The application of the standard of care doctrine to psychological testing

Malpractice issues surrounding clinical psychologists' misuse of diagnostic testing are examined. Common forms of misuse are contrasted with appropriate standards of use for six frequently administered tests: The WAIS-R, WISC-R, Rorschach, TAT, Bender Gestalt, and MMPI. It is argued that not only negligent and unethical conduct but also intentional malfeasance may be construed when a qualified specialist applies unstandardized procedures which lack scientific authenticity. Suggestions are provided to both psychologists and attorneys to reduce the misuse of psychological tests in clinical and forensic evaluations.     

The relationship of mathematics self-efficacy expectations to the selection of science-based college majors

The major purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship of mathematics self-efficacy expectations to the selection of science-based majors in college males and females. Based on results obtained from a pilot sample of college students, an instrument assessing mathematics self-efficacy expectations was developed. The items used in the mathematics self-efficacy scale included everyday math tasks, math problems, and math-based college courses. Subjects, 153 female and 109 male undergraduates, completed the mathematics self-efficacy scale, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, an adapted version of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales, and a questionnaire concerning their college major choices. Results indicated that mathematics self-efficacy expectations were significantly related to the extent to which students selected science-based college majors, thus supporting the postulated role of cognitive mediational factors in educational and career choice behavior. In addition, the math-related self-efficacy expectations of college males were significantly stronger than were those of college females. Implications of the findings for the process of educational and career decision-making are discussed.     

Distinguishing characteristics of the life roles of worker,student, and homemaker for young adults

The purpose of this study was to determine if three adult life roles could be distinguished by career and achievement motivation and antecedents to such motivation. Subjects were a sample of 212 young adults who had graduated 3 years prior to data collection from two high schools in the state of Illinois and were classified according to the three life roles of worker, student, and homemaker. Four indicators of career motivation, one indicator of achievement motivation, and a broad range of antecedent factors, including background characteristics, self-concept factors, and context factors, were used to distinguish among the life roles. Results from discriminant analyses on the three role groups indicate that in general students are distinguished from homemakers and workers on functions characterized by higher education and career aspirations, greater perceived support from parents for their achievement, and lower attributions of cooperation for achievements; homemakers are distinguished from students and workers on functions characterized by endorsing higher social approval values for their successes, lower career commitment, and lower perceived teacher support for achievement. Workers are distinguished from students on some factors and distinguished from homemakers on others. Implications for future research and practice indicate the usefulness of life roles when investigating the career and achievement patterns of young adults and designing interventions for the enhancement of life role choices.     

Mediational screening: Is the benefit worth the cost?

Argued that Pillow et al. (1991) may have overestimated the benefits of mediational screening and underestimated the costs involved in the procedure. The three benefits they suggest: increased statistical power to detect prevention effects, increased cost-effectiveness, and decreased iatrogenic effects are shown to be modest at best. Costs associated with misclassifying people as either false positives or false negatives are considered in the total cost/benefit analysis of mediational screening. Because we cannot accurately predict who will react to the occurrence of life stress by developing the conditions we are interested in preventing, universal interventions are advocated.     

Modeling the effects of repetition and word frequency in perceptual identification

The counter model for word identification (Ratcliff & McKoon, 1997) has been challenged by recent empirical findings that performance on low-frequency words improves as the result of repetition of the words. We show that the model can accommodate this learning effect, and that it can do so without jeopardizing its explanations of the effects on word identification of a large number of other variables.     

Behavioral perspectives on the neuroscience of drug addiction

Neuroscientific approaches to drug addiction traditionally have been based on the premise that addiction is a process that results from brain changes that in turn result from chronic administration of drugs of abuse. An alternative approach views drug addiction as a behavioral disorder in which drugs function as preeminent reinforcers. Although there is a fundamental discrepancy between these two approaches, the emerging neuroscience of reinforcement and choice behavior eventually may shed light on the brain mechanisms involved in excessive drug use. Behavioral scientists could assist in this understanding by devoting more attention to the assessment of differences in the reinforcing strength of drugs and by attempting to develop and validate behavioral models of addiction.     

The endowment-institutional affinity effect

The endowment effect occurs when ownership of a good leads consumers to value the good more than its market value. Students who were given College of Business Administration insignia mugs to keep valued them significantly more than students who were given the same mugs to examine and return (nonendowment condition). The endowment effect also occurred for plain white mugs. Students who were given plain white mugs to keep valued them more than students who were given the same mugs to examine and return. Ownership of insignia mugs not only resulted in the endowment effect but also resulted in an institutional affinity effect: Students provided higher satisfaction ratings with the College of Business Administration than did students endowed with plain white mugs and students in nonendowed conditions. This study demonstrates the impact of the endowment effect on institutional affinity for insignia goods. However, the tandem endowment-affinity effect occurs at the attitude formation stage, not when an attitude has already been formed.