A comparison of two measures of egocentrism

This study examined the relationship between two prominent measures of egocentrism, Enright's Adolescent Egocentrism Scale (AES) and Elkind's Imaginary Audience Scale (IAS), in a sample of 458 adolescents, between 10 and 15 years old. Both correlational and factor analyses indicated that the two measures assess distinctly different phenomena. As predicted, IAS scores were correlated with self-reported levels of shyness, nervousness, and social skills. These results provide partial evidence for the validity of the IAS as a measure of self-consciousness, though not necessarily egocentrism per se. The validity of the AES was not examined.     

A comparison of two objective measures of sexual arousal of women

The efficacy of two objective measures of sexual arousal of women was compared by simultaneously recording vaginal blood volume by means of a photoplethysmograph and labial temperature by means of a thermistor-clip during and after stimulation by an erotic film. Both measures increased during the stimulation, and they were highly correlated with each other in six of the eight subjects, indicating that both were valid measures of sexual arousal. During the stimulation, labial temperature was significantly correlated with subjective ratings of arousal while vaginal blood volume only approached significance. During the 15-min period following stimulation, the measures neither correlated significantly with subjective ratings nor each other, and both had a tendency not to return to prestimulation levels.     

Clinico-psychologic studies on the problem of functional psychotic deterioration in schizophrenia

Our concept of the functional-psychotic mental deterioration of schizophrenia approximately characterizes the same point of view as Kraepelin's terminus "Dementia praecox". The first result of our psychological examination on 225 schizophrenic persons with defect psychotic symptoms was the statement of the deficit in achievement between the former school education (average IQ of the school-type) and the results of examination of intelligence during our research. The functional-psychotic mental deterioration as well appears as a decrease of memory and psychomotoric speed deficiency, furthermore as mental deconcentration and increase of psychoorganic signs in the Rorschach-Test. The psychometric results of this research were statisticly significant.     

A prospective comparison of two measures of psychopathy in the prediction of institutional misconduct

This study examined the predictive validity of two widely used measures of psychopathic traits, the Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996). Records of institutional infractions were obtained for a young adult sample of prison inmates (N = 46), who were followed for approximately two years following administration of these two scales. The PPI total and two factor scores predicted the total number of infractions committed (r ranging from .28 to .36). PPI Factor I showed some evidence of stronger associations with non-aggressive infractions (r = .36), whereas PPI Factor II was the strongest correlate of aggressive misconduct (r = .24). The total and facet scores of the PCL-R were not significantly predictive of any form of institutional misconduct, with effect sizes ranging from negligible to small (median r = .14, r ranging from -.01 to .21).     

Dimensions of perfectionism and goal commitment: A further comparison of two perfectionism measures

Research on perfectionism has suggested that a strong association exists between the setting and striving for excessively high standards. However, the motivational aspects of perfectionism have yet to be empirically identified. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness and psychometric properties of a new goal commitment scale by assessing commitment to perfection in seven content areas. In addition to identifying individual differences in perfectionism goal commitment, the current research also investigated the association between commitment to perfectionism and trait indices of perfectionism. A sample of 261 students rated degree of commitment to perfectionistic goals and completed two multidimensional perfectionism scales that assess the personal and social aspects of perfectionism. Analyses confirmed the presence of individual differences in perfectionism goal commitment. Correlational tests revealed that the trait perfectionism dimensions were correlated with the goal commitment measure, but the findings varied as a function of the specific perfectionism goal. Overall, the current data are consistent with the view that the perfectionism construct has a salient motivational component. Our findings suggest that the assessment of goal commitment is a useful means of examining specific facets of the perfectionism construct.     

Social,emotional, and behavioral screening: A comparison of two measures and two methods across informants

The current study is a correlational design comparing a multiple-gate social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) screening system with a single-gate SEB screening system using a common criterion variable. Teachers and parents of 105 preschool students completed the multiple-gate Preschool Behavior Screening System (PBSS; Feeney-Kettler, Kratochwill, & Kettler, 2009) and the single-gate Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007). The measures were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlations with each other, and conditional probability indices to represent accuracy in predicting scores from the Achenbach System for Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). Results indicated the PBSS was internally consistent (α = 0.87 to 0.97), teacher-parent agreement for both measures was in the expected range (r = 0.05 to 0.40), and relations among scores from the measures were at the expected magnitudes and in the expected directions. Although both measures accurately predicted ASEBA results, the BESS was a better predictor for both groups of raters (i.e., teachers and parents) in most situations. The PBSS provided the advantage of also being a good predictor while providing internally consistent subscale scores that may be useful for intervention planning. The results are discussed including their implications for school psychologists seeking to select technically sound instruments that yield reliable scores from which valid inferences about SEB factors can be drawn.     

Therapeutic reactance in a depressed client sample: a comparison of two measures

The impact of client variables on psychotherapy is of both theoretical and practical importance. Reactance--the premise that individuals seek to maintain control over personal freedoms when threatened by a perceived loss thereof--has been shown to have an impact on the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Developing an effective means of quantitatively assessing this characteristic prior to treatment could facilitate treatment planning and maximize treatment outcome. The present study compared two paper-and-pencil measures of reactance: the Therapeutic Reactance Scale (TRS) and Resistance Potential (RP). Ninety-eight men and women diagnosed with depression completed both measures. The TRS and RP failed to correlate despite their presumed ability to measure the same construct. The RP exhibited extremely poor internal consistency, calling into question results that have been based on this measure. The TRS results provided evidence of convergent, divergent, and construct validity for this instrument.     

