Canonical versus factor analytic perspectives on the structure of associations between the MMPI and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory

A canonical correlational analysis of MMPI profiles versus Buss-Durkee hostility and aggression scales was conducted, resulting in the identification of a general hostility-aggression-maladjustment dimension and three relatively specific aggression-personality relationships. These findings were contrasted with those obtained from a factor analysis of the combination of both sets of scores. Though often used in previous studies of associations between the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory and other measures, factor analysis was seen to be less than optimally suited to such a purpose. It was concluded that canonical correlation is preferable to factor analysis when seeking to clarify the multivariate structure of relationships between two sets of variables.     

Construction and validation of a measure of authoritarian personality

This paper reports the results of a series of studies in which the construction and validation of a behavioral measure of authoritarianism is reported. Factor analysis of already established behavioral scales (e,g., Ray's (1976) Directiveness scale; the Buss-Durkee (1957) Hostility inventory, etc.) and items especially written for the study resulted in a Revised F scale with a reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of .79 and a rpN of -.45. The items loaded significantly on four factors, namely, Dominance/Leadership, Achievement motivation. Interpersonal conflict and Verbal hostility. Furthermore, validity studies revealed the scale to possess satisfactory validity. It is suggested that this measure be seriously considered as an alternative indicator of levels of authoritarianism.     

The Role of Defense Mechanisms in Borderline and Antisocial Personalities

Fifty-eight adult male felons were given the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI), and the Draw-a-Person Test (DAP) to test the relative sensitivity of subtlety or obviousness of items to response Sets. The inmates were randomly assigned to three response set groups: a fake-aggressive group, a fake-nonaggressive group, and a standard-instruction control group. The MMPIs were scored for five obvious and five subtle aggression or hostility research scales. The BDHI is a totally obvious test, whereas the DAP is a very subtle measure. A paradoxical relationship between response set and subtlety of the scales was hypothesized, such that the obvious scales could be successfully faked, hut the subtle scales would show scores in the opposite from the intended direction. It was found that the inmates did correctly manipulate the obvious scales, but the subtle scales did not consistently show the hypothesized trend. Possible reasons for this are discussed, including the nature of the scales used and characteristics of the population.     

Overt repetition as a means of controlling rehearsal

Abstract.— Three different ways of using the concept of rehearsal were discussed. Examples were presented showing confusions in the literature due to a failure to distinguish these three definitions. A free recall experiment was conducted with the purpose of investigating three problems relating to the concept of rehearsal: ( a ) an unclear relationship between overt and covert repetition, ( b ) whether overt repetition excluded other control processes, and (c) whether a shallow repetition produces a permanent memory trace or not. Using a pronounced time pressure it was demonstrated first that overt repetition facilitated recall performance of recency items and that recall of primacy items was facilitated by covert repetition. Secondly, it was shown that overt repetition did not exclude other types of encoding. Finally, a shallow maintaining repetition did not produce a permanent memory trace. The results are interpreted as supporting a level of processing point of view rather than a multistore approach.     

THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF OVERT AND COVERT INTEGRITY TESTS TO COACHING AND FAKING

Abstract— Although previous research has indicated that faking can affect integrity test scores, the effects of coaching on integrity test scores have never been examined We conducted a between-subjects experiment to assess the effects of coaching and faking instructions on an overt and a covert integrity test Coaching provided simple rules to follow when answering test items and instructions on how to avoid elevated validity scale scores There were five instruction conditions "just take,""fake good,""coach overt,""coach covert," and coach both All subjects completed both overt and covert tests and a measure of intelligence Results provided strong evidence for the coachability of the overt integrity test, over and above the much smaller elevation in the faking condition The covert test apparently could be neither coached nor faked successfully Scores on both integrity tests tended to be positively correlated with intelligence in the coaching and faking conditions We discuss the generalizability of these results to other samples and other integrity tests, and the relevance of the coachability of integrity tests to the ongoing debate concerning the prediction of counterproductive behavior     

