This research aimed to develop a Fetal Alcohol Behavior Scale (FABS) that describes the behavioral essence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE), regardless of age, race, sex, and 10. Using a reference sample of 472 diagnosed patients with FAS or FAE, ages 2 to 51, five studies are described. The FABS demonstrates high item-to-scale reliability (Cronbach's (Y = 0.91) and good test-retest reliability (r = 0.69) over an average interval of 5 years. It identifies many of the subjects with known or presumed prenatal alcohol exposure in detection studies using both prison and general samples. FABS scores also predict dependent living among adult patients with FASIFAE. The FABS is uncorrelated with 10, sex, age, race, and diagnosis (FAS versus FAE). We outline areas of further work to define the specificity and utility of this FABS.

The present paper describes a pilot and follow-up study of the preliminary development of a new tool to screen for Asperger Syndrome (AS) and related social and communication conditions (the CAST: Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test) in children aged 4-11 years, in a non-clinical setting. Pilot Study: Parents of 13 children with AS and 37 typically developing children completed the CAST. There were significant differences in mean scores, with the AS sample mean of 21.08 (range 15 -31) and the typical sample mean of 4.73 (range 0 -13). The Pilot was used to establish preliminary cut-off scores for the CAST. Main Study: Parents of 1150 primary-school-age children were sent the CAST, with 199 responders and 174 taking part in the full data analysis. Results suggest that compared to other tools currently available, the CAST may be useful for identifying children at risk for AS and related conditions, in a mainstream non-clinical sample.

A total of 3786 respondents in 14 independent samples, ranging in size from 45 to 549 in US and foreign rms and agencies, completed the latest version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X), each describing their respective leader. Based on prior literature, nine models representing diVerent factor structures were compared to determine the best t for the MLQ survey. The models were tested in an original set of nine samples, and then in a second replication set comprised of ve samples. Results indicated the factor structure for the MLQ survey was best represented by six lower order factors and three correlated higher-order factors. conceptualization of transactional and transformational leadership included seven leadership factors, which he labelled charisma, inspirational, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, contingent reward, management-by-exception and laissez-faire leadership. In subsequent writings (see , he noted that although charismatic and inspirational leadership were unique constructs, they were often not empirically distinguishable, thus reducing his original multifactor model to six factors.

Counselling self-efficacy is an important construct for research and evaluation in counsellors' competencies and training effectiveness. Larson, Suzuki, Gilliespie, Potenza, Bechtel, & Toulouse (1992) developed the Counselling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE) for counsellors in America and examined its factor structure using exploratory factor analysis. They recommended a five-factor model (Microskills, Counselling Process, Difficult Client behaviour, Cultural Competence, and Awareness of Values) and the use of the COSE for future research. However, little research has investigated the validity of the COSE in the context of counselling Chinese students in schools. In the present study, the factor structure of responses to the Chinese version of the Counselling Self-Estimate Inventory in a sample of 578 Hong Kong secondary school guidance teachers was examined using the EQS approach to confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that while a five-factor model was fairly able to fit the data, the deletion of items related to the Awareness of Values factor yielded a better fitting model. The discussion of potential uses and limitations of the C-COSE in the context of preparing and supervising school guidance personnel in student counselling is relevant to counselling psychologists and researchers in Hong Kong and other parts of the world.

Objective: Recognizing the prodrome of a first psychotic episode prospectively creates the opportunity of intervention, which could delay, ameliorate or even prevent onset. Valid criteria and a reliable methodology for identifying possible prodromes are needed. This paper describes an instrument, the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS), which has been designed for such a purpose. It has two functions: (i) to assess psychopathology thought to indicate imminent development of a first-episode psychotic disorder; and (ii) to determine if an individual meets criteria for being at ultra high risk (UHR) for onset of first psychotic disorder. This paper describes the pilot evaluation of the CAARMS.Method: Several methodologies were used to test the CAARMS. First, CAARMS scores in a group of UHR young people and the association between CAARMS scores and the risk of transition to psychotic disorder, were analysed. Second, CAARMS scores in a UHR group were compared to a control group. To assess concurrent validity, CAARMS-defined UHR criteria were compared to the existing criteria for identifying the UHR cohort. To assess predictive validity, the CAARMS-defined UHR criteria were applied to a sample of 150 non-psychotic help-seekers and rates of onset of psychotic disorder at 6-month follow-up determined for the CAARMS-positive (i.e. met UHR criteria) group and the CAARMS-negative (i.e. did not meet UHR criteria) group. The inter-rater reliability of the CAARMS was assessed by using pairs of raters.Results: High CAARMS score in the UHR group was significantly associated with onset of psychotic disorder. The control group had significantly lower CAARMS scores than the UHR group. The UHR criteria assessed by the CAARMS identified a similar group to the criteria measured by existing methodology. In the sample of non-psychotic help-seekers those who were CAARMS-positive were at significantly increased risk of onset of psychotic disorder compared to those who were CAARMS-negative (relative risk of 12.44 (95% CI = 1.5–103.41, p = 0.0025)). The CAARMS had good to excellent reliability.Conclusions: In these preliminary investigations, the CAARMS displayed good to excellent concurrent, discriminant and predictive validity and excellent inter-rater reliability. The CAARMS instrument provides a useful platform for monitoring subthreshold psychotic symptoms for worsening into full-threshold psychotic disorder.

