The Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: Reliability and Validity for Use Among 5 to 8 Year Olds with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) is the instrument of choice for assessing symptom severity in older children (i.e., 8–18 years) diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The reliability and validity of this measure for use among younger children (i.e., 5–8 years of age), however, has never been examined. The primary aim of this study was to examine this scale’s use among those presenting with early childhood OCD. Forty-two children with OCD between the ages of 4 and 8 years of age were recruited as part of a larger treatment outcome study, and the reliability and validity of the CY-BOCS was examined. Results revealed questionable reliability for the measure’s 5-item Obsessions subscale but good reliability (i.e., internal consistency, temporal stability) for the 5-item Compulsions subscale and 10-item total scale. Results also revealed that the CY-BOCS total scale demonstrated mixed discriminant validity but strong convergent validity and sensitive to change. Collectively, the 10-item, CY-BOCS total score yields a reliable and valid scale for the assessment of symptom severity in early childhood OCD. However, we urge caution in use of the Obsessions subscale in isolation for either clinical or research purposes. Limitations and future areas of research are discussed including the potential benefit of developing a measure of OCD-related symptom severity specifically for younger children with greater attention to developmental differences among children within this population.     

Aetiology of spider phobia: classificatory differences between two origins instruments

The origins of fear of spiders was investigated in 33 spider phobic Ss entering a treatment study. All Ss completed Menzies and Clarke's (1993a) Origins Questionnaire (OQ) (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31, 355–365) and Öst and Hugdahl's (1981) Phobic Origins Questionnaire (POQ) (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 19, 439–447). The results for the individual questionnaires were similar to those reported in previous studies. However a comparison of assignments of origin category for the two questionnaires showed widely discrepant results. The POQ returned 17 positive responses for classical conditioning, the OQ only 2. By contrast the OQ returned 10 origins as ‘non-conditioning traumatic event’, 9 of which returned positive responses for classical conditioning on the POQ. A further 15 Ss on the OQ were categorised as ‘always been this way’, the preponderance of these being classified as vicarious or informational in origin on the POQ. The POQ does not have a specific question or category for non-associative acquisition of phobias. The results of the origins assignments are detailed and their relation to the structure and questions of the questionnaires is outlined. Past studies using the POQ have produced results supporting acquisition of a substantial proportion of phobias by classical conditioning. The findings of this study suggest that such results mainly reflect inherent bias in that instrument.     

Learning history in fear of blushing

Two studies, investigating the learning history (i.e. traumatic conditioning experiences, vicarious learning, informational learning) of individuals with and without fear of blushing, are presented. In study 1, individuals high (n=61) and low (n=59) in fear of blushing completed the (revised) Phobic Origin Questionnaire [POQ; Öst, L. G., & Hugdahl, K. (1981). Acquisition of phobias and anxiety response patterns in clinical patients. Behavior Research and Therapy, 19, 439–447]. In study 2, individuals who applied for treatment for fear of blushing (n=31) and a nonfearful, matched control group (n=31) were interviewed with the same instrument, taking into account only specific memories. High fearful individuals reported more negative learning experiences in connection with blushing than low fearful individuals, irrespective of the type of questioning. Meanwhile, study 1 (written POQ) produced higher percentages of negative learning experiences for both high and low fearful individuals than study 2 (interview). It is concluded that the POQ interview showed a more realistic picture than the written POQ. The possible role of learning history in the acquisition of fear of blushing is discussed.     

Angry Thoughts and Response to Provocation: Validity of the Angry Cognitions Scale

Recently, Martin and Dahlen (J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther 25:155–173, 2007) developed the Angry Cognitions Scale (ACS), a theoretically derived instrument designed to measure the cognitive processes related to anger. This instrument has the potential to inform clinical and research perspectives of anger. Although preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the ACS was positive, further research is required regarding the ACS’s temporal stability and predictive validity. The current project sought to address this concern by assessing the six-week test–retest reliability of the ACS, exploring relationships between the ACS subscales and the experience and expression of anger, and assessing the ability of the ACS to predict cognitive and emotional responses to provocation. The ACS demonstrated adequate test–retest reliability and predicted hostile thoughts and state anger following provocation. Thus, results contribute to the literature on the ACS and support its use as a measure of cognitive processes associated with anger.     

