Reliability and validity of the Parenting Scale of Inconsistency

The purposes of the present study were to develop a Parenting Scale of Inconsistency and to evaluate its initial reliability and validity. The 12 items assess the inconsistency among parents' moods, behaviors, and attitudes toward children. In the primary study, 517 participants completed three measures: the new Parenting Scale of Inconsistency, the Parental Bonding Instrument, and the Depression Scale of the General Health Questionnaire. The Parenting Scale of Inconsistency had good test-retest reliability of .85 and internal consistency of .88 (Cronbach coefficient alpha). Construct validity was good as Inconsistency scores were significantly correlated with the Care and Overprotection scores of the Parental Bonding Instrument and with the Depression scores. Moreover, Inconsistency scores' relation with a dimension of parenting style distinct from Care and Overprotection suggested that the Parenting Scale of Inconsistency had factorial validity. This scale seems a potential measure for examining the relationships between inconsistent parenting and the mental health of children.     

Reliability and sources of validity evidence of the Oviedo Schizotypy Assessment Questionnaire-Abbreviated (ESQUIZO-Q-A)

The main goal of this research was to examine the reliability and different sources of validity evidence of the Oviedo Schizotypy Assessment Questionnaire-Abbreviated (ESQUIZO-Q-A) in nonclinical adolescents. The final sample was made up of 1,455 participants, 705 males (48.5%), with a mean age of 15.92 years (SD = 1.18). The internal consistency of the subscales ranged from .62 to .75. The analysis of its internal structure yielded a three-dimensional solution based on the dimensions: Reality Distortion, Anhedonia, and Interpersonal Disorganization. Likewise, the goodness-of-fit indices derived from the Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the hypothesized three-factor model were adequate. The three dimensions of the ESQUIZO-Q-A were significantly correlated with the subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The ESQUIZO-Q is a brief and simple self-report with adequate psychometric properties for the assessment of schizotypal traits in nonclinical adolescent populations. Future research should continue to explore the metric quality of the ESQUIZO-Q-A (e.g., sensitivity and specificity) and incorporate the new advances in psychological and educational assessment such as Computerized Adaptive Testing.     

Reliability and construct validity of the College Student Stress Scale

Reliability and construct validity of the 11-item College Student Stress Scale were investigated with exploratory (N = 273) and confirmatory factor analyses (N = 185) in undergraduate college students. Two factors were observed; however, reliability of the 3-item factor was too low and one item failed to load on either factor. A 7-item measure (Factor 1) had acceptable reliability (.81) and good convergence with the Perceived Stress Scale. This measure was significantly correlated with Neuroticism, Test Anxiety, and Self-efficacy for Learning, but not Social Desirability or age.     

Reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale

To investigate the reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), 28 youth aged 6 to 17 years with Tourette's syndrome (TS) participated in the study. Data included clinician reports of tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity, parent reports of tics, internalizing and externalizing problems, and child reports of depression and anxiety. All children participated in a 2nd YGTSS administration by the same rater 48 days later. Good internal consistency and stability were found for the YGTSS scores. YGTSS scores demonstrated strong correlations with parent-rated tic severity (r = .58-.68). YGTSS scores were not significantly related to measures of clinician ratings of OCD severity (r = .01-.15), parent ratings of externalizing and internalizing behavior (r = -.07-.20), and child ratings of depression (r = .02-.26) and anxiety (r = -.06 -.28). Findings suggest that the YGTSS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of pediatric TS.     

Reliability and validity of scores on the Slosson Auditory Perception Skills Screener

Psychometric characteristics of the Slosson Auditory Perception Skills Screener were studied using three independent samples of boys and girls ages 5-10 years (N= 1,170). Internal consistency of scores ranged from .83 to .90 for the total scale, while 30-day test-retest reliability was .82 (n=58). A convergent validity coefficient between the Slosson Auditory Perception Skills Screener and Test of Auditory Perceptual Skills-Revised Total Score was .59 (n=67, p<.05). Thus, scores derived from administration of the Slosson Auditory Perception Skills Screener had adequate internal consistency and temporal stability, as well as good convergent validity.     

Reliability and validity of the Fear of Intimacy Scale in China

Participants in China (n = 343) and the United States (n = 283) completed measures to assess the reliability and validity of the Fear of Intimacy Scale (Descutner & Thelen, 1991) with a Chinese population. Internal consistency was strong in both cultures, and the factor structure was also similar between cultures, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) identifying three-factor models in both samples. As evidence of convergent validity, the scale was positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with social support and self-esteem. There were gender differences between cultures, but low levels of femininity were predictive of fear of intimacy in both cultures. The influence of individualism and collectivism varied, with high levels of individualism more predictive of a fear of intimacy in China than in the United States.     

