A preliminary validation of a Norwegian version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire

At present there is no validated tinnitus questionnaire available in Norway. The aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate and report on a Norwegian translation of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire (TSCHQ). Furthermore, the results were compared to those of a recent Swedish validation of TSCHQ. More than two hundred (N = 218) participants with tinnitus participated in the study, of which 78% completed the Norwegian TSCHQ on two occasions so that test-retest reliability could be evaluated. Results show that the Norwegian TSCHQ has acceptable test-retest reliability with the exception of 10 items, which is slightly better than the recent Swedish validation of TSCHQ. At the item level, there were both similarities and differences between the Norwegian and Swedish validation studies. It is concluded that the Norwegian TSCHQ is an appropriate measure of patients’ history and experience of tinnitus, and while we recommend further validation of the Norwegian TSCHQ, we encourage Norwegian researchers and clinicians to use the Norwegian translation of TSCHQ.     

An application of visual interactive goal programming: a case in vendor selection decisions

This article presents the vendor selection problem of the hydraulic pump division of a US original equipment manufacturing company. The division wants to identify appropriate vendors and allocate purchase orders among them while minimizing product acquisition costs and maximizing total product quality and delivery reliability. Visual interactive goal programming is used as a multi‐criteria decision analysis tool. Interaction with decision makers during the model building and solution process, and implications are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Child witness statements about sexual abuse in day‐care: reports from a case with confessions from the suspect

Evaluation of alleged sexual abuse at day‐care centres usually has to be based mainly on child statements about their own victimisation. This study points at other possible sources of information. Thus, the child may give contributions to the investigative procedure also as a witness of abuse of other children, as a participator of group interaction related to abuse and as a receiver of a disclosure about abuse from another child. Data are presented from a case where the suspect had confessed. A quarter of the children at the day‐care centre had given information about other children's exposure. For more than half of the children, there were witness statements that reflected what these particular children might have been exposed to. Context and statement characteristics seemed to make an evaluation of some of these statements possible. Information about interaction between children and about disclosures between children was strikingly scarce which was probably due to the lack of questions from parents and investigators in these areas. Witness statements from children about other children's exposure to abuse stand out as an interesting complementary source of information in investigations of abuse at day‐care centres and may also provide a basis for interpretations at a group level. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From single case to database: A new method for enhancing psychotherapy, forensic, and other psychological practice

This article proposes a new model for knowledge generation in applied and professional psychology—the pragmatic case study (PCS) method. Drawing from both psychology's traditional, quantitative and alternative, qualitative approaches, the PCS method involves the creation of systematic, peer-reviewed case studies (in all areas of applied psychology) that follow D. Peterson's “disciplined inquiry” epistemological model. The studies would be organized into “journal-databases” that combine (a) individual studies; (b) articles that address epistemological, theoretical, methodological, logistical, economic, political, and ethical issues in the PCS method; and (c) substantive cross-case analyses of groups of individual cases already published in the database. To lay out the proposal's arguments, the article begins by setting forth relevant historical and philosophical context, and then examines a possible set of initial methodological guidelines for ensuring rigorous quality in each case study. Next the PCS method's value in creating new and useful applied knowledge is demonstrated for two areas: psychotherapy efficacy research and forensic psychology. Finally, the implications of the present proposal are explored. Throughout, the emphasis is on creating an integrative, pragmatic alternative for gaining new useful knowledge in our discipline.