Agency and communion in the structure of parental representations

We administered the revised Assessment of Qualitative and Structural Dimensions of Object Representations (Blatt, Chevron, Quinlan, Schaffer, & Wein, 1992) to 279 male and female undergraduate students and carried out independent principal components analyses of maternal and paternal ratings. Three stable factors, Agency, Communion, and Structure, were found in both sets of ratings. This factor structure differed from that reported by Quinlan, Blatt, Chevron, and Wein (1992). Results found here are consistent with contemporary interpersonal personality theory.     

Psychometric properties of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire in a college population

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) was developed to permit the study of the continuities between normal and pathological forms of depression. Since its publication over 10 years ago, the DEQ has been increasingly used in a wide range of investigations of depression in clinical and nonclinical samples and as a measure of two major personality dimensions in a number of studies of differential responsiveness to various life stressors. This study provides an analysis of the DEQ responses in a large sample of undergraduate subjects in an attempt to articulate more clearly the psychometric properties of the DEQ. The DEQ consists of 66 items describing experiences frequently reported by depressed individuals. In the original development of the DEQ, factor analyses using male and female undergraduate samples yielded three orthogonal factors, Dependency, Self-Criticism, and Efficacy (Blatt et al., 1976). Most subsequent studies have used the factor scoring coefficients from the female sample to score men and women's DEQs. The factor loadings in the new male and female samples were very similar to one another and to the original female factor loadings. Thus, the continued use of the scoring parameters from the original female sample is recommended. Factor scores for Dependency and Self-Criticism continue to be uncorrelated in both men and women. Normative data are presented from the new samples, with men scoring higher on Self-Criticism and women scoring higher on Dependency.     

Psychometric Properties of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire in a College Population

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) was developed to permit the study of the continuities between normal and pathological forms of depression. Since its publication over 10 years ago, the DEQ has been increasingly used in a wide range of investigations of depression in clinical and nonclinical samples and as a measure of two major personality dimensions in a number of studies of differential responsiveness to various life stressors. This study provides an analysis of the DEQ responses in a large sample of undergraduate subjects in an attempt to articulate more clearly the psychometric properties of the DEQ. The DEQ consists of 66 items describing experiences frequently reported by depressed individuals. In the original development of the DEQ, factor analyses using male and female undergraduate samples yielded three orthogonal factors, Dependency, Self-Criticism, and Efficacy (Blatt et al., 1976). Most subsequent studies have used the factor scoring coefficients from the female sample to score men and women's DEQs. The factor loadings in the new male and female samples were very similar to one another and to the original female factor loadings. Thus, the continued use of the scoring parameters from the original female sample is recommended. Factor scores for Dependency and Self-Criticism continue to be uncorrelated in both men and women. Normative data are presented from the new samples, with men scoring higher on Self-Criticism and women scoring higher on Dependency.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: a further evaluation

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976b) was designed to assess the introjective and anaclitic personality dimensions hypothesized by Blatt (1974) to underlie different forms of depression. Welkowitz, Lish, and Bond (1985) revised the DEQ (RDEQ) in order to simplify its scoring and facilitate cross-gender comparisons. The study described herein explored the relation between the original and revised forms of the DEQ and assessed the reliability and validity of the Welkowitz et al. (1985) version of the inventory. Two samples were employed: (a) 163 psychiatric outpatients; and (b) 144 adolescent and young-adult offspring of patients with major affective disorders, chronic physical diseases, and normal controls. The results indicated that the three scales comprising the RDEQ were highly correlated with the corresponding scales from the original DEQ, however, the original and revised forms of the inventory exhibited different patterns of intercorrelations between scales. The RDEQ was internally consistent and stable over a 6-month period. In addition, it exhibited the predicted patterns of relationships with interview and self-report measures of depression and depressive personality traits and cognitive styles. Finally, the RDEQ was significantly associated with the course of depression in a 6-month follow-up study. The findings were generally similar across samples and genders. Overall, these results support the reliability and validity of the RDEQ, but indicate that there are important structural differences between the original and revised forms of the inventory.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: A Further Evaluation

