WAIS picture arrangement and premorbid social competence among process schizophrenics.

A study with male process schizophrenics suggested that the Picture Arrangement (PA) subtest of the WAIS was related to a measure of social competence. There was evidence that the PA subtest may measure an entity such as social intelligence which is different from overall intelligence.     

Intellectual functioning in adults with ADHD: a meta-analytic examination of full scale IQ differences between adults with and without ADHD

Although attention has been given to the intellectual functioning of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) relative to their non-ADHD peers, few studies have examined intellectual functioning in adults with ADHD. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine differences in intellectual ability between adults with and without ADHD via a meta-analytic review. Of the 33 studies meeting inclusion criteria, primary analyses focused on 18 studies representing 1,031 adults with ADHD and 928 non-ADHD, nonclinical comparison adults and containing Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS; D. Wechsler, 1955, 1981, 1994) Full Scale IQ scores or estimates. A significant effect was found such that adults with ADHD scored lower than non-ADHD adults on WAIS intelligence tests. However, this difference was small and not clinically meaningful. The presence of several moderators reflecting characteristics of the ADHD samples and study methodology suggested that only a subset of adults with ADHD (e.g., those with comorbid disorders) may experience lower general intellectual ability relative to non-ADHD comparison adults. Implications of the findings for clinical and research settings are presented as well as suggestions for improving methodology and reporting in future research.     

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among inmates in Bergen Prison

The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical findings are consistent with research indicating a high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among prison inmates. Forty‐three male inmates who were referred for ADHD assessment at the health service in Bergen prison participated. Although most of them reported symptoms in accordance with ADHD both in childhood and adulthood, only 35% of the referred inmates fulfilled the criteria for ADHD when a comprehensive assessment was conducted. The results emphasize the importance of a comprehensive assessment when diagnosing ADHD among prison inmates.     

Death row inmate characteristics, adjustment, and confinement: a critical review of the literature

This article reviews and summarizes research on death row inmates. The contributions and weaknesses of death row demographic data, clinical studies, and research based on institutional records are critiqued. Our analysis shows that death row inmates are overwhelmingly male and disproportionately Southern. Racial representation remains controversial. Frequently death row inmates are intellectually limited and academically deficient. Histories of significant neurological insult are common, as are developmental histories of trauma, family disruption, and substance abuse. Rates of psychological disorder among death row inmates are high, with conditions of confinement appearing to precipitate or aggravate these disorders. Contrary to expectation, the extant research indicates that the majority of death row inmates do not exhibit violence in prison even in more open institutional settings. These findings have implications for forensic mental health sentencing evaluations, competent attorney representation, provision of mental health services, racial disparity in death sentences, death row security and confinement policies, and moral culpability considerations. Future research directions on death row populations are suggested.     

Clinical syndromes, personality disorders, and neurocognitive differences in male and female inmates

This study examined clinical syndromes, personality disorders, and neurocognitive problems in adult male (n = 523) and female inmates (n = 523) and a sample of unincarcerated adult women (n = 523). Inmates were administered the Coolidge Correctional Inventory (CCI), and the unincarcerated sample was given an identical test, the Coolidge Axis II Inventory. Although there were significant differences between the two inmate groups on a majority of the 32 CCI scales, only two scales achieved a medium effect size. The two inmate groups were found to be highly similar in a comparison of ranked personality disorder prevalence rates. Consistent with previous literature, male inmates had a significantly higher prevalence of antisocial personality disorder than female inmates (24% vs. 18%). Female inmates had double the prevalence of male inmates on the borderline and histrionic personality disorder scales. Female inmates also reported significantly more general neuropsychological dysfunction, specifically memory problems and neurosomatic symptoms, than male inmates. Female inmates also reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, symptoms of schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and depersonalization than male inmates. Overall, the findings support previous research of high levels of psychological and neuropsychological problems in inmates, regardless of gender, and reinforces the need for comprehensive mental health screening of offender populations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Personality, intelligence and personal space among violent and non-violent delinquents