资质过剩感影响组织公民行为的情绪路径

本研究从员工情绪以及情绪调节的视角,考察了资质过剩感对员工组织公民行为的影响机制。通过对534名企事业员工的问卷调查数据进行分析,结果表明:员工的资质过剩感对其组织公民行为具有显著的消极作用;工作愤怒在资质过剩感与员工组织公民行为之间起部分中介作用;不同的情绪调节方式对员工资质过剩感与其工作愤怒的正向关系有不同的调节作用,认知重评方式有助于缓解资质过剩感对愤怒以及组织公民行为的消极影响,而表达抑制方式的调节作用恰恰相反。这一研究结果表明了情绪调节在工作领域中所发挥的作用,具有一定理论意义与实际价值。     

Reliability and Validity of the Gamblers Anonymous Twenty Questions

One of the earliest instruments to screen for problem gambling, the Twenty Questions (20Q), was developed within Gamblers Anonymous. This instrument has not received serious research attention, however, and its psychometric properties are generally unknown. This study reports reliability and validity data for this instrument in 3 independent samples totaling 456 participants: two samples of problem gamblers in treatment and a non-treatment sample of problem gamblers. The Twenty Questions was shown to possess high reliability as measured by Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent, convergent and predictive validity of the 20Q supported the use of this instrument as an acceptable screening instrument. Classification analyses indicated that the 20Q is comparable to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling in specificity, sensitivity and rates of false negatives and false positives. The 20Q appears to be a reliable and valid measure of problem gambling and warrants continued research attention.     

Further Validation for a New Measure of Irrational Cognitions

A test of commonly held irrational beliefs, postulated by Albert Ellis to contribute to psychopathology, was devised by Jones (1969) for research and clinical use. A previously published study by the authors (1972) provides support for the validity of the instrument. Additional data from that study bearing on the reliability and construct validity of the Irrational Beliefs Test are presented here and discussed. The instrument is viewed as having value for measuring cognitive aspects of psychopathology and psychotherapeutic change.     

Dimensional Assessment of Emotional Disorder Outcomes in Transdiagnostic Treatment: A Clinical Case Study

Current classification systems for mental disorders emphasize categorical assessment. In the domain of emotional disorders, this is inconsistent with a growing consensus that anxiety, depressive, and related disorders are best conceptualized as variations on shared underlying processes, chiefly heightened negative affect, and aversion to unwanted emotional experiences. Dimensional assessment of transdiagnostic emotional disorder constructs offers advantages for clinical and research applications, including increased parsimony and improved validity, yet there are drawbacks to many dimensional assessment systems for emotional disorders. The case presented in this paper illustrates the potential clinical utility of a new self-report instrument—the Multidimensional Emotional Disorders Inventory (MEDI)—which assesses nine dimensions characteristic of emotional disorders. MEDI scores for a highly comorbid patient are examined over the course of transdiagnostic emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral treatment. At baseline, midtreatment, and posttreatment, the MEDI offered information above and beyond DSM categorical assessment, including detection of subclinical symptoms and symptom change, while remaining parsimonious. Implications for possible use as a treatment planning instrument, integration with categorical assessment, and future research directions are discussed.     

Parent and Teacher Ratings of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Preschool: The ADHD Rating Scale-IV Preschool Version

Efforts for early identification and intervention for children with AD/HD have necessitated the development of rating scales of behavior for the preschool population. The standardization, reliability, and validity data were presented for the ADHD Rating Scale-IV Preschool Version. Parent and teacher ratings were collected on 902 and 977 children 3 to 5 years of age, respectively. Raw scores for the Inattention, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity and Total scores were converted to T-Scores and percentile ranks. Reliability coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 0.95 indicating good test–retest reliability. Concurrent validity with the Conners Teacher Rating Scales: Revised-Short and Conners Parent Rating Scale: Revised-Short ranged from 0.54 to 0.96. The ADHD-Rating Scale-IV appears to be a reliable, valid and user friendly measure for screening preschoolers with behavior problems. Future research is needed to validate its widespread use as a screening and diagnostic tool.     

