MMPI-2 Content Scale Validity Within a Sample of Chronic Pain Patients

The concurrent, criterion-related and discriminant validity of four of the MMPI-2 content scales were examined within a population of 309 patients being evaluated for the treatment of chronic pain. Utilizing both self-report and therapist-derived criteria, the MMPI-2 content scales designed to assess symptoms of anxiety (ANX), depression (DEP), low self-esteem (LSE), and anger (ANG) demonstrated the ability to provide valid information beyond that provided by the traditional MMPI-2 clinical and validity indices. Further, a multi-trait/multi-method analytic approach revealed; (1) strong discriminant validity for the ANG content scale and (2) substantial variance overlap among all the self-report measures of subjective distress, compromising our efforts to evaluate the discriminant validity of the ANX, DEP, and LSE content scales.     

A Model of Therapist Competencies for the Empirically Supported Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Depressive Disorders

While a plethora of cognitive behavioral empirically supported treatments (ESTs) are available for treating child and adolescent anxiety and depressive disorders, research has shown that these are not as effective when implemented in routine practice settings. Research is now indicating that is partly due to ineffective EST training methods, resulting in a lack of therapist competence. However, at present, the specific competencies that are required for the effective implementation of ESTs for this population are unknown, making the development of more effective EST training difficult. This study therefore aimed to develop a model of therapist competencies for the empirically supported cognitive behavioral treatment of child and adolescent anxiety and depressive disorders using a version of the well-established Delphi technique. In doing so, the authors: (1) identified and reviewed cognitive behavioral ESTs for child and adolescent anxiety and depressive disorders, (2) extracted therapist competencies required to implement each treatment effectively, (3) validated these competency lists with EST authors, (4) consulted with a panel of relevant local experts to generate an overall model of therapist competence for the empirically supported cognitive behavioral treatment of child and adolescent anxiety and depressive disorders, and (5) validated the overall model with EST manual authors and relevant international experts. The resultant model offers an empirically derived set of competencies necessary for effectively treating children and adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders and has wide implications for the development of therapist training, competence assessment measures, and evidence-based practice guidelines for working with this population. This model thus brings us one step closer to bridging the gap between science and practice when treating child and adolescent anxiety and depression.     

Measuring Job Interview Anxiety: Beyond Weak Knees and Sweaty Palms

A multidimensional measure of interview anxiety, called the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Interviews (MASI), was developed using a student sample  ( N = 212)  and tested using a sample of job applicants in a field setting  ( N = 276)  . The MASI goes beyond the measurement of "weak knees" and "sweaty palms" by providing an assessment of 5 interview anxiety dimensions: Communication, Appearance, Social, Performance, and Behavioral. The psychometric properties of the scales were strong and confirmatory factor analyses supported the a priori structure. In addition, substantial evidence for the concurrent, discriminant, criterion-related, and incremental validity of the MASI was obtained. Moreover, a multiple correlation of .34 was found for the 5 MASI scales in the prediction of interview performance. The development of the MASI has important implications for the field, as it may provide the foundation for future research on job interview anxiety, guide interview anxiety treatment programs, and promote the enhancement of job interview validity.     

The Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale in a clinical sample: psychometric properties and clinical utility

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale (CATS; Schniering, C. A., & Rapee, R. M. (2002). Development and validation of a measure of children's automatic thoughts: The Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 1091-1109) in a large sample of anxious youth. The participants were 891 referred children and adolescents. Participants completed the CATS and a wide range of symptom measures, and were assessed via a structured diagnostic interview. Previous community-based psychometric properties were confirmed. The scale was highly sensitive to treatment change, and showed evidence of cognitive specificity with reductions in threat and failure beliefs, but not in hostility beliefs following treatment. The CATS demonstrated good convergent validity with related anxiety and depression scales, and moderate discriminant validity was found across anxious, anxious-depressed and anxious-oppositional groups. Implications for the assessment of child anxiety, and difficulties around children "faking good" on anxiety measures are discussed.     