McGurk, Davis and Grehan (1981) have suggested that personality variables may have a moderating effect on the violence—personal space relationship originally reported by Kinzel (1970). Similarly, Wright (1974) has reported enhanced personal space in inmates classified as of low intelligence. The present study was undertaken in order to further investigate possible confounding effects of personality and intelligence differences on the relationship between aggressive behaviour and spatial use. A direct approach stop-distance and a semi-blind measure of personal space were obtained for a group of violent young offenders and a non-violent control group. Verbal and Non-verbal Intelligence scores and personality scores were also collected. Analysis of variance showed no significant differences in personal space size between the violent and non-violent group on any one measure. However, a significant interaction effect was found between violence, P and Non-verbal Intelligence such that violent inmates exhibited augmented personal space in relation to non-violent inmates only in the cases of those scoring both low on Non-verbal Intelligence and high on P. These findings contradict earlier research reporting a difference in spatial use between violent and non-violent Ss. It is concluded that the lack of a standardized well-controlled technique for measuring personal space has resulted in ambiguous findings in this area of research.     

Dyadic short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III

Various short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)/WAIS-R have been developed to obtain estimates of overall intellectual level, although little research of WAIS-III short forms has been published to date. Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) estimatesfromfour WAIS-III dyadic short forms were obtained by entering selected subtest scores from a mixed neurologic/ psychiatric sample (n = 196) into regression equations. Results were cross validated on a second sample (n = 57). Within both samples, WAIS-III FSIQ scores were highly correlated (r = .90-.92, p < .001) with estimated FSIQ scores. Estimated FSIQ fell within 5 points of actual FSIQ in 49% to 74% of cross-validation cases and within 10 points of actual FSIQ in 81% to 93% of the sample. Comparable to findings from previous short-form investigations, actual and estimated FSIQ classification levels agreed in 46% to 67% of cases in the cross-validation sample. These dyadic WAIS-III forms appear appropriate for obtaining gross estimates of FSIQ in similar populations, although caution is recommended in interpreting estimated IQ scores.     

Prison rioters: exploring infraction characteristics, risk factors, social correlates, and criminal careers

Investigation of individual inmates' characteristics are almost entirely absent from research of prison riots. The current study sought to fill this void using official infraction records and prison dossiers of 831 male inmates selected from the southwestern USA. Logistic regression models indicated that inmates who were cited for criminal infractions, such as theft, possession of weapons or drugs, threatening staff, and social risk factors were significantly more likely to engage in prison rioting. In fact, the model which contained criminal career, demographic information, infraction, and other social risk factors explained 40% of the variation in prison rioting. Suggestions for research on prison riots that included inmates' criminal history and characteristics of infraction are offered.     

MMPI short forms with adolescents: gender differences in accuracy

The influence of gender on accuracy for eight short forms of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was investigated using a sample of adolescents. MMPI responses from 318 male and 248 female psychiatric patients, aged 12 to 17, were scored for the standard MMPI, Mini-Mult (using two methods; Kincannon, 1968), Midi-Mult (Dean, 1972), two Maxi-Mults (McLachlan, 1974; Spera & Robertson, 1974), Hugo Short Form (Hugo, 1972), Faschingbauer Abbreviated MMPI (FAM; Faschingbauer, 1974), and MMPI-168 (Overall & Gomez-Mont, 1974). Discrepancy values were obtained for all short-form T-scores by subtracting each short-form T-score from its corresponding standard form T-score. These discrepancy values were analyzed using Gender x Short Form repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs). Because the number of scales varied among the short forms, two separate analyses were performed, one containing all short forms but only the 11 scales that appeared on all short forms and the other containing all scales but only the three short forms that contained all scales. McLachlan's (1974) Maxi-Mult was excluded from the analysis because of its nearly identical statistical properties to Spera and Robertson's (1974) Maxi-Mult. The interaction was significant on most scales in both analyses. Simple-effects breakdowns of the interactions revealed that the accuracy of each short form differed according to gender on several scales, following no consistent pattern. The Midi-Mult and Maxi-Mult are guardedly recommended as the short forms with the lowest number of scales showing a gender difference; however, the reader is cautioned that this difference is still present in more than one third of the scales. Further research on short-form development is advocated.     