Reliability and validity of the Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale

The reliability and construct validity of the 5-item Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale (WHIIRS) were evaluated in 2 studies. In Study 1, using a sample of 66,269 postmenopausal women, validity of the WHIIRS was assessed by examining its relationship to other measures known to be related to sleep quality. Reliability of the WHIIRS was estimated using a resampling approach; the mean alpha coefficient was .78. Test-retest reliability coefficients were .96 for same-day administration and .66 after a year or more. Correlations of the WHIIRS with the other measures were in the predicted directions. Study 2 used a sample of 459 women and compared the WHIIRS with objective indicators of sleep quality. Results showed that differences in the objective indicators could be detected by the WHIIRS. Findings suggest that a between-group mean difference of approximately 0.50 of a standard deviation on the WHIIRS may be clinically meaningful.     

Honor Scale: evidence on construct validity

Honor is an important construct, mainly emphasized in collectivist cultures, such as Brazil. However, there is a lack of studies regarding honor in this cultural context. Therefore, the current research aims at proposing a short version of the Honor Scale (HS‐16) to the Brazilian context. Construct validity (i.e., factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity, as well as internal consistency and composite reliability) is reported in Studies 1 (n = 220) and 2 (n = 222), with participants from general population. In both studies, participants answered the Honor Scale and demographic questions. The authors find the HS‐16 to be a reliable and valid scale, thereby enabling its use in quantitative studies regarding the correlates of honor concerns.     

Reliability and validity of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS) in the assessment of dream narratives

In this study, we aimed to investigate the application of an externally rated measure of interpersonal representations (Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale [SCORS]; Westen, 1995) to dream narratives. A total of 80 student participants enrolled at a private university in the New York City metropolitan area completed a Dream Log and affect adjective checklist (Wellman, 2002) based on a recalled dream at both 1 month and 3 months following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Using the dreams provided in this study we examined the interrater reliability of SCORS ratings, the relationship of SCORS variables to an independently rated measure of dream distortion, and the relationship of SCORS variables to participants' own ratings of dream affect. Results indicated that dreams were reliably rated using the SCORS, 3 cognitive SCORS variables were significantly related to dream distortion, and affective SCORS variables were meaningfully related to participants' own ratings of affect in their dreams. Findings from this study provide support for the application of SCORS ratings to dream narratives. We discuss implications for further research and clinical application.     

Reliability and validity of the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI): evidence from a longitudinal cross-informant investigation

Psychometric properties of the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) were examined using data collected from adolescents and their parents in the Fullerton Longitudinal Study. Results revealed acceptable internal consistency for most scales and moderate to high 1-year stability for all scales. Both parents' PCRI scores correlated with their views of family climate. Cross-informant concordance was pervasive and strong between mothers' PCRI scores and adolescents' perceptions of the parent-child relationship and family climate; however, convergence was not evident between fathers' and adolescents' reports. Additionally, poor performance was observed for the Autonomy scale. In conjunction with other research on parent-adolescent relationships, concerns are raised regarding the utility of scales to contrast mother-adolescent with father-adolescent relationships.     

The Mehrabian Achieving Tendency Scale (MATS): Reliability, validity and relationship to demographic characteristics

The Mehrabian Achieving Tendency Scale (MATS) assesses individual motivational characteristics that are associated with achievement (Mehrabian, 1993; 1994-1995). A survey of 130 males and 218 females was conducted to examine psychometric properties of the MATS in a sample of Australians between 18 and 75 years of age. MATS scores attained high reliabilities and were similar to American samples. MATS scores were positively and significantly correlated with the Schwartz Value Survey (1992) achievement values but were not correlated with benevolence values. The MATS had a single factor structure but marked differences in item loading patterns when compared with Mehrabian and Blum (1996). Education and occupation were significantly associated with variations in MATS but gender and age were not.     

The Mehrabian Achieving Tendency Scale (MATS): Reliability, validity and relationship to demographic characteristics

The Mehrabian Achieving Tendency Scale (MATS) assesses individual motivational characteristics that are associated with achievement (Mehrabian, 1993; 1994-1995). A survey of 130 males and 218 females was conducted to examine psychometric properties of the MATS in a sample of Australians between 18 and 75 years of age. MATS scores attained high reliabilities and were similar to American samples. MATS scores were positively and significantly correlated with the Schwartz Value Survey (1992) achievement values but were not correlated with benevolence values. The MATS had a single factor structure but marked differences in item loading patterns when compared with Mehrabian and Blum (1996). Education and occupation were significantly associated with variations in MATS but gender and age were not.     

Reliability and validity of the Cognitive Slippage Scale in two populations.

Analyses of responses from a clinical sample of 120 patients (primarily schizophrenics) and from 158 college students to the Cognitive Slippage Scale, a scale designed by Miers and Raulin to identify speech deficits and confused thinking in schizophrenic and schizotypal personality disorders showed high internal reliability; Cronbach's coefficients alpha were .89 and .86 in the clinical and college student samples, respectively. The mean scale scores significantly differentiated the two samples. Also, change scores over 4 wk. showed adequate stability for both samples. Item analysis indicated Items 11, 20, 21, and 28 may not reliably discriminate between schizophrenic and college student samples. Over-all, these preliminary results are consistent with the reliability and validity of the scale.     

