provides a format and process for preparing a behavioral assessment report. (Author/LHW)

Adaptive behavior scales can be very helpful in the overall assessment of minority children. In some states they are mandatory. Their weaknesses, particularly with the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, are sampling bias and appropriateness in the areas of culture, language, and socioeconomic status. (Author)

Results indicate that the scale is psychometrically sound and has discriminant validity in relation to the Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory Sex Guilt subscale. The clinical implications of distinguishing between sexual anxiety and sexual guilt are discussed. (Author)

Describes a specific empirical method for the systematic observation of examiner behavior during psychoeducational assessments, the Systematic Observation Scale for Assessments (SOS-A). Discusses development of the instrument and presents data on intra- and interobserver agreement. The instrument is regarded as an initially adequate method for…

Reports construction of editions of the child behavior profile for boys aged 12-16 and girls aged 6-11 and 12-16 years, as well as reliability and stability findings, comparisons between normal children and those referred for mental health services, and comparisons with findings for 6- to 11-year-old boys. (Author)

Behavioral assessment methods for measuring the social development of exceptional children include teacher nominations, rankings, rating scales, and checklists. Use of direct observation procedures in analogue (simulated) and naturalistic settings can pinpoint antecedents and consequences of social behavior and provide goals for intervention. (CL)

Faschingbauer offered guidelines in selecting MMPI short forms as substitutes for the MMPI. This reviews empirical studies of the clinical validity of MMPI short forms and discusses MMPI-168, not considered in Faschingbauer's earlier article. Empirical evidence favors the Faschingbauer Abbreviated MMPI and the MMPI-168 over others. (Author)

Examined the dimensionality of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Factors were identified and labeled as Mathematics Text Anxiety and Numerical Anxiety. Factor-derived scales were developed and correlated with five specific anxiety scales and an arithmetic test. (Author)

Examined the psychometric properties of the Peer Nomination Inventory of Depression (PNID). Reliability proved highly acceptable. Content validity was determined by experts' judgments. Subjects with high PNID scores exhibited depressed intellectual functioning, poor social behavior, and diminished ebullience. (Author)

Two independent dimensions emerged as underlying participants' ratings of psychotherapy sessions, a depth/value dimension, and a smoothness/ease dimension. Clients and therapists showed moderately high agreement in how they described sessions on these two dimensions, indicating that both reacted in part to objectively observable features of the…

Since imagery is a unidimensional variable, all measures of imagery, both questionnaires and behavioral, should be correlated; this, however, has not been supported by earlier research. Therefore, a new questionnaire on mental imagery--the Differential Imagery Questionnaire (DIQ)--was developed which taps four types of imagery: word imagery (WI);…

The significant difference between life-event scores of mothers providing adequate care and of mothers providing inadequate care indicates that environmental stress is an important factor in the etiology of child abuse and neglect. However, there are multiple causes and stress is only one part of the explanation. (Author)

The results support the contention that the Occupational Alternatives Question, in spite of its simplicity, yields coherent and meaningful results relative to vocational indecision. Expressed choice, as delineated, has a useful degree of concurrent validity with other measures of vocational indecision. (Author)

Explores relevant research on appropriate use of adaptive behavior measures as assessment tool with handicapped children in institutional settings. Presents issues in adaptive behavior assessment and guidelines for practitioners to provide an empirical rationale for test interpretation. (Author/CM)

Proposes a behavioral assessment model which specifies three types of assessment information: direct observations, rating scale data, and interview data. Discusses characteristics of these three types of assessment information, with recommendations for their use. Suggests two psychological models to guide school psychologists through the…