Factor solutions of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) in a Swedish population

Culturally validated rating scales for social anxiety disorder (SAD) are of significant importance when screening for the disorder, as well as for evaluating treatment efficacy. This study examined construct validity and additional psychometric properties of two commonly used scales, the Social Phobia Scale and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, in a clinical SAD population (n?=?180) and in a normal population (n?=?614) in Sweden. Confirmatory factor analyses of previously reported factor solutions were tested but did not reveal acceptable fit. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) of the joint structure of the scales in the total population yielded a two-factor model (performance anxiety and social interaction anxiety), whereas EFA in the clinical sample revealed a three-factor solution, a social interaction anxiety factor and two performance anxiety factors. The SPS and SIAS showed good to excellent internal consistency, and discriminated well between patients with SAD and a normal population sample. Both scales showed good convergent validity with an established measure of SAD, whereas the discriminant validity of symptoms of social anxiety and depression could not be confirmed. The optimal cut-off score for SPS and SIAS were 18 and 22 points, respectively. It is concluded that the factor structure and the additional psychometric properties of SPS and SIAS support the use of the scales for assessment in a Swedish population.     

The Great Eight competencies: a criterion-centric approach to validation

The author presents results of a meta-analysis of 29 validation studies (N=4,861) that uses the Great Eight competency factors (Kurz & Bartram, 2002) as the criterion measurement framework. Predictors of the Great Eight competencies based only on personality scales show moderate to good correlations with line-manager ratings for all 8 of the competencies. On their own, ability tests correlate with 4 of the 8 competencies, and together ability and personality data yield operational validities ranging from 0.20 to 0.44 for the 8 competencies. Operational validities for aggregated predictors with aggregated criteria were estimated to be 0.53. The value of differentiating the criterion space and of relating predictor variables to criterion variables in a one-to-one fashion is discussed.     

Development of the Multicultural Mental Health Awareness Scale

The present study describes the development of an instrument to assess the multicultural competencies of mental health professionals in Australia. The scale was developed to assess the effectiveness of a multicultural mental health training program. Mental health professionals from Queensland, Australia (N = 268) participated in the study by completing a questionnaire battery. Items on the new scale were generated to parallel the Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC) training program's objectives. The results describe a 35‐item Multicultural Mental Health Awareness Scale. Factor analysis of the scale indicated three factors of multicultural counselling competencies: Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills. These factors were in line with the Sue et al. (1982) multicultural counselling competencies. The scale has satisfactory internal consistency, test–retest reliability, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity and can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the multicultural competency training programs in mental health.     

The abbreviated multidimensional acculturation scale: empirical validation with two Latino/Latina samples

Two studies were conducted to develop and examine internal consistencies and validate the Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale. Study 1 participants were 156 Latino/Latina college students. Findings indicated good internal reliabilities for all 3 subscales. Adequate concurrent validity was established with length of residence in the United States. The scale also showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Study 2 participants were 90 Latino/Latina community members. The subscales were also reliable and showed adequate concurrent validity with length of residence in the United States. Convergent and discriminant validity were also adequate. Construct validity was further demonstrated through factorial analyses of the combined samples (N = 246). Three separate factors emerged: cultural identity, language competence, and cultural competence.     

国外心理健康服务人员胜任特征

什么样的人具有资格担当心理健康服务人员, 这方面的研究属于心理健康服务人员胜任特征的问题。国外有关心理健康服务人员胜任特征的研究主要涉及: 核心胜任特征与特殊胜任特征、能力与胜任特征评估、胜任特征模型及其开发、心理健康服务不同具体领域的胜任特征研究, 这些研究对于改进心理健康服务人员的教育与培训、录用与管理有着重要指导作用。目前该领域研究的局限在于很少关注如何运用已确认的胜任特征去评价心理健康服务领域的学生以及从业人员。     

高校教师胜任特征模型的构建与验证

本研究采取工作分析和行为事件访谈整合的研究范式构建高校教师胜任特征模型,然后通过团体焦点访谈、测验编制、评价第二个校标样本等三种方法,验证模型的专家效度、构想效度与同时结构效度。结果表明：高校教师胜任特征模型包括8项：创新、批判性思维、教学策略、专注、社会服务意识、逻辑分析能力、成就欲、尊重他人;高校教师胜任特征自评问卷可简缩为三个因子,即人员导向、成就导向和创新导向,该问卷具有良好的信效度,可以作为测量高校教师胜任特征水平的工具;将结构化工作分析与行为事件访谈法整合构建胜任特征模型,是可行和有效的建模路径。     