Screening for intellectual disability in Dutch police suspects

The screener for mild intellectual disability (SCIL) was developed to screen for mild intellectual disability (IQ below 85). The aims of this study were (a) to examine the predictive validity of the SCIL in screening for intellectual disability among police suspects and (b) to explore the prevalence of cognitive intellectual disability among suspects in police custody in the Netherlands. An unselected sample of police suspects (N = 178) charged with a variety of offences was assessed with the SCIL, a Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)‐III‐NL short form, and a malingering measure. The SCIL screened 50.0% of the sample as having mild intellectual disabilities, whereas the short WAIS classified 84.3% of the sample with an IQ below 85. A principal component analysis of the SCIL showed ambiguous results. Furthermore, the short WAIS classified 55.6% of our sample with a borderline IQ (IQ = 70–84), 84.3% with an IQ below 85 and 28.7% with an IQ below 70. The prevalence of intellectual disability in this sample of Dutch (police) suspects appears to be higher than prevalence rates found in previous international studies. More exhaustive research is needed to examine the prevalence of intellectual disabilities in police suspects, and the utility of the SCIL to screen for these disabilities.     

Relationship between psychopathy and indirect aggression use in a noncriminal population

Psychopathy has long been associated with increased use of direct aggression and violence, especially among male inmates. Little research has, of yet, considered the relation between psychopathy and indirect forms of aggression. The current research sought to investigate the relationship between psychopathy and indirect aggression in a noncriminal sample. The results indicated that there was a strong relationship between psychopathic traits and indirect aggression, with strong correlations between indirect aggression and both factor 1 (coldheartedness) and factor 3 (impulsive antisociality). This association remained significant even after the effects of direct aggression had been controlled for. Path analysis indicated that both direct and indirect aggression was underpinned by the same psychopathy factors. This suggests that high psychopathy scorers will utilize direct and indirect aggression equally and, as such, the choice of one type of aggression over the other may be dependant on either situational factors or external moderators. Aggr. Behav. 35:408–421, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Psychopathy and aggressive behaviour among Nigerian male prison inmates: The moderating role of substance abuse

This study investigated the moderating role of substance abuse in the relationship between psychopathy and aggression among male prison inmates. Two hundred and sixty-seven male prison inmates from the Nigerian Prison Services were participants. The inmates were incarcerated for armed robbery (27.3%), theft (31.1%), murder (12.8%), rape/assault/child abuse (19.1%), burglary/arson (5.6%) and kidnapping (1.5%) in Enugu prisons, Nigeria. Their mean age was 28.32; SD = 5.53. Their length of time in prison ranges from 1 to 12 years, with a mean of 3.38 years. Participants responded to self-reported measures of aggression, psychopathy, and drug abuse. The result of the moderated regression analysis indicated substance abuse to moderate the relationship between primary psychopathy and verbal aggression, and between secondary psychopathy and hostility. The study findings underscore the importance of psychological intervention aimed at addressing aggression among prison inmates with histories of substance abuse and psychopathy.     

The Experiences of Women in Prison

Summary

Women in prison represent a neglected population. The facilities and the services offered to female inmates are based primarily on models derived from male inmates. The need for this approach to change is increasingly recognized because the number of women in the correctional system is increasing at an alarming rate, the criminal profile of female inmates is distinct, and independently because the racial and ethnic composition of the female prisoners is shifting. In the present study, the needs of women prisoners were studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives: relational, diversity, and developmental. Focus groups and questionnaires were conducted with 54 women incarcerated in a minimum security correctional facility for men and women in a Northeastern state. The women's developmental histories reflected high-risk conditions and early trauma. From the ease with which these women responded to questions about their main relationships (i.e., closeness and mutuality) with visitors and other inmates, it is clear that they are struggling but maintaining a relational context in their lives despite being incarcerated. Most women had children, and retained custody of their children, which has strong implications for their children's development. The findings suggested a number of important policy and service implications which differed for ethnic/racial groups.     

Factor comparison of two Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory short forms

A sample of 315 valid Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) protocols were selected from inpatient files and scored for both the MMPI-168 and Faschingbauer Abbreviated MMPI short forms. Each short form was then factor-analyzed by a principal axis strategy with varimax rotation. The six factors extracted from each short form were then compared as to their similarity by use of the s index. This procedure showed five of the six factors in each short form as having a significant relationship of the pattern of salient variables they had in common with the complimentary factors of the other form. These data suggest that both short forms, though based on different construction methodologies, share the same underlying personality attributes. Future research is suggested to replicate these results and extend them to the full MMPI.     

