Using a Modified NMZ Scale to Predict the Vocational Outcomes of Psychiatric Patients

A sample of 80 patients at a mental health institute were rated on a modified NMZ Scale. The medical factor and age factor were changed into more appropriate forms for such a population. The educational and occupational factors were left in the original NMZ Scale. The sample was followed up, at least 12 months later, to determine the patients' vocational status. Using a multiple correlation with this scale, an r of .75 was determined in predicting later vocational status, with only two items remaining out of those used. A cross-validation check using 30 patients incorrectly identified six people in terms of their later vocational status and produced a significant phi coefficient of .53. The results are discussed.     

The Motivations for and Outcomes of Employee Referrals

Research on employee referrals demonstrates positive outcomes for the recruited individual and the organization. However, little research addressed employees who make employment referrals, also known as employee recommenders. To address this gap in knowledge, we developed a conceptual model and present the theoretical basis for addressing the motivation of, and organizational outcomes associated with, employees who make employment recommendations. The model is based on the theories of word-of-mouth communication, cognitive dissonance, self-perception, and attitude change through self-persuasion. Partial support for the model was found in an experimental design simulating an employee referral situation. Results showed an increase in normative commitment of recommenders.     

The Advantages of Using Standardized Scores in Causal Analysis

This article compares the usefulness of standard score results (such as correlations and standardized regression coefficients) to that of raw scores results (such as covariances and raw score regression coefficients). The 2 main advantages of presenting standardized results is then examined. First, reporting standardized coefficients allows recognition of causal relationships that replicate across studies, facilitating meta‐analysis. Second, an analysis with standardized coefficients allows the researcher to determine which of the predictor variables has the largest relative impact on the criterion variable. The implications of these 2 standardized score advantages are demonstrated with examples.     

Penalized Best Linear Prediction of True Test Scores

Psychometrika - In best linear prediction (BLP), a true test score is predicted by observed item scores and by ancillary test data. If the use of BLP rather than a more direct estimate of a true...     

The Future Is Now: Promoting Professionalism Among Counselors-in-Training

The authors address the need for promoting professionalism among graduate students and new counselors and outline specific, practical suggestions for incorporating professional development activities into training, supervision, professional, and organizational practice.     

Description and Prediction of Diversity Among Junior Colleges

Diversity in student characteristics at 79 junior colleges was examined. An attempt was made to predict each of 22 student characteristics on the basis of factor scores developed by Richards, Rand, and Rand from published information. Freshmen at the 79 junior colleges were shown to differ widely from each other in level of academic input, major goals in attending college, plans and aspirations, features that made the college attractive to them, degree of influence exerted by others, and significant out-of-class achievements. Most of these differences were related to one or more of the factor scores, but the multiple correlations were too low to permit the substitution of one set of data for the other without a significant loss in accuracy. Implications for characterizing junior colleges, for the naming of factor scores, and for junior college research are discussed.     

Prediction of Future Events Scale: Assessment of Beliefs about Predicting the Future

Abstract

Three hundred forty-nine American college students rated 60 beliefs about predicting future events. The items were factor analyzed revealing seven dimensions: Paranormal Divinatory Procedures, Psychically Gifted Persons, Scientifically Validated Forecasting Procedures, Animal Behavioral Prediction, Everyone Can Predict the Future, Religious Determinism, and Determinism Versus Freedom. A 21-item Prediction of Future Events (PFE) Scale was constructed by selecting marker items for each of the seven dimensions. The PFE Scale showed satisfactory reliability and hypothesized correlations with measures of intuition, locus of control, and enjoyment of/participation in games of chance.     

Using Motive Scores in the Psychobiographical Study of an Individual: The Case of Richard Nixon

ABSTRACT Content analysis measures of imagery for the achievement, affiliation-intimacy, and power motives were applied to Richard Nixon's 1969 first inaugural address The resulting motive profile–high achievement, high affiliation-intimacy, and average in power motivation–was validated through a systematic analysis of the course of Nixon's everyday behavior as reported in the memoirs of six aides, and was also used to explain several paradoxes of Nixon's political career     

Comparison of MMPI-2 and MMPI Clinical Scales and High-Point Scores Among Methadone Maintenance Clients

Methadone client volunteers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1967) and MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) on consecutive days. MMPI2 T-scores were lower by a mean of 4.7 on the clinical scales; when 5 points were added to MMPI-2 T-scores the mean difference was 2.3. Rank order of subjects on scale T-scores was not significantly different between the two instruments. High-point similarity for clinically elevated profile pairs ranged from 61% to 92%, depending upon definition of similarity.     

Helicopter Parenting and Drinking Outcomes Among College Students: The Moderating Role of Family Income

Journal of Adult Development - Helicopter parenting, a form of overcontrol defined by intense levels of monitoring and supervision, has been linked to an increase in risky behaviors in emerging...     

The Prediction of Achievement Motivation Using Performance and Attributional Variables

This study was designed to predict achievement motivation with attributions and performance in English course work among 346 ninth-grade boys and girls. Multiple regression analysis indicated that attribution of success to ability was the best predictor of achievement motivation. This finding diverges from previous work that supports the hypothesis that attribution of success to effort is a better predictor. The use of performance as an indicator variable showed that nonfailing students had higher levels of achievement motivation than did failing students.     