Evaluation of the PAI–A Anxiety and Depression Scales: Evidence of Construct Validity

Against the background of a dearth of studies examining the properties of the scale scores of the Personality Assessment Inventory–Adolescent (PAI–A; Morey, 2007), this study was conducted to evaluate evidence of construct validity for the Anxiety (ANX) and Depression (DEP) scales of the PAI–A. Convergent and discriminant validity of the ANX and DEP scale scores were investigated using a sample of adolescents admitted to the adolescent program of a private tertiary care inpatient treatment facility. Multiple methods assessing anxious and depressive symptomology and diagnoses were included. Construct validity of the ANX and DEP scales was mostly supported. Advantages of using the PAI–A for the assessment of anxiety and depression were discussed.     

The Development and Validation of the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale

The development, reliability, and validity of a new instrument, the Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale (MAPS), is described. Based on a sample of 181 university students, the results indicate that the MAPS has strong internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability. In addition, an assessment of concurrent and discriminant validity indicates statistically significant correlations with other self-report measures of anxiety, hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and fear of AIDS. The results of a factor analysis indicate that the scale consists of two factors: Fear of Infection and Fear of Others/Avoidance. Although further research with the MAPS in a clinical population is warranted to investigate the generalizability of this study's results, the instrument appears to be a reliable and valid measure of AIDS Phobia and may prove useful for improving clinical assessment and documenting treatment outcome.     

Empirical correlates of the MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales in a nonclinical setting

We examined the empirical correlates of the MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical (RC; Tellegen et al., 2003) scales in a nonclinical setting. We administered 12 criterion measures assessing variables expected to be associated differentially with the RC Scales along with the MMPI-2 to a sample of 1,038 college students (Men, N = 407; Women, N = 631). Criteria included measures of somatization, depression, Machiavellian negativism, drug and alcohol abuse, anger, anxiety, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, magical ideation, perceptual aberration, lability, and impulsivity. Results demonstrate good convergent and discriminant validity for the RC scales and add to a growing body of empirical correlates of these scales.     

EXPLORING BLACK-WHITE SUBGROUP DIFFERENCES OF MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES

This study investigates whether different job-relevant competencies vary in terms of Black-White subgroup differences exhibited. There were 633 participants (545 Whites, 88 Blacks) who completed a managerial assessment center that evaluated 13 competency dimensions across 8 assessment exercises. Participants also completed a cognitive ability test. The results suggest that subgroup differences vary by the content domain of the competency. As predicted, significant subgroup differences emerged for a majority of the more cognitively loaded competencies (e.g., judgment) while nonsignificant differences were associated with a majority of the less cognitively loaded competencies (e.g., human relations). Furthermore, when cognitive ability was controlled, 12 of 13 competency scores demonstrated incremental validity in predicting supervisory job performance ratings. In addition, competencies with greater cognitive load tended to more strongly predict cognitive aspects of job performance as compared to noncognitive aspects. However, competencies with less cognitive load did not differentially predict cognitive and noncognitive aspects of job performance.     

Assessment of Tripartite Factors of Emotion in Children and Adolescents II: Concurrent Validity of the Affect and Arousal Scales for Children

The authors assessed the reliability and validity of the Affect and Arousal Scale for Children (AFARS; Chorpita, Daleiden, Moffitt, Yim, & Umemoto, 2000). The AFARS is a new measure of children's positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and physiological hyperarousal (PH). In the first study, 176 school children, 7 to 17 years of age, were administered measures of childhood worry, anxiety sensitivity, and autonomic arousal and their parents completed a child behavior problem checklist. In a second study, two groups of 100 and 114 school children, 8 to 18 years of age, were administered measures of childhood depression and anxiety, respectively, Also, 120 of these children took part in a 1-week retest administration of the AFARS. These studies provided preliminary evidence of acceptable 1-week test–retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity for the AFARS PA, NA, and PH scales. However, the predicted pattern of convergent and discriminant relations with parent-reported criterion only emerged for children over 11 years of age. Further, a consistent positive relation emerged between NA and PH, yet each of these scales accounted for unique variance in the prediction of criterion measures.     