Psychometric properties and validation of the Swedish Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in a clinical and non-clinical sample among meditators and non-meditators

Over a period of 15 years several attempts to conceptualize mindfulness have been presented and revised, but there is still no clear or agreed-upon definition. The use of mindfulness-based interventions has increased in clinical and research settings the last couple of years, including in Sweden. As a clinician it is crucial to know if a treatment works through the theoretically postulated mechanisms of change. Mindfulness is a concept that is difficult to measure. The overall aim of the current project was to examine the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ_SWE) using three different studies. To test the construct validity of the FFMQ_SWE a hierarchal confirmatory factor analysis was performed in a meditating non-clinical sample, to examine if all the five facets would load on an overall mindfulness construct. Psychometric properties of the instrument were examined in a non-clinical and a clinical sample, and discriminative relationships with other variables were analysed. The convergent validity was examined by analysing the correlations between FFMQ_SWE and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Sense of Coherence and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Test-retest reliability was tested by distributing FFMQ_SWE at two occasions. The hierarchal confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit in a population of meditators. The FFMQ_SWE showed good convergent validity and test-retest reliability in both clinical and non-clinical populations. In sum, the Swedish version of the FFMQ showed good psychometric properties and can be a useful instrument as an evaluation of treatment effects in both health care settings and research settings.     

The Self-Control and Self-Management Scale (SCMS): Development of an Adaptive Self-Regulatory Coping Skills Instrument

Self-control and self-management skills (SCMSk) represent a cognitive-behavioral coping skills model that has been successfully applied to assessment and treatment. Nevertheless, no general adult self-report instrument has been developed to measure this important construct. The 16-item Self-Control and Self-Management Scale (SCMS) was developed as a new adult self-report instrument designed to be a general trait measure of SCMSk. In Study 1, the item pool was generated and revised based on the current literature and feedback from content validity experts. In Study 2, based on responses from a multiethnic student sample (n = 302), factor analytic procedures and rational item selection were used to produce a reliable and construct valid instrument. The findings of both studies support the further evaluation of the SCMS as a research and applied instrument, and suggest its potential current use in student and counseling settings given obtained relationships with anxiety, depression, and weight-management competencies.     

Measuring Treatment Outcome for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances: Discriminant Validity and Clinical Significance of the Child and Adolescent Functioning Assessment Scale

We investigated the use of a popular measure, the Children and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), in treatment outcome research. The sample included 70 children who had been discharged from an elementary therapeutic classroom (Intensive Mental Health Program). Significant relationships were found between decreases in CAFAS scores and optimal educational placement, contributing to evidence of the scale’s discriminant validity. Clinically significant change in CAFAS scores was also investigated, with a 30 point change in score most accurately discriminating between placements after discharge. Further investigations of real world outcomes versus changes in score on this measure are warranted.     

Construct validation of a measure of ingratiatory behaviour in organizational settings

To assess the construct validity of an instrument for Measuring Ingratiatory Behaviour in Organizational settings (MIBOS), 51 supervisors completed a 12-item version of the scale, indicating the frequency with which they used ingratiatory behavior at work. Their immediate superiors (targets of the ingratiation attempts) rated the subject on four hypothesized correlates of ingratiation tactics, liking for the subject, feeling comfortable in the subject’s company, subject’s perceived career success and subject’s perceived job performance. Each of the correlations between MIBOS and these superior ratings were significant, suggesting that the instrument possesses sufficient validity to justify its use in future research into ingratiation in organizations.     

