Analysis of the piat with Anglo and Mexican-American children

This study analyzed the utility of the PIAT when administered to separate samples of Anglo and Mexican-American children using the WRAT and WISC-R as comparative measures. Thirty-one Mexican-American and 31 Anglo-American children were matched on the basis of sex, age, SES, educational placement, and reason referred for psychological assessment. All children were administered the PIAT, WRAT, and WISC-R. Partial intercorrelations (CA held constant) among the PIAT subtest raw scores and subtests of the WRAT purporting to measure the same construct were performed. Adequate concurrent validity was found for the PIAT Mathematics, Spelling, and Reading Recognition subtests for both Anglo and Mexican-American children. Analysis of subtest means and concurrent validity between ethnic groups showed general equivalence with the exception of WISC-R Verbal IQ means, which was significantly lower for the Mexican-American group. Implications for assessing Mexican-American children are discussed.     

Separate factor analyses of the McCarthy Scales for groups of black and white children

Factor analyses of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) were performed on separate groups of black (N = 124) and white (N = 688) children, aged 3.0 to 7.6 years, to assess the comparability of the underlying structures and to evaluate the construct validity of the MSCA for each racial group. Little Jiffy I (principal components) solutions produced four factors for the blacks and three for the whites. Each “white” factor had a coefficient of congruence of .85–.93 with one “black” factor, indicating the close similarity of the solutions. In addition, the factors which emerged for the blacks and whites corresponded to several of the scales constituting the MSCA, offering evidence of the instrument's construct validity for each racial group. The results of the study should enhance the use of the McCarthy Scales for assessing young children of all races.     

Interactive effects of item content and ethnic group membership on performance on the McCarthy scales

The study investigated cultural bias in the 46 verbal items of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA). The verbal items of the MSCA were administered to 59 Anglo and 59 Mexican-American subjects matched for age and sex. The responses of two groups of subjects on these items were analyzed by log-linear technique using the likelihood ratio chi-square statistic. The analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the verbal items of the MSCA are free from cultural bias. Only three items of the MSCA V-scale reflected systematic cultural bias. Two of these items are from the Word Knowledge II Subtest and the third one is from the Opposite Analogies Subtest. Suggestions for the use of the MSCA with children from minority cultures are made.     

Factor structure of the WISC-R with Anglos and Mexican-Americans

The present study compared the underlying factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised for Anglo and Mexican-American children. Subtests of the WISC-R were administered to 109 Anglo and 123 Mexican-American children ranging from 8 to 15 years of age and were analyzed separately for each group. Three factors emerged for each ethnic classification which corresponded closely to those usually reported for the WISC-R. Coefficients of congruence (.84–.89) between factors given the same name for each ethnic group indicated a high degree of similarity in constructs being measured.     

Behavior problems of anglo and Mexican-American children

The present investigation compared Anglo (N=1,999) and Mexican-American children (N=192) on the four factors of the Behavior Problem Checklist (BPCL). Teachers provided general information and BPCL ratings. The Anglo children manifested more problems on three of the factors than did the Mexican-American children. Significant interactions of grade, sex, and social class with ethnic group were revealed for two of the factors.The authors wish to thank Dr. John Bowser, superintendent of the Alief Independent School District, for his support, encouragement, and cooperation in this study. In addition, they express appreciation for the assistance rendered by Mrs. Dorothy Schreiner, secretary to the superintendent, and for participation of the principals and teachers.     

Factor analysis of the McCarthy scales of children's abilities on preschool children

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was administered to 200 children, 100 males and 100 females, with a mean chronological age of 3–9. The results were subjected to factor analysis to determine the validity of MSCA alignment into six distinct indexes, or factors, and to determine if there were sex differences in factors produced by the MSCA. A general (“g”) factor was derived for both females and males. Specific factors (Abstract Verbal Reasoning and Remote Verbal Memory) were derived for the female sample. Two specific factors (Sequential Memory and Nonverbal Cognition) were derived for the male sample. Only the “g” factors derived for male, female, and total samples corresponded to the General Cognitive Index (GCI) used in the MSCA. The results suggested that clinical interpretation of the MSCA should be made cautiously for both normal and exceptional children until further exploration of the construct validity and sex differences in the MSCA can be conducted.     

Factor structure of the McCarthy scales for school-age children with low GCIs

This study aimed to cross-validate the factor analysis of the McCarthy Scales and to determine the construct validity of these scales for children who score one standard deviation below the normative mean on general cognitive ability. The sample was comprised of 77 children aged 6 to $\text{8}\text{1}\text{2}$ with a mean General Cognitive Index (GCI) of 61.6. Principal factor analysis produced four meaningful factors which corresponded closely to four of the scales on McCarthy's battery. The present findings discourage the interpretation of the Quantitative Scale for school-age children with GCIs below 84. Other implications of the results for the interpretation of McCarthy profiles for low-scoring school-aged children are discussed.     