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976b) was designed to assess the introjective and anaclitic personality dimensions hypothesized by Blatt (1974) to underlie different forms of depression. Welkowitz, Lish, and Bond (1985) revised the DEQ (RDEQ) in order to simplify its scoring and facilitate cross-gender comparisons. The study described herein explored the relation between the original and revised forms of the DEQ and assessed the reliability and validity of the Welkowitz et al. (1985) version of the inventory. Two samples were employed: (a) 163 psychiatric outpatients; and (b) 144 adolescent and young-adult offspring of patients with major affective disorders, chronic physical diseases, and normal controls. The results indicated that the three scales comprising the RDEQ were highly correlated with the corresponding scales from the original DEQ, however, the original and revised forms of the inventory exhibited different patterns of intercorrelations between scales. The RDEQ was internally consistent and arable over a 6-month period. In addition, it exhibited the predicted patterns of relationships with interview and self-report actuates of depression and depressive personality traits and cognitive styles. Finally, the RDEQ was significantly associated with the course of depression in a 6-month follow-up study. The findings were generally similar across samples and genders. Overall, these remits support the reliability and validity of the RDEQ, but indicate that there are important structural differences between the original and revised forms of the inventory.     

Levels of interpersonal concerns and social functioning in early adolescent boys and girls

Previous research has shown that the Interpersonal Concerns factor of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Affliti, & Quinlan, 1976, 1979; Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescent [DEQ-A]; Blatt, Schaffer, Bers, & Quinlan, 1992) assesses 2 levels of interpersonal relatedness in young adults and older adolescents: neediness and relatedness. However, studies investigating the relation of the DEQ and DEQ-A with social functioning have not used the Neediness and Relatedness subscales of the Interpersonal Concerns factor. This study investigated (a) whether the Neediness and Relatedness subscales can be differentiated in a sample of early adolescents and (b) how the 2 subscales are differentially associated with indexes of social functioning. Results indicate that this differentiation of Neediness and Relatedness, and their associations with social functioning, emerges in early adolescence, especially for girls.     

Neediness and connectedness and the five‐factor model of personality

This study examined maladaptive and relatively more adaptive forms of dependency, as measured by the neediness and connectedness factors of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976 ), within a comprehensive scheme of personality provided by the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO‐PI‐R; Costa & McCrae, 1992 ). University students (n = 475) completed the DEQ, NEO‐PI‐R, and a measure of depressive symptoms. Results indicated that neediness reflected anxiety, self‐consciousness, vulnerability, unassertiveness, and inactivity, whereas connectedness reflected anxiety, warmth, agreeableness, and valuing of relationships. Neediness demonstrated stronger relations than connectedness with depressive symptoms. These results support the validity of DEQ neediness and connectedness as measures of maladaptive and relatively more adaptive forms of dependency. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: A Critical Review

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) is critically reviewed. First the developmental, object representations theory differentiating depression into anaclitic and introjective subtypes is presented. The DEQ factors of Dependency and Self-Criticism were initially found to be consistent with these clinically meaningful depressive subtypes. Subsequent research has generally demonstrated that these subtypes, at least as measured by the DEQ, do not hold up well in clinical populations. Furthermore, the validity of the developmental theory of these subtypes is weak. We suggest that more internally consistent and distinct factors should be developed from clinical populations because of their potential clinical usefulness.     

The utility of McGill pain questionnaire subscales for discriminating psychologica disorder in chronic pain patients

Abstract

The practice of separately scoring the sensory, affective and evaluative suhscules of the McGill Pain Questionnaire has not bccn unequivocally supported hy rcsearch, While there is moderate support for the three-factor Structure of this scale, recent studies have revealed strong intercorrelations among these factors and have not supported thcir differential predictive ahility. Present factor analytic results provide support for solutions involving a global factor in conjunction with either two or three subscale factors. The differential relationships of the sensory and affective factors to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and Zung Dcpression Inventory demonstrate support for the validity of separately scoring the two factors in chronic pain patients. Preliminary guidelines are provided for the clinical use of the MPQ to discriminate psychological disorder in chronic pain patients.     

The psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure in social anxiety disorder

The Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM) was developed to assess hypersensitivity to interpersonal rejection, a suggested trait of depression-prone personality (Aust NZ J Psychiatry 23 (1989) 341). Although studies of the IPSM and interpersonal rejection sensitivity have primarily been conducted in depressed populations, it is important to investigate interpersonal rejection sensitivity as a relevant construct in the assessment of social anxiety. This study examined the psychometric properties of the IPSM in treatment-seeking individuals with social anxiety disorder. The results of this investigation support the convergent and divergent validity and internal consistency of the IPSM in socially anxious individuals. An exploratory factor analysis of the scale was also conducted after the original factor and subscale structure was shown to be a poor fit for the present data. Three factors emerged (Interpersonal Worry and Dependency, Low Self-Esteem, and Unassertive Interpersonal Behavior), and 29 items were retained. Because they demonstrated negative factor loadings on Factor 2, it is suggested that the scoring for four items of the original IPSM be reversed. In summary, the revised IPSM assesses three aspects of interpersonal rejection sensitivity and appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for its assessment in social anxiety disorder.     

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire: a critical review

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) is critically reviewed. First the developmental, object representations theory differentiating depression into anaclitic and introjective subtypes is presented. The DEQ factors of Dependency and Self-Criticism were initially found to be consistent with these clinically meaningful depressive subtypes. Subsequent research has generally demonstrated that these subtypes, at least as measured by the DEQ, do not hold up well in clinical populations. Furthermore, the validity of the developmental theory of these subtypes is weak. We suggest that more internally consistent and distinct factors should be developed from clinical populations because of their potential clinical usefulness.     

Validating the McGill Revision of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire

Research has identified important psychometric differences between the original Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Affliti, & Quinlan, 1976) and two of its most widely used revisions, which have failed to preserve the degree of between-scale orthogonality routinely observed with the original Dependency and Self-Criticism scales. The purpose of this study was (a) to examine construct validity for the recently developed McGill revision of the DEQ (Santor, Zumff, & Fielding, this issue), which preserves between-scale orthogonality; (b) to compare the McGill revision of the DEQ with other existing revisions with respect to measures of personality, motivation, and interpersonal relatedness; and (c) to explore the correlates of items that appear to be responsible for maintaining the degree of orthogonality between measures of Dependency and Self-Criticism. Results suggest that (a) the McGill revision of the DEQ offers more valid estimates of the relations among dependency, self-criticism, and other theoretically relevant constructs, such as depressed mood and agreeableness, than other existing revisions and (b) items differentiating Dependency and Self-Criticism assess broad interpersonal orientations that can be characterized as communal or agentic. Results validate the newer McGill scales, further support the utility of the methods used in their development, and provide insights into the differences between Dependency and Self-Criticism.     

Measuring Attitudes Toward Acceptable and Unacceptable Parenting Practices

This study investigated the properties of a new rating instrument, the Parenting Questionnaire (PQ), designed to measure attitudes about acceptable and unacceptable parenting practices. In Study 1, subject matter experts representing culturally diverse psychologists, parents, and college students were consulted to identify 110 items receiving high endorsement. In Study 2, items were administered to 1,398 undergraduate students to examine their factor structure and the effects of ethnicity and gender differences on PQ factors. In Study 3, test–retest reliability (N = 92) and convergent validity (N = 142) of the PQ factors were examined. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors (total of 63 items) with high internal consistencies that accounted for a moderate amount of total variance (R ² = .38). The factors were Critical Feedback (26 items), Supportive Feedback (26 items), and Physical Discipline (11 items). Significant ethnicity and gender differences were found on the three PQ factors, as well as a significant interaction between ethnicity and gender on the Supportive Feedback factor. PQ factor scores demonstrated good temporal stability, internal consistency, and convergent validity. Overall findings suggest that the PQ is a reliable, stable, and valid measure of attitudes toward parenting with three distinct factors. Future research directions with parents are discussed.