Potential for hostility and dimensions of anger

Recent reviews have linked Potential for Hostility derived from the Structured Interview (SI) to coronary artery disease, independent of the global Type A pattern. The present study examined the construct validity of Potential for Hostility ratings by correlating Potential for Hostility with 21 scales from four widely used anger/hostility measures: 7 scales from the Anger Self-Report, 8 scales from the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, the total score from the Novaco Anger Inventory, and 5 scales from the Multidimensional Anger Inventory. The pattern of correlations revealed that Potential for Hostility was significantly related to scales reflecting awareness and arousal of anger, particularly the verbal expression of anger. To identify underlying anger dimensions, the 21 scales were factor-analyzed. Examination of two and three rotated principal components confirmed previous solutions. The first component, representing anger-arousing and -eliciting situations and anger awareness, was labeled Experience of Anger. The second component, consisting of scales dealing with either physical assault or verbal expression of anger, was labeled Expression of Anger. When a third factor was retained, it contained scales of suspicion, mistrust-suspicion, and guilt: It was therefore labeled Suspicion-Guilt. Potential for Hostility was correlated only with the Expression of Anger factor in the two-factor solution; in the three-factor solution, Potential for Hostility was correlated equally with the Experience of Anger and Expression of Anger factors but was not correlated with the Suspicion-Guilt factor. The implications of these results for the assessment of hostility are discussed.     

Gender differences in emotional and overt/covert aggressive responses to stress

We examined the role of stress exposure on gender differences in hostile (emotional and behavioral) reactions within the context of a laboratory paradigm. Aggressive behavior was indexed via the intensity (overt) and the duration (covert) of putative shocks delivered to a confederate. Half of the participants were exposed to a chronic stressor (high stress) and half were not (low stress). Participants' emotional responses were measured via self-report mood ratings before and after the experiment. Men displayed higher aggression in both stress conditions, which corresponded to their ratings of state hostility. On the other hand, women in high stress delivered lower intensity shocks, and this decreased overt aggression was positively correlated with sadness ratings. However, women did not decrease their levels of shock duration (covert aggression) under high stress and showed equivalent shock duration compared with men in high stress. These findings are discussed in terms of differential overt manifestations of distress between men and women.     

Three narcissism scales for the California Q-set.

Three observer-based narcissism scales were developed from factor scores based on a California Q-set (CAQ) narcissism prototype. Each of the three scales--Willfulness, Hypersensitivity, and Autonomy--correlated with observer and self-report narcissism measures in the derivation sample of 105 women and a cross-validation sample of 175 men and 175 women. California Psychological Inventory (CPI), Adjective Check List (ACL), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) correlates and partner ACL ratings suggested that the Willfulness scale represents self-assuredness, rebelliousness, and exhibitionism characteristic of overt or phallic narcissism. The correlates of the Hypersensitivity scale included depression and introversion along with rebelliousness and hostility, indicative of covert narcissism. The Autonomy scale was correlated positively with creativity, empathy, achievement-orientation, and individualism, and thus assesses a healthy variant of narcissism.     

Assessing Hypersensitive Narcissism: A Reexamination of Murray''s Narcism Scale

A new measure of hypersensitive narcissism was derived by correlating the items of H. A. Murray's (1938) Narcism Scale with an MMPI-based composite measure of covert narcissism. In three samples of college students (totalN= 403), 10 items formed a reliable measure: the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSNS). The new HSNS and the MMPI-based composite showed similar patterns of correlations with the Big Five Inventory, and both measures correlated near zero with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, which assesses overt narcissism. Results support P. Wink's (1991) distinction between covert and overt narcissistic tendencies in the normal range of individual differences and suggest that it would be beneficial for personality researchers to measure both types of narcissism in future studies.     

How crucial is the response format for the testing effect?

Combining study and test trials during learning is more beneficial for long-term retention than repeated study without testing (i.e., the testing effect). Less is known about the relative efficacy of different response formats during testing. We tested the hypothesis that overt testing (typing responses on a keyboard) during a practice phase benefits later memory more than covert testing (only pressing a button to indicate successful retrieval). In Experiment 1, three groups learned 40 word pairs either by repeatedly studying them, by studying and overtly testing them, or by studying and covertly testing them. In Experiment 2, only the two testing conditions were manipulated in a within-subjects design. In both experiments, participants received cued recall tests after a short (~19 min) and a long (1 week) retention interval. In Experiment 1, all groups performed equally well at the short retention interval. The overt testing group reliably outperformed the repeated study group after 1 week, whereas the covert testing group performed insignificantly different from both these groups. Hence, the testing effect was demonstrated for overt, but failed to show for covert testing. In Experiment 2, overtly tested items were better and more quickly retrieved than those covertly tested. Further, this does not seem to be due to any differences in retrieval effort during learning. To conclude, overt testing was more beneficial for later retention than covert testing, but the effect size was small. Possible explanations are discussed.     