Predicting preschool motor and cognitive performance in appropriate-for-gestational-age children born at ≤ 32 weeks gestation

Although many follow-up studies have been performed on preterm infants, little attention has been devoted to prediction of motor skills in the preschool or school years. We studied the relationship of performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at a mean corrected age of 21 months to performance on the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities at a mean corrected age of 44.7 months for 43 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) children born at ≤ 32 weeks gestation. Motor scores were stable over time with a significant correlation between the Bayley Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) and the McCarthy Motor subscale (r = 0.60; p = 0.0001). Scores of cognitive abilities also showed a significant correlation between the Bayley Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and the McCarthy General Cognitive Index (r = 0.42; p = 0.009). Small-for-gestational-age (SGA), very low-birthweight (≤ 1500 grams) children scored lower on the McCarthy General Cognitive Index (p = 0.01) and on the Motor subscale (p = 0.047) than the AGA children. We concluded that motor performance of AGA children born at ≤ 32 weeks gestation is stable from toddlerhood to preschool age. We suggest that SGA children be excluded from studies of motor performance of prematurely born children.     

A cross-cultural comparison of the developmental items of five ethnic groups in the southwest

A population of 3,067 Mexican-American, Pueblo Indian, Navajo Indian, Black, and Anglo elementary children were administered the Draw-A-Person for norming and comparison against the existing Koppitz scoring procedure. A significant number of items for each of the five ethnic groups changed categories with final score interpretation affected. A significant difference in percentage of items drawn by the five ethnic groups was also found, as were regional differences on certain items.     

Joint factor analysis of the K-ABC and McCarthy Scales

A joint-factor analysis was conducted using three major scales of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and eight Kaufman-ABC sub-tests as variables. Subjects were 90 children ages 4 to 8 1/2 yr. The screen test produced three significant factors, each interpretable from the Kaufman-ABC model. McCarthy Verbal scale was closely associated with the Achievement/Verbal factor; McCarthy Perceptual performance scale loaded highly on the Simultaneous Processing dimension; and McCarthy Quantitative was associated with all three factors. These results provide useful guidelines for interpreting a child's performance on each Index of the McCarthy scales in terms of the mental processing approach used to solve the task. However, the psychometric results must be coordinated with the examiner's clinical observations of the child's problem-solving strategies during administration of the McCarthy scales to understand more completely the processing demands of the Verbal, Perceptual performance, and Quantitative Scales.     

The WISC-R factoral validity for minority groups and Spearman's hypothesis

The factoral structure of the WISC-R for groups of Anglo, Black, and Mexican-American children was compared and found to be highly similar across groups. The tests appear to be measuring the same abilities in all three groups. The order of subtest difficulty was not significantly correlated with the subtest g loadings for the Black children but was for the Mexican-Americans. These results provide support for Spearman's hypothesis with Mexican-American children.     

Reliability and preliminary evidence of validity of a Farsi version of the depression anxiety stress scales

The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the Farsi version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were examined, with a sample of 306 undergraduate students (123 men, 183 women) ranging from 18 to 51 years of age (M age = 25.4, SD = 6.1). Participants completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. The findings confirmed the preliminary reliabilities and preliminary construct validity of the Farsi translation of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales.     

Number processing and calculation in Brazilian children aged 7-12 years

Numerical cognition is based on two components - number processing and calculation. Its development is influenced by biological, cognitive, educational, and cultural factors. The objectives of the present study were to: i) assess number processing and calculation in Brazilian children aged 7-12 years from public schools using the Zareki-R (Battery of neuropsychological tests for number processing and calculation in children, Revised; von Aster & Dellatolas, 2006) in order to obtain normative data for Portuguese speakers; ii) identify how environment, age, and gender influences the development of these mathematical skills; iii) investigate the construct validity of the Zareki-R by the contrast with the Arithmetic subtest of WISC-III. The sample included 172 children, both genders, divided in two groups: urban (N = 119) and rural (N = 53) assessed by the Zareki-R. Rural children presented lower scores in one aspect of number processing; children aged 7-8 years demonstrated an inferior global score than older; boys presented a superior performance in both number processing and calculation. Construct validity of Zareki-R was demonstrated by high to moderate correlations with Arithmetic subtest of WISC-III. The Zareki-R therefore is a suitable instrument to assess the development of mathematical skills, which is influenced by factors such as environment, age, and gender.     

Effects of in‐group and out‐group ethnicity on children's attitudes towards members of the in‐group and out‐group

This study tested predictions drawn from social identity development theory (SIDT) (Nesdale, 1999a) concerning the development of young children's ethnic attitudes. 5‐7‐ and 9‐year‐old children (N = 159) participated in a minimal group study in which they were assigned to a team which had higher drawing ability than a competitor team. The team members were revealed to be of the same (Anglo‐Australian) vs. different (Pacific Islander) ethnicity (in‐group ethnicity). The ethnicity of the competitor team was varied in the same way. The children subsequently rated their liking for, and similarity to, the in‐group and the out‐group, and the extent to which they wished to change groups. Children liked in‐group members more than out‐group members. Liking for in‐group members was unaffected by the ethnic composition of the groups, but liking for outgroup members was reduced when the ethnic composition of the out‐group differed from that of the in‐group. Children felt most similar to same‐group, same‐ethnicity members and least similar to different ethnicity out‐group members. The desire to change teams increased with age but there was no intention to align with same ethnicity individuals. The extent to which the findings provide support for SIDT is discussed.     