SYNOPSISAs a part of a survey to study the health and living conditions of the elderly population, a random sample of residents aged 65 and over are examined using the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) in order to evaluate their psychiatric status. The aim of this study is to evaluate this standard method of assessment as a case-identification instrument in our country. The schedule was completed by 91 subjects. It is easily administered, easily scored, and economical on time. Its completion rate is high. The weighted total scores (WTS) range from 0 to 48. Using the case criteria defined by Cooper & Schwarz (1982), 27 subjects (30%) are considered cases and 64 (70%) are regarded as non-cases. The sensitivity coefficients for the WTS are examined against the overall severity rating at different cut-off points. The optimum cut-off can be anywhere between 16 and 20 points. The WTS has higher validity coefficients to detect the following diagnostic categories (sensitivity, specificity):...

A new 13-item version of the Impact of Event Scale was adminstered to 2976 9-14 year old children from Bosnia as part of a large epidemiological screening survey. The IES-13 consists of four intrusion items, four avoidance items, and five new arousal items. Factor analyses showed the scale to have an identical underlying factor structure as when it was used with British children who experienced a single-incident trauma. In addition, there was also a third factor of hyperarousal, closely related to intrusion. These results are discussed in the context of the cross-cultural validity of post traumatic stress reactions in children. #

Alexithymia refers to the difficulties an individual has to experience and express his feelings. Various self-report questionnaires have been introduced to measure alexithymia, but only a few rigorous validity studies of this concept have been carried out in nonclinical populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) in a population sample of 1560 middle-aged men from eastern Finland. The modified version of the TAS applied in this study had a factor structure that matched the previous results and the theoretical concept of alexithymia. Internal consistency of the total TAS scale, as well as the 8 month retest reliability, were adequate. The TAS correlated fairly well with an interview-based evaluation of alexithymic features. The results suggest that the TAS could be a useful screening instrument for alexithymic features in a population study, but the scale would probably need some revisions.

Objective: Sleepiness and fatigue are conceptually distinct but pervasively confounded in research, measurement instruments, clinical settings, and everyday spoken language. The purpose of the present study was to construct two scales that represent unconfounded measures of sleepiness and fatigue, using widely used questionnaires. Method: Four questionnaires purporting to measure sleepiness [Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS); Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)] or fatigue [Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS); Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS)] were administered, as well as a battery measuring sleep, psychological, and health functioning variables, to three samples: 19 individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome, 14 with narcolepsy, and 11 normal control subjects. Results: Analyses revealed two distinct sets of items (six sleepiness and three fatigue items) that were combined into two scales. These newly formed scales are only minimally correlated and represent separate constructs that have reasonably distinctive patterns of association. Findings were replicated and validated in a sample of 128 older individuals complaining of daytime sleepiness and/or fatigue. Conclusions: We conclude that (a) it is possible to derive empirically distinct sleepiness and fatigue scales from existing, commonly used self-report instruments, (b) the Empirical Sleepiness Scale is limited to the experience of daytime sleep tendency, while (c) the Empirical Fatigue Scale is associated more broadly with insomnia, psychological maladjustment, and poorer perceived health function. The important clinical implication of the new Empirical Sleepiness and Fatigue Scales is in the ability to identify bsleepiness which is not fatigue,Q a construct closely related to primary sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome, for which there is both available and effective treatment. D

Objective. This study investigated the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire -Revised (IPQ-R) in individuals with eating disorders. The relationship between illness representations and stage of change was then explored.

