Prototypical profiles of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

Three prototypical profiles of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS; Overall & Gorham, 1962) were isolated using a Q-type factor-analytic strategy with a sample of homeless men with mental illness (N=165). The 3 profiles--depressed, actively psychotic, and withdrawn--were used to study changes in BPRS profiles over time in a control group and a group that received assertive community treatment (ACT). Over2 time periods (inception to 12 months and 12-24 months), the 2 groups did not differ in terms of changes in profile shape, but they did differ in terms of changes in profile elevation. The ACT group evidenced a decrease in symptom severity during the last 12 months, whereas the control group showed an increase. Although changes in profile shape in both groups did occur, there was a significant tendency for the shape of the BPRS profiles to remain stable from the inception of the study to the 12-month assessment and from that time to the 24-month assessment. We describe the uses of these prototypical profiles and discuss the applicability of this analytical approach to other assessment instruments.     

Desire for Control and the Use of Attribution Processes

ABSTRACT The hypothesis that people engage in attribution processes to obtain a sense of control was tested In each of three experiments, subjects identified on an individual difference measure as high in a general desire for control (DC) were found to engage in attnbution processes more than subjects low in desire for control In Experiment 1, high-DC subjects were more likely to utilize attributionally relevant information when describing the cause of a writer's behavior than were low-DC subjects High-DC subjects in Experiment 2 were more likely to ask attribution questions about hypothetical events than were low-DC subjects In Expenment 3, high-DC subjects gave more attributions for their performance on a test than did low-DC subjects The findings are interpreted as support for the control motivation explanation for why people engage in attribution processes     

Personality profiles of effective leadership performance in assessment centers

Most research examining the relationship between effective leadership and personality has focused on individual personality traits. However, profiles of personality traits more fully describe individuals, and these profiles may be important as they relate to leadership. This study used latent class analysis to examine how personality traits combine and interact to form subpopulations of leaders and how these subpopulations relate to performance criteria. Using a sample of 2,461 executive-level leaders, six personality profiles were identified: Unpredictable Leaders with Low Diligence (7.3%); Conscientious, Backend Leaders (3.6%); Unpredictable Leaders (8.6%); Creative Communicators (20.8%); Power Players (32.4%); and Protocol Followers (27.1%). One profile performed well on all criteria in an assessment center; remaining profiles exhibited strengths and weaknesses across criteria. Implications and future directions for research are highlighted.     

Temporal effects on attributions for one's own behavior: The role of task outcome

Previous investigations into how attributions for one's own behavior change over time have resulted in surprisingly inconsistent results. Two experiments were conducted to account for these discrepant findings. In Experiment 1 male undergraduates were given feedback indicating that they had done either well or poorly on a skill-assessment test. Half of the subjects believed they were being videotaped when performing the test, half did not. In addition, half of the subjects completed attribution questionnaires immediately after the feedback, whereas half completed the questionnaires 2 or 3 days later. It was found that subjects who felt they had succeeded on the task made attributions that were more dispositional over time and subjects who felt they had failed made attributions that were more situational over time. No effect for the videotape manipulation was found. Experiment 2 replicated the task outcome effect and provided evidence suggesting that the effect was caused by a selective forgetting of unflattering attributions.     

Ethnicity as a variable in responses to California Psychological Inventory items

The responses of Black and White subjects to the California Psychological Inventory items were compared. On the average, 34% in each of the 18 scales showed significant differences. Approximately two-thirds of the significant items for the males were also significant for the females. Blacks responded in the keyed direction for over 23% of the items. The results of this study were consistent with the results of previous studies. The implications of the results of this research are discussed. It is suggested that future development of tests of this nature carefully consider the socio-cultural factors that might contribute to differential responses to test items on objective personality tests as assessment devices. Scores obtained by Blacks on the CPI should be interpreted against the background of the results of this study.     

Desire for control, locus of control, and proneness to depression

Two personality constructs, desire for control and locus of control, were related to depression among college students. Measures of levels of depression, desire for control, and locus of control were taken from subjects. Approximately six months later 71% of these subjects returned a questionnaire concerning their experiences with depression during that six-month period. It was found that locus of control scores, particularly the extent to which subjects perceived that their lives were controlled by chance, were significantly related to the depression levels. It was also found that high desire for control subjects who held external perceptions of control were most likely to seek nonprofessional help for depression. In addition, high desire for control subjects who perceived their lives as generally controlled by chance were most likely to have suicidal thoughts. The results are interpreted in terms of a general style that may promote a proneness to depression for certain individuals.     

Desire for control and reaction to proattitudinal and counterattitudinal arguments

The role of motivation for control in an individual's reaction to persuasive arguments was examined. Subjects scoring either high or low on an individual difference measure of desire for control (DC) were exposed to a position on the Equal Rights Amendment with which they either initially agreed or disagreed. It was found that more often high-DC subjects exposed to a proattitudinal message changed their attitudes in the direction advocated than did low DC subjects. Conversely, more often low-DC subjects exposed to counterattitudinal arguments changed their attitudes in the direction of the advocated position than did high-DC subjects. The findings suggest that a motivation to control events may be operative in some attitude-change situations.     

Cognitive distancing in mediated categorization in aphasia

Individuals with fluent and nonfluent aphasia and a matched group of aged normal subjects participated in mediated categorization tasks dealing with two levels of cognitive distancing. Moreover, the categorization tasks entailed the utilization of focal and peripheral exemplars. Fluent aphasic subjects had significantly more difficulty than nonfluent aphasic and normal subjects. All subjects had significantly more difficulty with pictures than actual objects. Peripheral exemplars were used less often than focal exemplars. It was speculated that some of these results may reflect a degenerative process of aging.