Internal consistency and reliability of alternate short forms of the college women's assertion sample: Clinical and research implications

Assertive behavior is most often assessed with self-report or role-play measures. The latter modality is preferred because it provides for the sampling of the structure of behavior and for the consideration of the situational context. MacDonald (1978) has developed such an assessment device but it is limited by the length of time for administration and scoring. Two studies were conducted to reconstruct reliable alternate short forms. The first study describes the selection of items and demonstrates the internal consistency of the alternate forms. The second study demonstrates the alternate form and retest reliability and provides normative statistics. We conclude that reliable alternate short forms have been constructed to be used in research in clinical applications.This research was supported by the Marie Wilson Howells Fund.Alternate short forms of the CWAS may be obtained from the first author.     

Need for achievement and performance on measures of behavioral fluency.

This investigation was designed to assess the relationship between a validated personality characteristic, need for achievement (nAch), and performance on measures of behavioral fluency. To infer this relationship, 50 neurologically intact college undergraduates were administered a questionnaire assessing nAch and a battery of tests including a short form of the WAIS and measures of behavioral fluency (i.e., verbal fluency). Statistical analysis indicated that subjects high on nAch obtained higher scores than subjects low on nAch on the measures of figural fluency and the WAIS Verbal Scale. No significant difference on verbal fluency was seen between the two groups. Secondly, the group high on nAch also had a higher mean Verbal IQ but not a higher mean Performance IQ as measured by a short form of the WAIS than did subjects scoring low on nAch.     

Predictive and incremental validity of the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide scores with male and female jail inmates

The present study examines the predictive and incremental validity of Violence Risk Appraisal Guide scores in a sample of 328 male and 145 female jail inmates held on felony charges. Significant gender differences were observed in VRAG item and total score means, as well as in correlations between the VRAG and concurrent measures of aggression. VRAG scores significantly predicted institutional misconduct during incarceration and recidivism in the first year postrelease for male inmates but not for female inmates. In terms of incremental validity, VRAG scores predicted institutional misconduct and recidivism beyond that accounted for by psychopathy for male inmates but not for female inmates. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.     

The influence of Afrocentric facial features in criminal sentencing

Prior research has shown that within a racial category, people with more Afrocentric facial features are presumed more likely to have traits that are stereotypic of Black Americans compared with people with less Afrocentric features. The present study investigated whether this form of feature-based stereotyping might be observed in criminal-sentencing decisions. Analysis of a random sample of inmate records showed that Black and White inmates, given equivalent criminal histories, received roughly equivalent sentences. However, within each race, inmates with more Afrocentric features received harsher sentences than those with less Afrocentric features. These results are consistent with laboratory findings, and they suggest that although racial stereotyping as a function of racial category has been successfully removed from sentencing decisions, racial stereotyping based on the facial features of the offender is a form of bias that is largely overlooked.     

Discriminating Psychotic the Affective Disorders Using the WAIS-R

Although there are compelling theoretical explications linking performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) with specific nosological groups, research findings have been inconsistent in demonstrating such relations. Three shortcomings can be identified within this literature: (a) it focuses mostly on the WAIS, (b) it relies on pre-Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. [DSM-III], American Psychiatric Association, 1980) criteria, and (c) it employs transformed scares or composite indices of WAIS performance. This article attempts to link performance variability on the WAIS-R (Revised) with diagnostic membership. The hypotheses of Rapaport, Gill, and Schafer (1968) are used to evaluate the clinical significance of the resulting discriminant equation.     

The Relationship Between Aggression and Self-Esteem Among Prison Inmates

Although the concept of self-esteem (SE) has been extensively researched and analyzed as it has evolved in psychology, it has not been widely used among criminologists to predict aggressive behavior. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the relationship between aggressive behavior and SE among prison inmates, and to examine whether inmates’ SE levels predicted different types of aggression. More specifically, 2 types of aggression were measured: physical active aggression (PAA) and physical passive aggression (PPA). It was found that inmates with lower SE had higher levels of physical passive but not physical active aggression than inmates with higher SE. These findings point to several implications for future research.