To review the characteristics of psychiatric screening tools currently available in addiction treatment services for rapid assessment of comorbid pathology and to introduce the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health Concurrent Disorders Screener (CAMH-CDS), a computer-administered questionnaire that screens for the occurrence of 11 Axis I disorders plus all substance use disorders, as well as for a history of conduct disorder. We describe the structure, contents, and application of the CAMH-CDS. We undertook a sensitivity and specificity trial involving 171 subjects, a test-retest reliability study with 301 participants, and an open-label concordance study with 656 respondents. All subjects were regular clients of a major addiction treatment facility. The CAMH-CDS was easily and effectively used by addiction counsellors with limited or no mental health training. It has a low rate of false-negative responses, and it yields excellent test-retest reliability figures. It is highly sens...

A new measure of motivation toward education has been developed in French, namely the Echelle de Motivation en Education (EME). The EME is based on the tenets of self-determination theory and is composed of 28 items subdivided into seven sub-scales assessing three types of intrinsic motivation (intrinsic motivation to know, to accomplish things, and to experience stimulation), three types of extrinsic motivation (external, introjected, and identified regulation), and a motivation. The purpose of this investigation was to cross-culturally validate in English the EME. The EME was translated in English through appropriate methodological procedures and completed by university students. Results revealed that the English version of the scale renamed the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), has satisfactory levels of internal consistency (mean alpha value = .81) and temporal stability over a one-month period (mean test-retest correlation = .79). In addition, results of a confirmatory factor an...

Most instruments used to assess poststroke depression have never been specifically validated in stroke patients. This study evaluated the depression screening abilities of three questionnaires and one observer-rated scale in 202 consecutive patients 1 month after they experienced their first-ever ischemic stroke. At their respective optimum cutoff values, the sensitivity of the selfrated scales varied between 80% and 90%, while the specificity was about 60%. For the observerrated scale (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale), sensitivity was 78.1%, and specificity was 74.6%. The instruments clearly performed better in men than in women. Despite this difference, it was concluded that all scales were acceptable screening instruments for poststroke depression.

The objective of this work was to develop and test a questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life for patients after myocardial infarction (MI). In a cross-sectional survey, 63 patients identified the most frequent and important problems following acute myocardial infarction. The Quality of Life after Myocardial Infarction (QLMI) instrument was developed on the basis of these most frequent and important problems. The QLMI was administered, along with instruments measuring health utilities, social function, and emotional function, in a randomized trial of rehabilitation versus conventional care. The most frequent and important problems fell into areas of symptoms, restriction, confidence, self-esteem, and emotions, each of which is represented in the 264tem QLMI. Effect sizes of the overall QLMI in differentiating between rehabilitation and control groups (0.39, and in detecting improvement over 12 months (1.22) were comparable or larger than any other instrument. The Pearson's correlation coefficient between QLMI administered at 8 and 12 months following AMI varied between 0.75 and 0.87 for the five domains and the overall score. We found substantial correlations of the QLMI with other measures with moderate concordance with predictions about how the instrument should behave if it is a valid measure of health-related quality of life. The QLMI demonstrates a high degree of reliability, and is more responsive than other questionnaires. Relations between the QLMI and other measures provide moderate to strong evidence of its validity in discriminating between patients following AM1 according to their health-related quality of life, and in measuring changes in health-related quality of life over time.

The Disgust Scale (DS; is the most widely used instrument for assessing disgust propensity (i.e., individual tendency to experience disgust). Yet, psychometric evaluations of the DS are scarce while the literature shows that the reliability of its subscales are unacceptably low. Recently, it was suggested to reduce the number of subscales . This study is a first exploration of this reduced three-factor solution in an independent sample. In study I, we examined whether a three-factor solution improves psychometric properties of the DS. Students from Maastricht University (N = 535) and the University of Groningen (N = 432) completed the DS. In study II, the DS was revised by dropping redundant items and revising its scoring format. The DS-R was administered to students from the University of Groningen (N = 472) and Ghent University (N = 41) to study its psychometric properties. The revisions improved the psychometric features of the DS, and showed that the DS-R is a valid and reliable index to establish core disgust, animal-reminder disgust, and contamination.

The Emotional Intelligence (EI) Scale devised by is widely used in EI research. There have been criticisms of this scale, mainly related to its preponderance of forward-keyed items; differing results on its factor structure also exist. We investigated the effect on the scale's psychometric properties of reversing some items and adding some new items. The short form of the Bar-On EQ-i was completed by the same group of participants, comprising 500 Canadian undergraduates. The use of item reversals and additional items was found not to improve the EI scale's internal reliability. In contrast to previous studies, only three factors could be identified for the new 41-item scale: Optimism/Mood Regulation, Utilisation of Emotions and Appraisal of Emotions. Overall EI measured using the 41-item scale and the short EQ-i were highly correlated, whilst correlations between the subscales of the two tests were theoretically interpretable. #

