Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire for DSM-IV Among Four Racial Groups

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV (GAD-Q-IV) is a self-report diagnostic measure of generalized anxiety disorder. Previous studies have established the psychometric properties of the GAD-Q-IV, revealing excellent diagnostic specificity and sensitivity as well as good test–retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validity (Newman et al., 2002). Recent analyses with other measures of anxiety symptoms have revealed differences across racial or national groups. Given that the GAD-Q-IV was tested primarily on Caucasians (78%), the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the psychometric properties of the GAD-Q-IV across four racial groups: African American, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian. A student sample of 585 undergraduate psychology students completed the GAD-Q-IV as well as other measures of anxiety symptoms. A clinical replication sample included 188 participants who completed the GAD-Q-IV as part of a larger psychotherapy study. Results indicated excellent and very similar factor structures in the student sample and similar psychometric properties in both samples across the racial groups. Implications for the use of the GAD-Q-IV across racial groups are discussed.     

A Test of the Validity of the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code

To evaluate the Swedish version of the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Code (MITI), MITI coding was applied to tape‐recorded counseling sessions. Construct validity was assessed using factor analysis on 120 MITI‐coded sessions. Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing MITI coding of motivational interviewing (MI) sessions with information‐ and advice‐giving sessions as well as by comparing MI‐trained practitioners with untrained practitioners. A principal‐axis factoring analysis yielded some evidence for MITI construct validity. MITI differentiated between practitioners with different levels of MI training as well as between MI practitioners and advice‐giving counselors, thus supporting discriminant validity. MITI may be used as a training tool together with supervision to confirm and enhance MI practice in clinical settings. MITI can also serve as a tool for evaluating MI integrity in clinical research.     

羞耻研究:概念、结构及其评定

近年来国内外心理学界有关羞耻的实证研究有了很大的进展,这在很大程度上归因于对羞耻概念本身的深入理解以及相应评定方法的发展。文章梳理了羞耻的概念、结构及其评定的已有研究成果,总结了国内外心理学界在以上三个领域的理论偏向、研究取向和评定范式,指出了已有研究中存在的困惑,最后提出了羞耻概念、结构及评定的未来研究要实现两个转向,一是从研究视角来看,由结构和类型视角转向关系和情境视角,二是从评定范式来看,由西方实证研究范式转向本土研究范式。     

人格测验的参照情境效应

人格测验的参照情境效应是指,在一般人格测验的基础上,设置某种特定的参照情境,进而使测验的效标关联效度得以提高的现象。在过去十余年里,参照情境效应的考察重心从早期的效度证据搜集逐渐转向内部机理的探讨。研究者试图通过参照情境与效标的逻辑关联、参照情境的被试间变异及被试内变异来解释现象背后的测量学原理。在构念层面则提出“人格和角色认同层级模型”,以此说明参照情境效应的人格机制问题。然而,该主题的探索尚处于初始阶段,未来研究可从参照情境的操作范式、参照情境效应的调节机制等方面继续寻求突破。     

儿童攻击行为的多方法测评研究

儿童攻击测评方法的有效性和准确性直接决定着该领域研究的水平和质量,因而测评方法的研究是该领域研究的基础性任务。本研究以济南城区三所幼儿园的177名3～4岁儿童为被试,同时运用自然观察法、母亲评定法、教师评定法和同伴提名法评定儿童攻击,采用常规统计方法和结构方程模型评估四种测评的适用特点。得出如下主要结论:1、自然观察法、同伴提名法、教师评定法和母亲评定法具有中高程度的信效度,但各有优缺点,适用研究对象不同;2、测评模型与实测数据拟合良好,同时采用多种方法可以更为准确有效地测评儿童的攻击行为。     

情景判断测验的开发程序、构思效度及研究趋势

章详细介绍情景判断测验开发的一般程序,对情景判断测验的多种形式和记分方法进行了总结和比较。同时,从情景判断测验的结果与认知能力、个性和工作经验等关系的角度出发,分析了情景判断测验的构思效度,认为情景判断测验测量的是多维构思。文章最后认为,需要从与其他构思的关系、测评指定构思、影响效度的因素以及跨文化比较等四个方面对情景判断测验开展进一步研究。     

Accuracy of retrospective memory and covariation estimation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Assessment methods relying on biased or inaccurate retrospective recall may distort knowledge about the nature of disorders and lead to faulty clinical inferences. Despite concerns about the accuracy of retrospective recall in general and in particular with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) patients, the accuracy of retrospective recall for one's own symptoms assessed in vivo is unknown in this population. This study used a prospective ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology to create a criterion against which to assess recall accuracy in OCD patients. Although results indicated that patients’ retrospective recall of OCD symptoms was fairly accurate, they consistently overestimated the magnitude of OCD symptom covariation with non-OCD facets (e.g., sleep duration, contemporaneous stress level, etc.). Findings suggest that even when recall of OCD symptoms is accurate, patients may be inaccurate in estimating symptom covariation. The findings have implications for the research, case conceptualization, and assessment of OCD, and may extend to other disorders.     

Speed of processing and reading disability: a cross-linguistic investigation of dyslexia and borderline intellectual functioning

English and Italian children with dyslexia were compared with children with reading difficulties associated with low-IQ on tests of simple and choice RT, and in number and symbol scanning tasks. On all four speed-of-processing tasks, children with low-IQ responded more slowly than children with dyslexia and age-controls. In the choice RT task, the performance of children with low-IQ was also less accurate than that of children of normal IQ, consistent with theories linking processing speed limitations with low-IQ. These findings support the hypothesis that dyslexia is a specific cognitive deficit that can arise in the context of normal IQ and normal speed of processing. The same cognitive phenotype was observed in readers of a deep (English) and a shallow (Italian) orthography.     

A practical variation of a multiple-schedule procedure: brief schedule-correlated stimuli

Multiple schedules using continuous discriminative stimuli have been used to minimize children's disruptive requesting for teacher attention (e.g., colored floral leis; Tiger & Hanley, 2004; Tiger, Hanley, & Heal, 2006). The present study evaluated the effectiveness of, and children's preferences for, two multiple-schedule arrangements in which brief experimenter vocalizations served as discriminative stimuli. Results showed that brief signals were highly effective discriminative stimuli for 3 of the 4 children, and that all children preferred one or both variations of the multiple schedule to a control arrangement. For 1 child, highly discriminated responding was achieved only when continuous signals were introduced.     

Children with Autism and Their Friends: A Multidimensional Study of Friendship in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study of Israeli and American preadolescent children examined characteristics of friendship in 44 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) compared to 38 typically developing children (TYP), as they interacted with a close friend Participants were 8-12 years of age (HFASD: Israel, n = 24; USA, n = 20; TYP: Israel, n = 23; USA, n = 15), and were matched on SES, receptive language vocabulary, child age, and gender (each study group included one girl). Multidimensional assessments included: individual behaviors of target children and observed child-friend interactions during construction and drawing scenarios; target child's and friend's self-perceived mutual friendship qualities; and mother-reported characteristics (friendship's duration/frequency; friend's age/gender/disability status). Overall, children with HFASD displayed a number of differences on individual and dyadic friendship measures. Both age and verbal abilities affected friendship behaviors. Children with HFASD and their friends perceived friendship qualities similarly, suggesting that preadolescents with HFASD have capacities for interpersonal awareness. Between-group similarities also emerged on several complex social behaviors, suggesting that friendship follows a developmental trajectory in autism and may enhance social interaction skills in autism.