Reliability and validity evidence for the French Psychological Need Thwarting Scale (PNTS) scores: Significance of a distinction between thwarting and satisfaction of basic psychological needs

ObjectivesThe goal of these studies was to provide evidence of the significance of a distinction between basic psychological need thwarting (BPNT) and satisfaction (BPNS) within a sport context. Studies 1a and 2 tested the score validity and reliability of the French PNTS (Psychological Need Thwarting Scale) for measuring BPNT for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Study 1b examined the relationships between BPNT and selected variables (athlete burnout and sport motivation) by controlling for BPNS.MethodParticipants in study 1 (N study 1a = 239; N study 1b = 132) and study 2 (N = 132) were adolescents athletes who completed the PNTS and other questionnaires. Data were analyzed with internal consistency, average variance extracted, composite reliability, confirmatory factor analyses (studies 1a and 2) and correlational analyses (studies 2 and 1b).DesignCross-sectional.ResultsResults of studies 1a and 2 showed that the 11-item 3-factor correlated structure of the PNTS fitted the data adequately. Multiple-group CFAs showed that the PNTS scores were partially invariant across the samples from studies 1a and 2. In study 2, BPNS positively correlated with self-determined forms of motivation and negatively correlated with controlled forms of motivation and/or athlete burnout whereas BPNT showed the opposite pattern of results. In study 1b, BPNT was associated with athlete burnout and sport motivation after BPNS was held constant.ConclusionsThis study provided support for the reliability and validity of the French PNTS scores (studies 1a and 2) and the incremental validity of BPNT (study 1b), supporting the distinction between BPNS and BPNT.     

The Self-Absorption Scale: Reliability and validity in non-clinical samples

The lack of a measure of self-absorption, an excessive, sustained, and rigid focus on the self, has limited progress in research on the role of attentional processes in psychopathology. We describe the development of a measure of self-absorption that yields scores for private and public self-absorption. Factor analyses indicated that the measure has a clean factor structure, with two correlated factors. In a preliminary validation study using non-clinical participants, we embedded the private and public self-absorption constructs in a nomological network of constructs that implicate attentional processes. Both forms of self-absorption are correlated with a wide array of constructs in a pattern that corresponds to the conceptual definition of the construct. They also evidence incremental validity over their self-consciousness counterparts in associations with key constructs. These preliminary findings provide a firm basis for investigations of the role of self-absorption in psychopathology.     

Reliability and validity of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale in a French-Canadian sample

The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a French version of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). A sample of 2,666 school-age French-Canadian children completed the questionnaire. With regard to factor structure, the 5-factor model found in U.S. normative samples was confirmed. The internal consistency of the 5 scales and of the 2 global scales was good to excellent. Test-retest reliabilities after a 6-month period were also similar to those of the original version. Finally, the concurrent validity, assessed by a correlation with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, was also found to be good. Results of the present study show that the French version of the RCMAS is a good instrument to assess anxiety in children.     

Reliability and Validity of the Dyadic Observed Communication Scale (DOCS)

We evaluated the reliability and validity of the Dyadic Observed Communication Scale (DOCS) coding scheme, which was developed to capture a range of communication components between parents and adolescents. Adolescents and their caregivers were recruited from mental health facilities for participation in a large, multi-site family-based HIV prevention intervention study. Seventy-one dyads were randomly selected from the larger study sample and coded using the DOCS at baseline. Preliminary validity and reliability of the DOCS was examined using various methods, such as comparing results to self-report measures and examining interrater reliability. Results suggest that the DOCS is a reliable and valid measure of observed communication among parent-adolescent dyads that captures both verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors that are typical intervention targets. The DOCS is a viable coding scheme for use by researchers and clinicians examining parent-adolescent communication. Coders can be trained to reliably capture individual and dyadic components of communication for parents and adolescents and this complex information can be obtained relatively quickly.     

Construct validity of the MMPI-2 College Maladjustment (Mt) Scale

The construct validity of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2) College Maladjustment (Mt) Scale was examined using 376 student clients at a university psychological clinic. A principal components analysis and correlations of Mt scale scores with clients' and therapists' ratings of symptoms and functioning showed that the Mt scale identifies the presence of maladjustment as defined in terms of depressive and anxious symptoms. There is no evidence to show that the scale is specific to college students or that it is sensitive to severe psychological disturbance. The Mt scale does not inform the clinician as to why a person is distressed. In addition, there is no evidence from this study to suggest the superiority of the Mt scale over other MMPI-2 maladjustment measures. Therapists should use the entire MMPI-2 profile, not just the Mt scale, to gain the most comprehensive and specific understanding of clients.     

The Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS): reliability and validity evidence for a new measure of relationship closeness

A fundamental dimension along which all social and personal relationships vary is closeness. The Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS) is a 12-item self-report scale measuring the closeness of social and personal relationships. The reliability and validity of the URCS were assessed with college dating couples (N = 192), female friends and strangers (N = 330), friends (N = 170), and family members (N = 155). The results show that the scale is unidimensional, with high reliability across relationship types (M α = .96). Evidence consistent with validity included substantial within-couple agreement for the romantic couples (intraclass correlation = .41), substantial friend-stranger discrimination for the female friends (η2 = .82), and measurement invariance across relationship types. Evidence of convergent and divergent validity was obtained for inclusion of other in the self and relational satisfaction, respectively.