Introduction Obesity is a major health problem with an increasing risk of mortality, associated with comorbidities and high rates of dropout. Research demonstrated that pathological eating behaviors could help to phenotype obese patients thus tailoring clinical interventions. Therefore, our aim was to develop (study 1), validate (study 2), and test in a clinical setting (study 3) the Eating Behaviors Assessment for Obesity (EBA-O). Method Study 1 included the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and McDonald's ω in a general population sample (N = 471). Study 2 foresaw the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and convergent validity in 169 participants with obesity. Study 3 tested the capability of the EBA-O to characterize eating behaviors in a clinical sample of 74 patients with obesity. Results Study 1. EFA identified five factors (i.e., food addiction, night eating, binge eating, sweet eating, and prandial hyperphagia), explaining 68.3% of the variance. The final EBA-O consisted of 18 items. McDonald's ω ranged between 0.80 (hyperphagia) and 0.92 (binge eating), indicating very good reliability. Study 2. A second-order five-factor model, through CFA, showed adequate fit: relative chi-square (χ 2 /df) = 1.95, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.075, and SRMR = 0.06, thus suggesting the appropriateness of the EBA-O model. Significant correlations with psychopathological questionnaires demonstrated the convergent validity. Study 3. Significant associations between EBA-O factors and emotional-related eating behaviors emerged. Conclusion The EBA-O demonstrated to be a reliable and easy-to-use clinical tool to identify pathological eating behaviors in obesity, particularly useful for non-experts in eating disorders. Level of evidence Level V, descriptive research.

Few treatment outcome studies of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have employed Behavioral Avoidance Tests (BATs) to assess changes in symptomatology, probably because of the difficulty of constructing such tests for a disorder which has widely varying symptoms. The few studies that have examined the psychometric properties of BATs for OCD have found mixed evidence for validity but good treatment sensitivity. The present study presents psychometric findings for a multi-step/ multi-task BAT that assessed percentage of steps completed, subjective anxiety, global avoidance, and rituals. This measure was used with 50 clients diagnosed with OCD whose symptoms varied widely. The BAT demonstrated good convergent and divergent validity, as well as treatment sensitivity according to effect size calculations. A composite score combining steps, anxiety level, avoidance and rituals also performed well in psychometric tests. Strategies to reduce the complexity of scoring are presented, along with examples of several BAT tasks to enable researchers to employ this behavioral measure.

The hypothesis of whether day length (photoperiod) is an important zeitgeber (time-giver) for keeping the circadian rhythm entrained to a 24hour cycle was examined, as was its association with sleep patterns and mood problems. Data were collected prospectively from a site with very large differences in daylight duration across seasons (Tromsø in Norway, 69°39¢N) and a site with very small seasonal differences in daylight duration (Ghana in Accra, 5°32¢N). Two hundred subjects were recruited from both sites in January. At the follow-up in August, 180 and 150 subjects in Ghana and Norway participated, respectively. Use of a weekly sleep diary indicated low to moderately strong seasonal changes in rise-and bedtime, sleep efficiency and sleep onset latency only in the northern latitude. No seasonal changes in sleep duration or night awakenings were observed. The self-report measures indicated moderate to strong seasonal differences in insomnia and fatigue, and weaker differences in depressed mood in Norway, but small to non-existing seasonal differences in Ghana. Lack of daylight was related to phasedelayed rise-and bedtimes, increased problems falling asleep, daytime fatigue and depressive mood. However, total sleep duration and sleep quality appeared unaffected.

This study was designed to compare the factor structure of Need for Closure Scale (NFCS) as it emerges from three European samples (Croatia, Italy and The Netherlands) to the structure emerging from a USA sample, and to test the invariance of the structure of the scale both across three European contexts and across European and US samples. This comparison was conducted to examine the generalizability of results obtained with the NFCS across cultures.

This study exar;runed the factor structure of the BorderUne Personality Disorder suhscaJe of the Personality Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ-BPD; Butler. . and the relationships between the emergent factors and psychopathology. The sample comprised 184 patients diagnosed v.1th borderline personality disorder (BPD). Exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors relatlng respectively to dependency. distrust. and the belief that one should act preemptively to avoid threat. Although the three factors were significantly associated With depression, only dependency and distrust significantly correlated with hopelessness. Distrust was the sale factor that correlated significantly With suicide ideation. These findings support the dimensional structure of the PBQ-BPD. Given its multidimensional structure. the'scaJe can be used as a measure of belief profiles associated with BPD and as an aid to conceptualizing beliefs underlying a range of psychopathology associated willi patients with BPD.