Two faces of narcissism

The present study examines the lack of strong correlations among existing self-report measures of narcissism. A principal-components analysis of 6 MMPI narcissism scales resulted in 2 orthogonal factors, 1 implying Vulnerability-Sensitivity and the other Grandiosity-Exhibitionism. Although unrelated to each other, these 2 factors were associated with such core features of narcissism as conceit, self-indulgence, and disregard of others. Despite this common core, however, Vulnerability-Sensitivity was associated with introversion, defensiveness, anxiety, and vulnerability to life's traumas, whereas Grandiosity-Exhibitionism was related to extraversion, self-assurance, exhibitionism, and aggression. Three alternative interpretations of these results are considered, and an argument for the distinction between covert and overt narcissism is made.     

Construction of new scales for the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List

Factor analyses were used to develop new scales for the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL) measuring anxiety, depression, hostility, positive, and sensation-seeking affects. Anxiety, depression, and hostility scales were moderately intercorrelated and a combined score called “dysphoria” was formed from their addition. Positive and sensation-seeking affects were also correlated and combined in a summary score (PASS). The dysphoric and PASS scores were not highly correlated. The number of items checked correlated highly with the positive affect scale, moderately with sensation seeking, and relatively low with the negative affect scales. Internal reliabilities were high and retest reliabilities were low, in conformance with the model for state scales. The anxiety score increased and the positive affect score and number of items checked decreased just prior to a classroom examination. Further plans for scale development are discussed.     

Reliability and validity of measures of anger/hostility in singapore: Cook & Medley Ho Scale, STAXI and Buss-Durkee hostility inventory

As part of a larger research programme concerned with the role of anger/hostility in heart disease in Singapore, three commonly used measures of anger/hostility (Cook & Medley Ho Scale, STAXI, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory) were examined for reliability and validity in an Asian population. A total of 968 Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Indian respondents completed one or more of these measures together with measures of symptom and illness experience. In addition, blood pressure and heart rate measures were taken for 201 respondents. Overall, the Ho and STAXI measures had reasonably high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability for the Buss Durkee measure were high for the total score but variable for the component scales. Correlation and regression showed that the Ho and STAXI appeared to be tapping a common core of variance, which can be characterized as trait anger. Correlations of the Ho and STAXI with health measures produced modest but statistically significant correlations for measures of symptom and illness experience and generally low and non-significant correlations for heart rate and blood pressure.     

Effects of aggressive and nonaggressive rock songs on projective and structured tests

The differences between hostility scores on projective and objective tests as a function of listening to aggressive or nonaggressive rock music were studied. While taking the Thematic Apperception Test (Cards 1, 3BM, 4, 9BM, and 10) and the Buss-Durkee (1957) Hostility Scale, subjects (N = 90) randomly assigned to one of three groups listened to a rock song with (a) nonaggressive music and nonaggressive lyrics, (b) aggressive music and nonaggressive lyrics, or (c) aggressive music and aggressive lyrics. TAT stories were scored for aggressive content according to Hafner and Kaplan's (1960) hostility rating scale. Hostility scores did not differ between groups. The findings are congruent with other investigators' reports that subjects do not pay attention to rock lyrics. Previous findings that music affects the emotional quality of TAT stories and hostility scores on the Buss-Durkee scale were not supported.     

Effects of Aggressive and Nonaggressive Rock Songs on Projective and Structured Tests

The differences between hostility scores on projective and objective tests as a function of listening to aggressive or nonaggressive rock music were studied. While taking the Thematic Apperception Test (Cards 1, 3BM, 4, 9BM, and 10) and the Buss-Durkee (1957) Hostility Scale, subjects (N = 90) randomly assigned to one of three groups listened to a rock song with (a) nonaggressive music and non-aggressive lyrics, (b) aggressive music and nonaggressive lyrics, or (c) aggressive music and aggressive lyrics. TAT stories were scored for aggressive content according to Hafner and Kaplan's (1960) hostility rating scale. Hostility scores did not differ between groups. The findings are congruent with other investigators' reports that subjects do not pay attention to rock lyrics. Previous findings that music affects the emotional quality of TAT stories and hostility scores on the Buss-Durkee scale were not supported.     