Preliminary acceptability and psychometrics of the infant–toddler social and emotional assessment (ITSEA): A new adult-report questionnaire

The preliminary acceptability, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and validity of the Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA), a parent-report questionnaire concerning social-emotional problems and competencies, were examined in a sociodemographically diverse pediatric sample of 214 parents of 12- to 36-month-olds. Results supported the ITSEA's acceptability and preliminary internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and validity. Most parents had a positive response to the ITSEA, found the questions easy to understand, and would consider recommending it to a friend. Confirmatory factor analyses supported 16 conceptually hypothesized problem and competence scales. Most scales had strong internal consistency, good to excellent 2-week test–retest reliability, and moderate 1-year test–retest reliability. Significant correlations among ITSEA scales and parent reports of child temperament and problem behaviors supported the ITSEA's validity. Psychometric findings are viewed as preliminary due to the relatively small sample size. Parents reported greater competence and more maladaptive behaviors in older children than younger children. Consistent with observational studies, boys lagged behind girls in certain parent-reported competencies, including empathy, compliance, prosocial peer interactions, and emotional awareness. Parent reports yielded empirically coherent problem and competence scales and domains, suggesting the early emergence of parental perceptions of organized and differentiated clusters of social-emotional behaviors.     

Comparing measures of attachment: "To whom one turns in times of stress", parental warmth, and partner satisfaction

The Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ; M. A. Lindberg & S. W. Thomas, 2011), was developed over an 18-year period containing 29 scales. The purpose of the present study was to test (a) the validity of the attachment scales in terms of how they predict to whom one turns in times of stress and for affective sharing, and (b) how the attachment scales compared with the Experiences in Close Relationship Questionnaire (ECR) in terms of concurrent, convergent, and discriminant evidence. The relevant secure scales of the ACIQ predicted to whom one turned in study 1, and study 2 demonstrated good convergent evidence with the ECR, but superior concurrent evidence in predicting partner satisfaction, and superior discriminant evidence in differentially correlating with mother and father warmth. Thus, the ACIQ passed essential validity and psychometric tests and was a more robust measure than the ECR with these defining characteristics of attachment.     

Validation of the Treatment Motivation Scales for Forensic outpatient treatment (TMS-F)

The validity of the Treatment Motivation Scales for outpatient offender treatment (TMS-F), a self-report questionnaire with scales for the motivation of patients to engage in the treatment and six cognitive and emotional determinants of this motivation, is evaluated in two studies. In Study 1 (N = 620), the construct validity of the TMS-F is investigated applying a multitrait-multimethod design with a therapist-rating instrument as the criterion method. All scales were found to have adequate convergent validity and acceptable discriminant validity. In Study 2 (N = 328), the criterion validity of the TMS-F is addressed. Applying covariance structure analysis, the instrument is found to predict therapist ratings of the treatment engagement of patients to a substantial degree. Treatment engagement is best predicted by the scales for Motivation to Engage in the Treatment and Perception of the Suitability of the Treatment and not by the scales for Distress and the Perceived Legal Pressure.     

Developing Approaches to Competence: Away from the Metaphor of Competence as a Hidden Object

Assessments of linguistic ability amongst inner city African American children in the 1960’s and cross-cultural assessments of problem solving skills amongst participants without formal education in several contexts around the world have both demonstrated the need for investigators to distinguish the possible existence of some form of competency from the matter of whether evidence of that competency can be elicited with a particular assessment tool. In both of the previously mentioned cases, the evidence suggests that participants had the competencies in question and failed to demonstrate them (at least partially) as a result of the nature of the assessment context. The current article takes these demonstrations of the need for culturally sensitive assessment as a point of departure, and argues that today, a further development in how competence is understood is necessary. For all its benefits, the idea of culturally sensitive assessment still relies on the problematic characterization of competencies as discrete sets of stable underlying dispositions. Current research from the dynamic systems perspective in psychology suggests that intelligent human action involves the contextual and self-organized emergence of adaptive behavioral solutions, rather than the expression of preplanned, latent competencies. An adequate conceptualization of competence must therefore account for this emergence, rather than positing competencies as hidden or latent behavioral performances.