The Ohio Scales Youth Form: Expansion and Validation of a Self-Report Outcome Measure for Young Children

We examined the validity and reliability of a self-report outcome measure for children between the ages of 8 and 11. The Ohio Scales Problem Severity scale is a brief, practical outcome measure available in three parallel forms: Parent, Youth, and Agency Worker. The Youth Self-Report form is currently validated for children ages 12 and older. The Ohio Scales Problem Severity scale was administered to a clinical and comparison sample of children, ages 8–11, then readministered 1 week later to a subsample of children in order to examine test-retest reliability. The Ohio Scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and reliability. The Ohio Scales was significantly correlated with the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) across both samples, providing evidence for concurrent validity. Children of the clinical sample reporting higher scores (i.e., more symptomatic) than the children of the comparison sample on the Ohio Scales, thereby demonstrating construct validity.     

Adaptive behavior inventory for children: The need for local norms

This study investigates the need for local and/or separate racial-ethnic group norms on the Adaptive Behavior Inventory for Children (ABIC). A random sample of 420 children from the Corpus Christi (Texas) Independent School District, was stratified according to gender, age, racial-ethnic group (Black, Mexican-American, and Anglo), and low or middle socioeconomic status. The parent of each child was interviewed with the ABIC. Results indicated a need for local norms for only the low SES Mexican-Americans.     

Validation of Social Connectedness in Mainstream Society and the Ethnic Community Scales

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Social Connectedness in Mainstream Society (SCMN) and the Social Connectedness in the Ethnic Community (SCETH) Scales in two groups of ethnic minorities. We especially examined their theoretical/conceptual and empirical viability in relation to other established constructs of general social connectedness, acculturation, and enculturation. Analyses of two sets of survey data from 200 Mexican American students in California and 134 Asian international students in Minnesota supported (a) construct validity of the SCMN and the SCETH as related but distinct structures, (b) convergent and discriminant validity in relation to acculturation and enculturation, and (c) high reliability. The examination of incremental validity in predicting subjective well-being further supported their distinctive utility in addition to other established constructs of general social connectedness, acculturation, enculturation, ethnic identity, and other group orientation. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

MMPI Supplemental Scale Performance of Mexican Americans and Level of Acculturation

Mexican American and Anglo American's performance on the Wiggins Content Scales, Harris-Lingoes subscales, and Serkownek subscales was assessed in a college student population, Level of acculturation (Mexican vs. Anglo orientation), age, and social class were statistically controlled, The results showed statistically significant differences between means of Anglo and Mexican Americans on most of the supplemental scales assessed. These differences were more numerous before scale validity criteria were applied. The number of statistically significant differences were further reduced when level of acculturation and age were statistically controlled, The results showed that level of acculturation is a highly important variable which moderates interpretation of the MMPI scale elevations we measured. Acculturation far outweighted the influence of the well established MMPI moderator variables of age and social class.     

Concurrent validity of the College Adjustment scales using comparison with the MMPI College Maladjustment Scale

The concurrent validity of the College Adjustment Scales was assessed using comparison to the College Maladjustment Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory-2. Undergraduate students (N=56, 40 women, M age = 21.3 yr., 87.5% white, non-Hispanic) completed both tests. Analysis indicated scores on 8 of 9 College Adjustment Scales correlated significantly in the predicted direction with those on the College Maladjustment Scale, thereby providing some additional support for convergent validity. While the conclusions are limited significantly by the small sample, this report provides an incremental contribution to the validity of the College Adjustment Scales.     

The effects of ethnicity and acculturation on early adolescent delinquency

We examined the influence of ethnicity and acculturation status on the relationship between parental monitoring, susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure, and delinquency. The sample consisted primarily of Caucasian (63%) and Mexican-American (24%) early adolescents. Self-report data were collected from 1021 sixth and seventh graders, equally divided by gender (mean age =12.7 years). The Mexican-American adolescents were categorized into one of three acculturation groups: (a) acculturated; (b) unacculturated by choice; and (c) recent immigrants. Acculturated Mexican-American early adolescents reported significantly more delinquent behaviors than the Caucasian, unacculturated by choice, and recent immigrant youth. Recent immigrant early adolescents reported more parental monitoring than the acculturated Mexican-American early adolescents. Level of perceived susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure did not differ between ethnic or acculturation groups. Regression analyses revealed that the relationship between parental monitoring and delinquency was mediated by susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure for all the groups regardless of ethnicity or level of acculturation. Findings emphasize the importance of: (a) examining level of acculturation when sampling ethnically diverse populations; and (b) comparing global mean level differences and specific relationships among independent variables.