The Children's Firesetting Interview with psychiatrically referred and nonreferred children

This study evaluated the Children's Firesetting Interview (CFI). The measure was developed to operationalize multiple domains of functioning derived from a riskfactor model of firesetting. The model poses that child, parent, and family characteristics promote firesetting and continuation of a pattern of firesetting. Major factors include curiosity about fire, involvement in and exposure to firerelated activities, and knowledge about first safety The CFI, consisting of 46 questions reflecting six a prioridimensions, was administered to 519 children (ages 6–13) recruited from nonpatient, outpatient, and inpatient samples. Internal consistency and testretest reliability of the measure were satisfactory. Criterion validity was supported by the findings that firesetters showed greater curiosity about fire, involvement in firerelated activities, exposure to models/materials, and knowledge about things that burn than did nonfiresetters. These findings did not vary as a function of the child's patient status or level of antisocial behavior. Implications for the evaluation of firesetting risk are discussed.This study was supported by grant MH-39976 from the Antisocial and Violent Behavior Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health and by a Research Scientist Development Award (MH00353) from the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors acknowledge the constructive suggestions of two anonymous reviewers.     

Identifying depression in children: A comparison of alternative selection criteria

This study evaluated commonly used methods of identifying depressed children and examined the extent to which the conclusions about correlates of dysfunction vary among different selection criteria. Child psychiatric patients (N=237,ages 7–12) and their parents participated and completed measures to permit identification of depressed children on the basis of three separate criteria, including selfreport scores on the Children's Depression Inventory, parent-reported scores for the same measure, and a DSM-III diagnosis of major depression. The study examined whether depressed and nondepressed children, defined separately by the different criteria, differed in a variety of depression-related symptoms, cognitive processes, and social activity. The results indicated little overlap in the persons identified as depressed on the basis of child-or parent-completed CDI scores or DSM-III diagnosis. Depressed and nondepressed children tended to differ across all domains (depression-related symptoms, cognitive processes, and social activity) for each selection criterion. However, significant differences were evident in these domains only when the selection criterion and other domains were assessed with the same informant (e.g., self-report) and hence shared a common method (rater) component. The findings underscore the potential influence that method factors may have in influencing the conclusions that are drawn regarding the correlates of childhood depression.Completion of this research was supported by a Research Scientist Development Award (MH00353) and by a grant (MH35408) from the National Institute of Mental Health. The author is grateful to Debra Bass, Antoinette Rodgers, and Todd Siegel for assistance with this project.     

Overt integrity tests versus personality-based measures of delinquency: An empirical comparison

This study examined the ability of both an overt integrity test and a personality-based measure of delinquency to predict on-the-job theft and counterproductivity. A heterogeneous sample of 105 employees anonymously completed both tests and a criterion checklist that included a 9-item theft subscale and a 12-item counterproductivity subscale. Results indicated that the overt integrity test was a superior predictor of both on-the-job theft and drug abuse compared to the personality-based measure. The overt integrity test was also a slightly better predictor of general counterproductivity. These findings and their implications are discussed.     

Interfacing Apple and IBM computers for the analysis of clinical biofeedback

This paper demonstrates a method of transferring research data from a remote clinic to a large university mainframe for data manipulation and statistical analysis. Data collected by an Apple //e computer were transferred to an IBM 3031 mainframe by sending data files to an IBM PC by telephone modem or by direct hardwire connection to the PC. The IMB PC performed data-formatting routines and then uploaded the files to the mainframe for storage. Advantages and disadvantages of sending data over telephone lines via a modem are discussed.     

Single-subject statistical analysis of computer-assisted biofeedback

Single-subject statistics were used to analyze physiological data [electromyographic (EMG) temperature] recorded from two patients receiving computer-assisted biofeedback treatment in a clinic. When the data were analyzed by an ANOVA method or a regression technique, the results demonstrated that both patients learned to significantly reduce EMG levels. The rationale of using single-subject statistics is discussed, and the applicability of the statistical technique to the clinic population is illustrated.     

Spatial location judgments as a function of intention to learn, and mood state: an evaluation of an alleged automatic encoding operation

An assessment of the Hasher and Zacks (1979) conceptualization of the automatic nature of the acquisition of spatial location information was made in the context of manipulations of subjects' intention to learn and mood state. The Velten (1968) mood induction procedure was used to establish depressed and nondepressed subjects. Half of each group was then presented with a matrix of geometric forms under instructions to learn the location of the forms (intentional) or to evaluate the pleasantness of the array (incidental). Subsequent tests of spatial location performance found no differences as a function of subjects' mood state, but did find a strong effect for instructional condition. The superior performance of the intentional subjects raises questions about the automatic nature of the encoding of spatial location.     

Anger and irrational thought: Questionnaire and interview ratings

From an initial pool of 96 students, 36 subjects were selected based on Novaco Anger Scale scores to form high-, moderate-, and low-anger groups (n=12). They completed self-report questionnaires and participated in a structured interview designed to elicit cognitive and affective responses to hypothetical situations involving interpersonal conflict. High- and moderate-anger groups scored significantly higher than low-anger subjects on a questionnaire measure of irrational thinking. High-anger subjects scored higher than low-anger subjects on general anxiety, suspiciousness, fear of negative evaluation, hostility, and criticism of themselves and others. Interview ratings showed that there were no group differences in self-reports of anger or ability to cope with conflict, yet raters judged high-anger subjects to display more anger than low-anger subjects in their stated response actions. Estimates of coping ability varied inversely with reports of anger experienced. Generally, results support a relationship between irrational thinking patterns and anger in feeling and action. Implications for treatment are discussed.     

Shape constancy and polar perspective

The distortion of polar perspective depends on the depth of the tridimensional shape and on the observation distance. In four experiments using 54 undergraduates as subjects, we found that a compensation process which takes depth and observation distance into account corrects for such distortions. Compensation was demonstrated in experiments in which deceptive information on depth and on observation distance was provided. The result was distortions of the perceived shapes that would be expected if compensation were based on the deceptive information.