TOWARD A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF PRIVATE VERBAL SELF-REGULATION

We developed a methodology, derived from the theoretical literatures on rule-governed behavior and private events, to experimentally investigate the relationship between covert verbal self-regulation and nonverbal behavior. The methodology was designed to assess whether (a) nonverbal behavior was under the control of covert rules and (b) verbal reports of these rules were functionally equivalent to the covert rules that control nonverbal behavior. The research was conducted in the context of teaching shopping skills to persons with mild intellectual disabilities using a self-instruction training format. In Phase 1, 4 participants were successfully taught to perform shopping skills using overt and covert self-instructions. The self-instructions were then blocked under overt and covert self-instruction conditions, which resulted in a reversal of shopping skills to baseline levels. This indicated that the overt and covert self-instructions might be controlling responding. In Phase 2, we demonstrated that the self-instructions, when used as external directives, produced successful shopping with 3 other participants. By demonstrating that self-rules can produce correct responding when used as external directives, we were more confident that it was the self-instructions and not other verbal or nonverbal behavior that controlled responding under overt, covert, and blocking conditions in Phase 1.     

Assessment of violence potential using measures of anger, hostility, and social desirability

The assessment of violence potential was studied using the following scales: The Novaco Anger Inventory, the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, the MMPI Hostility Control Scale (Hc), the MMPI Overt Hostility Scale (Ho), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The five measures were evaluated for their ability to discriminate between violent and nonviolent criminals, and between criminal and normal population samples. Normative data was collected for 204 adult male felons. A correlation matrix presents interrelationships among the five scales. A comparison of mean scale scores between violent and nonviolent groups resulted in a significant discrimination in the expected direction for all but the Hc scale. A discriminant analysis procedure applied to individual items from the Novaco Anger Inventory resulted in the selection of 25 variables which identified violence prone individuals with 90% accuracy. Clinical implications are noted and recommendations for future research are made.     

Changes in maternal ratings of children's overt and covert antisocial behavior

Maternal ratings of overt and covert forms of aggression were collected for two samples of children ranging in age from 2 through 12 years. It was hypothesized that longitudinal analyses would show the slope scores for these two forms of aggression to be quite different from each other. The data were consistent with this hypothesis. An effort was made to find alternative explanations for the negative slope for overt antisocial behavior. Alternatively, it was hypothesized that the more extreme cases would not show this negative slope. It was also hypothesized that careful examination of intraindividual curves would identify a significant number of individuals growing from normal to clinical levels of overt antisocial behavior. The findings led to the rejection of both alternative hypotheses. It was hypothesized that overt and covert scores would correlate significantly for first grade boys. It was also assumed that both covert and overt scores would show moderate stability over the 5‐year interval. The findings were consistent with both of these hypotheses. Aggr. Behav. 00:1–12, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Construct validity of the Holtzman Inkblot Anxiety and Hostility scores

The group version of the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT), the IPAT Anxiety Scale Questionnaire (ASQ), the Manifest Hostility Scale (MHS), and the Hand Test (HT) were administered to 72 college subjects in an attempt to clarify the nature of the HIT Anxiety (Ax) and Hostility (Hs) scores. The Ax score was found to correlate significantly with the ASQ total score which represents both overt and covert anxiety. The Hs score was found to correlate significantly with the MHS, which is sensitive to moderate levels of verbal hostility, but not with the HT Acting Out Ratio (AOR), which is strictly a measure of overt aggressiveness. The HIT Ax and Hs scores were concluded to relate most closely with measures that encompass a wide spectrum of the variable in question.     

A Hostility Scale for the California Psychological Inventory: MMPI,Observer Q-Sort,and Big-Five Correlates

Using two samples, we developed and validated a hostility scale that can be scored from the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and serves as an alternate for the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (Ha; Cook & Medley, 1954). The CPI Hostility (H) scale consists of 33 items that are either duplicates or close equivalents of specific He items, and the two scales correlate at least .90 in samples differing in sex. The H and Ho scales show a similar pattern of correlations with conceptually relevant MMPI scales and with observer-rated personality attributes tapping Barefoot, Peterson, et al.'s (1991) five hostility categories of Hostile Affect, Cynicism, Aggressive Responding, Social Avoidance, and Hostile Attributions. These findings provide evidence for the equivalence of the two hostility scales, as well as external validation for those personality characteristics that are purported to underlie the construct of hostility as tapped by both the original Ho and the new CPI H scale.