Prediction of Needle Sharing Among Injection Drug Users1

The aim of the present study was to identify the psychosocial factors associated with the intention and behavior of not sharing used needles and syringes among 459 intravenous drug users (IDUs). The intention to not share used needles was positively associated with personal normative beliefs and self‐efficacy; it was negatively related to the proportion of injections with lending used needles and borrowing syringes from sexual partners. Borrowing used needles was negatively associated with intention whereas loaning syringes was positively related to a negative HIV test result. These results suggest that it is only when a direct personal exposure to HIV infection is possible (borrowing) that intention not to borrow is highlighted. Moreover, being HIV positive appears to reduce loaning used syringes.     

Psychosocial Correlates and Outcomes of Yoga or Walking Among Older Adults

Few researchers have compared psychological correlates and outcomes of yoga with more traditional forms of exercise. The authors' primary aim was to compare changes in the psychosocial outcomes of mood and state anxiety produced by an acute bout of yoga or walking among older adults. The secondary aim was to compare selected psychosocial correlates of activity. Participants were 51 adults who were 50 years of age or older who walked for exercise or participated in a yoga class. Results revealed that yoga participants had significantly greater levels of depression and perceived barriers to exercise, and lower quality of life than did walkers. With control for these differences, yoga practitioners had improved levels of fatigue pre- to postsession, compared with walkers. With control for differences in demographic variables, these changes were no longer significant. It is possible that yoga practitioners seek out mindful-based exercise to cope with greater levels of depression and lower levels of quality of life.     

对罗夏测验中某些认知发展质量记分及相应部位记分的解释

1　前言　　罗夏测验是临床心理学界用得最广的心理测验之一 ,但由于其心理计量学特征不易确定 ,因而多受批评和怀疑。批判和怀疑态度的产生是因为不同的罗夏系统 (指Ｂｅｃｋ、Ｋｉｏｐｆｅｒ、Ｐｉｏｔｒｏｗｓｋｉ、Ｈｅｒｔｚ和Ｒａｐａｐｏｒｔ的系统 )在施测、记分时没有统一的标准 ,多数人视之为投射测验 ,解释时使用了精神分析理论。Ｅｘｎｅｒ(1978,1986)提出了综合罗夏系统 ,统一了施测和记分的标准 ,在实证研究的基础上建立了解释系统 ,肯定了其信度和效度。综合罗夏系统能鉴别精神分裂症、抑郁、强迫等异常心理 ,是临床诊断的有…     

Prediction of Vocational Success Among Emotionally Impaired and Learning-Disabled Persons

Successful predictors of vocational success among psychiatric populations include (a) having been married, (b) having held full-time work, and (c) not having been diagnosed as learning disabled.     

Family Treatment of Child Anxiety: Outcomes,Limitations and Future Directions

Anxiety of childhood is a common and serious condition. The past decade has seen an increase in treatment-focussed research, with recent trials tending to give greater attention to parents in the treatment process. This review examines the efficacy of family-based cognitive behaviour therapy and attempts to delineate some of the factors that might have an impact on its efficacy. The choice and timing of outcome measure, age and gender of the child, level of parental anxiety, severity and type of child anxiety and treatment format and content are scrutinised. The main conclusions are necessarily tentative, but it seems likely that Family Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (FCBT) is superior to no treatment, and, for some outcome measures, also superior to Child Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CCBT). Where FCBT is successful, the results are consistently maintained at follow-up. It appears that where a parent is anxious, and this is not addressed, outcomes are less good. However, for children of anxious parents, FCBT is probably more effective than CCBT. What is most clear is that large, well-designed studies, examining these factors alone and in combination, are now needed.     

Self-Efficacy in Romantic Relationships: Prediction of Relationship Attitudes and Outcomes

ABSTRACT

Three studies examine discriminant and predictive validity of a self-report measure of self -efficacy in romantic relationships (Self-Efficacy in Romantic Relationships; SERR). Study 1 indicates SERR scores predict relationship anxiety and expectations of relationship success when general self-efficacy, self-esteem, social desirability, and efficacy beliefs about relating to specific relationship partners are considered. Study 2 indicates SERR scores predict later relationship satisfaction and commitment when relationship type and length are considered. Study 3 indicates that SERR scores predict later relationship outcomes when other self-efficacy indicators are considered. The SERR assesses broad feelings of relationship self-efficacy, independent of specific relationships or partners.     

The Use of Propensity Scores in Mediation Analysis

Mediation analysis uses measures of hypothesized mediating variables to test theory for how a treatment achieves effects on outcomes and to improve subsequent treatments by identifying the most efficient treatment components. Most current mediation analysis methods rely on untested distributional and functional form assumptions for valid conclusions, especially regarding the relation between the mediator and outcome variables. Propensity score methods offer an alternative whereby the propensity score is used to compare individuals in the treatment and control groups who would have had the same value of the mediator had they been assigned to the same treatment condition. This article describes the use of propensity score weighting for mediation with a focus on explicating the underlying assumptions. Propensity scores have the potential to offer an alternative estimation procedure for mediation analysis with alternative assumptions from those of standard mediation analysis. The methods are illustrated investigating the mediational effects of an intervention to improve sense of mastery to reduce depression using data from the Job Search Intervention Study (JOBS II). We find significant treatment effects for those individuals who would have improved sense of mastery when in the treatment condition but no effects for those who would not have improved sense of mastery under treatment.