A psychometric comparison of anxiety-relevant attention measures

Background and Objectives: Preferential attention to threat, emotional response inhibition, and attentional control each purportedly play a key role in anxiety disorders. Divergent psychometric properties among attention measures may produce differential detection of anxiety-related associations and treatment-related changes. However, no studies have directly compared the psychometric properties of these attention measures in the same sample.

Design: Eighty-five young adults (M?=?19.41 years, SD?=?1.47, 48 Females) completed a cognitive task battery and a subset of 60 participants (M?=?19.42 years, SD?=?1.48, 33 Females) completed the task battery again approximately two weeks later.

Method: To assess preferential attention to threat, emotional response inhibition, and attentional control, the cognitive task battery included a dot-probe task, emotion and gender Stroop tasks, and a flanker task. Tasks varied in how attention was directed and if emotional stimuli were included. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were compared across measures.

Results: Within the same sample, internal consistency and reliability differed across attention measures. Explicit attention measures (emotional Stroop and flanker) exhibited stronger internal consistency and greater test-retest reliability compared to implicit measures (dot-probe and gender Stroop).

Conclusions: These results inform clinical research using attention measures to assess anxiety-related differences and treatment response.     

A comparison of four measures of self-control skills

This study compares the psychometric characteristics of four questionnaires designed to assess self-control skills: the Self-Control Questionnaire, the Frequency of Self-Reinforcement Questionnaire, the Cognitive Self-Management Test, and the Lifestyle Approaches Inventory. Content validity was judged to be fairly comparable by three raters in Study 1. In Study 2, convergent and divergent validity support was obtained for all four questionnaires when administered to 369 multiethnic college students, but the relative degree of support varied across constructs. Hence, selection of a self-control instrument may be guided by the target behavior of interest.     

A comparison of two sex-role androgyny measures in a study of sex-role identity for incarcerated delinquent and nondelinquent females

A sample of 100 incarcerated delinquent females and 100 nondelinquent female matched for age and socioeconomic status were compared on three aspects of sex-role identity. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory and the PRF ANDRO scale were used to assess sex-role androgyny; the Traditional Family Ideology scale was used to assess sex-role attitudes; and several questions concerning heterosexual relationships were asked. Correspondence between the two androgyny measures was moderate at the interval level of measurement and poor at the nominal level. Repeat offenders were significantly higher than first-time offenders and nondelinquents on the BSRI masculine scale; a significantly higher percentage of repeat offenders were classified as androgynous by the BSRI. No differences were observed using the PRF ANDRO scales. Heterosexual relationships were more important in the lives of delinquent females on both friendship and helping dimensions.     

The inconsistency of inconsistency scales: a comparison of two widely used measures

This study compared the inconsistent responding validity scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI)/PPI-Revised (PPI-R) in two correctional samples to determine the extent to which they overlap in identifying invalid profiles. Results revealed substantial differences in the way the inconsistent responding validity scales of these measures performed. In particular, the PAI identified far fewer participants as having responded inconsistently compared with the PPI/PPI-R. We discuss the implications of our findings for clinical practice, and potential concerns with the use of a single measure to identify inconsistent responding in clinical practice and research.     

Assessment of shame and guilt in a psychiatric sample: a comparison of two measures

The relationship between measures of shame, guilt, and psychopathology was examined in a heterogeneous inpatient sample (n=82) using the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) and the Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ-2). It was predicted that both shame scales would correlate positively with measures of psychopathology. This hypothesis was supported in bivariate analyses, however, when partialed for each respective guilt scale, only the TOSCA maintained significant associations with measures of psychopathology. It was predicted that only the PFQ-2 guilt scale would correlate positively with measures of psychopathology, and this hypothesis was supported in both bivariate analyses and partial correlations, controlling for shame scores. These findings support previous work, suggesting that the TOSCA and PFQ-2 guilt scales assess different constructs of guilt. Methodological issues of shame and guilt assessment with psychiatric patients also are discussed.     

A comparison of measures of responding under fixed-interval schedules

Average response rate, post-reinforcement pause, elapsed time to the fourth response, average quarter-life, and running rate were examined to see how they reflected changes in fixed-interval performance. Rats were exposed to a mixed schedule of water presentation comprising fixed-interval schedules of two durations. Changes in responding were produced by varying the duration of the shorter component. The five measures were derived only from the longer schedule component. Post-reinforcement pause, elapsed time to the fourth response in the interval, and quarter-life all showed high, positive inter-correlations (0.78<r<0.99). Running rate and post-reinforcement pause were not as highly correlated. Quarter-life reliably reflected changes in fixed-interval performance but changes in the quarter-life value did not necessarily result from similar changes in fixed-interval response pattern. The two measures that adequately described changes in response patterning were post-reinforcement pause and running rate. These two measures also had the advantage of being simple both computationally and in terms of the instrumentation involved in their recording.     

Empathy, guilt, and gender: a comparison of two measures of guilt

The relations of empathy with two measures of guilt were examined in a sample of 13- to 16-year-olds (N= 113). Empathy was measured using Davis's IRI and guilt by Tangney's TOSCA and Hoffman's semi-projective story completion method that includes two different scenarios, guilt over cheating and guilt over inaction. Empathy correlated more strongly with both measures of guilt than the two measures correlated with each other. For boys, cognitive perspective-taking was a stronger predictor for guilt than for girls. Hoffman's guilt over inaction was more strongly associated with empathy measures in girls than in boys, whereas for guilt over cheating the pattern was the opposite. The results indicate that boys and girls may emphasize different aspects of morality.