Defining and Assessing Problem‐Solving Style: Design and Development of a New Tool

VIEW: An Assessment of Problem Solving Style (Selby, Treffinger, & Isaksen, 2002) is a new instrument for assessing problem‐solving style, for use with individuals from ages 12 through adult. It measures three dimensions of style relating to creative problem solving and change management. In this article, we discuss the construction of the instrument, the initial evidence supporting the instrument's reliability and validity, and a very brief overview of the instrument's foundations. Our reliability data involve both stability and internal consistency. We report evidence for the criterion‐related validity, based on correlational studies with relevant measures of learning style, cognitive style, and psychological type. We also conducted principal components factor analyses that support our three‐factor structure. Researchers and practitioners studying and applying Creative Problem Solving and change management methods can use VIEW in several ways. Finally, we identify several research directions that will contribute to the refinement and development of the instrument as well as to a better understanding of the “problem‐solving style” construct.     

Therapist Use-of-Self Orientations Questionnaire: A Reliability and Validity Study

This article describes the development of the Therapist Use-of-Self Orientation Questionnaire (TUSO-Q), an instrument designed to measure therapists’ use-of-self orientations while working with clients. A total of 373 therapists participated in this study. Exploratory factor analysis in the structural equation modeling context revealed three different therapist use-of-self orientations: Transpersonal, Contextual, and Instrumental. The final model provided an excellent fit to the data. TUSO-Q scores exhibited satisfactory evidence of internal consistency reliability and construct validity. Implications for the scale’s use in clinical research and training are discussed.     

The Psychometric Properties of the Serbian Translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity: A Study among Eastern Orthodox Christians

The Serbian translation of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity was developed and tested among a sample of 222 students attending Niš University who self-identified as Eastern Orthodox. The data supported the internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity of this instrument, and commended it for further use in contributing to comparative empirical research within the psychology of religion.     

资质过剩感对个体绩效的作用效果及机制：基于情绪-认知加工系统与文化情境的元分析

近年来, 资质过剩作为一种特殊的个人-环境不匹配现象, 引发了较多学者的关注, 但相关研究结论尚有争议。对包含383项独立研究、945个效应值及575061个研究样本的321篇文献开展元分析：(1)直接效应检验表明, 资质过剩感与消极情绪(愤怒、无聊)显著正相关, 与积极自我概念(自尊、自我效能感)的相关性不显著; 在个体绩效方面, 资质过剩感与消极角色外行为(反生产行为、离职)显著正相关, 与积极角色外行为(创新、组织公民行为等)和任务绩效的相关性不显著。(2) 结构方程模型元分析表明, 资质过剩感能够通过增强消极情绪, 进而增加消极角色外行为、减少积极角色外行为和任务绩效; 能够通过增强积极自我概念, 进而增加积极角色外行为和任务绩效、减少消极角色外行为; (3)集体主义文化倾向在资质过剩感通过情绪-认知加工系统影响个体绩效的过程中发挥调节作用, 在高集体主义文化情境中, 资质过剩感对消极情绪的负向影响较弱, 且能对积极自我概念产生正向影响; 在低集体主义文化情境中, 资质过剩感对消极情绪的负向影响较强, 且能对积极自我概念产生负向影响。(4)资质过剩感与个人-工作匹配相关性较强, 与个人-组织匹配相关性较弱; 与二者相比, 资质过剩感对压力感、离职的预测效果最强。研究结果有助于理解资质过剩感对个体绩效的复杂作用机制和边界条件, 并为组织如何管理资质过剩员工提供参考。     

The Development and Validation of the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale

The development, reliability, and validity of a new instrument, the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale (MAPS), is described. Based on a sample of 181 university students, the results indicate that the MAPS has strong internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability. In addition, an assessment of concurrent and discriminant validity indicates statistically significant correlations with other self-report measures of anxiety, hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and fear of AIDS. The results of a factor analysis indicate that the scale consists of two factors: Fear of Infection and Fear of Others/Avoidance. Although further research with the MAPS in a clinical population is warranted to investigate the generalizability of this study's results, the instrument appears to be a reliable and valid measure of AIDS Phobia and may prove useful for improving clinical assessment and documenting treatment outcome.