The recovery approach to the care of mentally disordered patients. Does it predict treatment engagement and positive social behaviour beyond quality of life?

The main aim of this study was to investigate whether the ‘recovery approach’ to the care of mentally disordered patients is associated with treatment motivation/engagement and positive social interactions on the ward beyond that of perceived quality of life. The participants were 75 service users in a medium secure unit in south-east England, who completed the Recovery Journey Questionnaire (RJQ), The Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA), The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Patient Motivation and Perception Questionnaires (PMI and PPQ). The patients’ primary nurse independently completed the Disruptive Behaviour and Social Problem Scale (DBSP) for 33 service users. Multiple regressions showed that after controlling for age, ethnicity and diagnosis (severe mental illness vs personality disorder), the RJQ contributed to the variance in treatment motivation, treatment engagement, and positive social interactions on the ward above quality of life with medium to large effect sizes. The strongest effect size was with regard to treatment engagement where the amount of variance explained increased from 22% to 51% after the RJQ was entered into the regression. The results indicate that the recovery approach explains treatment motivation/engagement and positive social interactions above and beyond quality of life.     

Psychometric properties of the Bermond‐Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire in Japanese

The aim of this research is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Bermond‐Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ‐J), by testing a sample of 514 undergraduates. Explanatory factor analysis of 40 items of the BVAQ‐J had a similar result to the original BVAQ ( Vorst & Bermond, 2001 ), but 10 items displayed low factor loadings (items 14, 15, 19, 25, 29, 34, 35, 36, 37, and 39); these results were slightly different from the original BVAQ. The validity and reliability of the BVAQ‐30J was suggested by a significant correlation with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale‐20 and estimates of test‐retest and internal consistency. These results suggest that this 30‐item version may be reasonably suitable for Japanese populations.     

Individual differences of visual imagery ability in the benefit of a survival judgment task

This study investigated whether or not visual imagery ability affected the benefit of a survival judgment task. Based on the median split of their VVIQ score, 92 undergraduate students were classified as either high imagers (n = 46) or low imagers (n = 46). In the survival task, participants were requested to judge whether an item presented in the form of two Chinese characters was necessary or not in a survival situation. In the image judgment task, participants were requested to judge whether an item presented in the form of two Chinese characters arouses mental images or not. Participants were presented 18 concrete nouns at 4 s intervals in each condition. In both the survival judgment and the image judgment tasks, high imagers recalled more words than low imagers did. This result showed that imagery ability influenced the benefit of the survival judgment task. These results were discussed from the functional perspective of memory. Finally, we proposed the combination hypothesis, which combined elaboration and functional perspectives to explain the benefit of the survival judgment task.     

Course of Antisocial Behavior during Emerging Adulthood: Developmental Differences in Personality

Despite similar normative changes in antisocial behavior (AB) and traits of disinhibition and negative emotionality during "emerging adulthood," few studies have tested if there are developmental differences in personality over this period for distinct courses of AB. In a college cohort assessed at ages 18 and 25, we examined if mean-level changes on traits from the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire varied by course of AB. Compared to persisters, those who desisted in AB from 18 to 25 exhibited a larger decrease on novelty seeking and larger increase on reward dependence. A significant mean-level decline was observed for harm avoidance, but was unrelated to AB course. Findings support theories of the co-development of personality and AB during emerging adulthood.     

Comparison of the construct validity of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire and the BIS/BAS scales

345 subjects completed a translated, shortened version of the Gray–Wilson Personality Questionnaire (GWPQ), along with Russian versions of Carver and White’s BIS/BAS scales, the Eysenck Personality Profiler, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Exploratory factor analysis of GWPQ items pointed to a three-factor solution and three new scales were created which demonstrated adequate psychometric characteristics. Confirmatory factor analysis of the BIS/BAS scales showed that a four-factor model best fitted the data but the three BAS subscales should be treated as sub-factors of a second-order factor. Structural equation modelling showed that GWPQ scales generally explained Eysenck’s dimensions better than BIS/BAS scales. The distinction between GWPQ and Carver and White’s scales mainly concerned BAS measures. GWPQ BAS captured more of Psychoticism, whereas Carver and White’s BAS captured more of Extraversion.     

Psychometric Properties of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire

  We examined the psychometric properties of a German translation of the Child Global Report version of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ). A total of 1219 German school-children (644 boys and 575 girls), ages 10–14 years participated in the study. The APQ was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis produced five factors that were largely consistent with the a priori scale structure. These factors included dimensions of parental involvement, positive parenting, poor monitoring/supervision, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment. Fit indexes from confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the five factor model represented a satisfactory solution for the data, with some minor modifications in scale content. These findings provide initial support for the factorial validity of the child report version of the APQ in German families.     

A psychometric evaluation of behavioral inhibition and approach self-report measures

Despite the putative applicability and unquestioned heuristic value of capturing individual variation in behavioral inhibition (BIS) and approach system (BAS) sensitivities, the field has yet to achieve widespread agreement regarding a self-report instrument of choice. The current study evaluates perhaps the two strongest candidates, the BIS/BAS scales (Carver & White, 1994) and the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ; Torrubia, Avila, Molto, & Caseras, 2001). Using both confirmatory and exploratory factor analytic techniques in two university samples, we determined that neither measure achieved adequate fit to our data set, and both contain multiple items we deemed to be problematic. Models trimmed of the poor items achieved better fit than the full models. However, even after trimming the data, model fit was marginal at best. Caution is urged in the continued use of both measures on conceptual and psychometric grounds.     

Structural and functional equivalence of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire within and between countries

The question was examined as to whether scores at the individual level and scores at the country level on the four scales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) have the same psychological meaning. Using data of 24 countries, it was found that the EPQ has different factorial structures at both levels. Both the Lie scale and the Psychoticism scale were shown to jeopardize cross-level equivalence. For further exploration of the meaning of the EPQ scales within countries and between countries country-level correlations were calculated with a variety of country characteristics such as Gross National Product, political indices, religiosity, Hofstede's measures, and subjective well-being. Significant findings for 38 countries included correlations of the EPQ scales with Hofstede's Masculinity, Diener's Subjective Well-Being, religiosity, the number of deaths in a country due to political violence, and bribery. The most striking finding was a substantial negative correlation of the Lie scale with Gross National Product and other wealth-related indices.     

中国大学生艾森克人格问卷测试因素结构之探讨

本文旨在检验艾森克人格理论对中国人的适合性,探明艾森克人格问卷(成人)的结构。经对2311名大学生艾森克人格问卷的作答数据做验证性因素分析,艾森克人格理论未能得到证明。使用全息项目因素分析方法对EPQ进行因素分析,得出神经质、外向性、友善因素、诚实因素、任性因素和严谨因素六个因素。该方法较好地克服了经典线性因素分析高估维度数。低估因素负荷等缺陷。