Objective: To complement standardized measurement of symptoms, we developed and tested an efficient strategy for identifying (before treatment) and repeatedly assessing (during treatment) the problems identified as most important by caregivers and youths in psychotherapy. Method: A total of 178 outpatient-referred youths, 7-13 years of age, and…

Studies have found that individuals with bulimia nervosa can be classified into dietary and dietary-negative affect subtypes and that the latter exhibit greater eating pathology, psychiatric comorbidity, and functional impairment; a more protracted clinical course; and a worse treatment response. In this report, the authors describe 2 prospective…

Assessed criterion and concurrent validity of the Eating Attitudes Test and the Eating Disorder Inventory in 82 women with bulimia nervosa. Both tests demonstrated criterion validity by discriminating bulimia nervosa subjects from normals. Only weak support was found for concurrent validity within bulimia subjects. Recommends combination of…

In response to discussions by W. Mischel and by D. D. McClelland, attention is invited to the desirability of explicitly identifying general circumstances under which indirect assessment is superior to direct methods for assessing the same trait. (Author)

Assessed validity of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) as criterion instruments. The cognitive triad of the PIC was minimally correlated with all intelligence quotient measures and significantly correlated only for reading and…

The purpose of the research was to assess the diagnostic efficiency of the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC-PTSD) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) as clinical screening tools for active duty soldiers recently returned from a combat deployment. A secondary goal was to examine the item-level characteristics…

Divided the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Pd scale into obvious (O), neutral (N), and subtle (S) subscales. Using college students results were: Pd-O scores were the most powerful predictor of criterion; Pd-S scores made a smaller but unique contribution; and Pd-N scores made no contribution not already in Pd-O criterion…

The hypothesis was tested that subjects fake personality tests by enacting a specific social role, rather than by responding in terms of personality constructs, and that such role faking cannot be detected by validity scales. Results support the hypothesis. (Author)

Describes the development of a 20-item measure of irrational belief that asks only about irrational belief and not about anxiety reactions. Two studies of the scale produced evidence that it has good internal consistency and good test retest reliability. Three additional studies of the scale found evidence of validity. (Author/NB)

Examined the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal intent and whether the Beck Hopelessness Scale is confounded by social desirability, by interviewing attempted suicide patients (N=54). Results showed that hopelessness was the key variable in predicting suicidal behavior and ideation, and social desirability had no influence on…

Administered Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to clinically depressed and nondepressed inpatients, and compared scores from its Depression scale with scores from the Beck Depression Inventory. Demonstrated a positive linear relationship between the two measures and their ability to discriminate between depressed and nondepressed…

To provide cross-validation data for the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, classification rates were determined for 220 physical child abusers and matched control subjects. Using all protocols, a discriminant analysis indicated the Abuse scale correctly classified 85.4% of the subjects, with 82.7% of the abusers and 88.2% of the control subjects…

Abikoff, Gittelman-Klein, and Klein validated a behavioral observation system for use with hyperactive children. Authors selected a used coding system, trained observers to monitor classroom behavior of hyperactive children, and evaluated reliability, stability, and criterion-related validity of the system. Methodology was reviewed. Suggestions…

MMPI values were used to find the relationship of field dependency to personality traits and styles of pathological adjustment in psychiatric outpatients. The investigation had separate analyses for the patient's sex and found it an important variable in predicting the relationship between test score and dependency and adjustment. (ED)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE) are frequent and disabling consequences of surviving severe injury. The majority of those who develop these problems are not identified or treated. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a screening instrument that identifies, during hospitalization, adults at high…