Reçu le 27 juin 2006 ; accepté le 27 novembre 2006 Disponible sur Internet le 4 septembre 2007 MOTS CLÉS Douleurs chroniques ; Coping strategies questionnaire ; Analyse structurale confirmatoire Résumé Le coping strategies questionnaire de Rosenstiel et Keefe (CSQ) est l'outil le plus fréquemment utilisé pourévaluer les stratégies de coping spécifiquesà la douleur. Troiséquipes, Tuttle et al. [Rehabil Psychol 36 (1991) 179-187], Swartzman et al. [Pain 57 (1994) 311-316], Robinson et al. [Clin J Pain 13 (1997) 43-49] ont examiné la structure factorielle des sousechelles du CSQ elles-mêmes et ont obtenu cinq ou six facteurs. Une analyse structurale confirmatoire a montré la supériorité du modèle en six facteurs dans unéchantillon de 472 douloureux chroniques américains (Riley et al. [Clin J Pain 13 (1997) 156-162]). Dans notré etude, nous avons testé la structure factorielle de l'adaptation française du CSQ dans une population de 330 patients douloureux chroniques. L'analyse factorielle confirmatoire a permis de démontrer la pertinence du modèle de Robinson et al. [Clin J Pain 13 (1997) 43-49] constitué des facteurs prière, réinterprétation, ignorance, dramatisation, distraction et autoencouragements. Cependant, le facteur auto-encouragements caractérisé par une consistance interne trop faible dans nos analyses aété supprimé. La solution retenue dans notreéchantillon n'est donc composée que de cinq facteurs. Cetteétude confirme la stabilité de la structure factorielle du CSQ quelle que soit la culture de la populationétudiée. of the questionnaire was estimated through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of 330 chronic pain patients (71% of women): 40.3% suffered from low back pain, 33.6% from headaches and 26.1% from neuropathic pain. The three factor structures previously proposed in the literature were tested using the LISREL 8.3 structural equation-modelling program developed by Jöreskog and Sörbom, [Lisrel 8: user's reference guide, Chicago: Scientific Software International, 1993].

The aim of the present research was to further investigate (a) the structure of the Purpose in Life test (PIL) using confirmatory factor analytic techniques,(b) the reliability of PIL scores, and (c) the validity of the PIL. Participants were 357 social drinkers (not in alcohol treatment) and 137 treatment drinkers (in alcohol treatment). With the exclusion of 3 items, a unidimensional measurement model for the PIL provided an adequate fit for social and treatment drinkers. Model invariance analysis indicated that 6 of 17 PIL items had different pattern coefficients for the two groups of drinkers. The 17 items of the PIL demonstrated good measurement reliability for both groups of drinkers and good criterion-related validity

Barreca SR, Stratford PW, Lambert CL, Masters LM, Streiner DL. Test-retest reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory: a new measure of upper-limb function for survivors of stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2005;86:1616-22. Objectives: To estimate the test-retest reliability and validity of the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) and to test whether the CAHAI was more sensitive to change in upper-limb function than the Impairment Inventory of the Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA) and the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). Design: Construct validation process. Setting: Inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation facilities. Participants: Stratified sample of 39 survivors of stroke: 24 early (mean age, 71.4y; mean days poststroke, 27.3) and 15 chronic (mean age, 64.0y; mean days poststroke, 101.7).

Social capital is a relatively new concept which has attracted significant attention in recent years. No consensus has yet been reached on how to measure social capital, resulting in a large number of different tools available. While psychometric validation methods such as factor analysis have been used by a few studies to assess the internal validity of some tools, these techniques rely on data already collected by the tool and are therefore not capable of eliciting what the questions are actually measuring.

The benefits of breastfeeding increase with duration and exclusivity, but significant racial disparities exist in breastfeeding rates. Breastfeeding self-efficacy, as measured by the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale Short-Form (BSES-SF), is a significant predictor of breastfeeding outcomes in diverse samples. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the BSES-SF in Black women in the US. The psychometric characteristics were consistent with previous studies, including internal consistency, comparison with contrasted groups, and correlation with the construct of breastfeeding network support. Breastfeeding self-efficacy significantly predicted breastfeeding at 4 and 24 weeks postpartum. The results are consistent with previous research, and they suggest the BSES-SF could be used to identify women at risk for prematurely discontinuing breastfeeding. ß

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; M. F. Folstein, S. E. Folstein, & P. R. and the Modified MMSE (E. L. were compared psychometrically. In this study, 525 community-dwelling participants, aged 65-89, were divided into 2 groups: no cognitive impairment (NCI; n -406) and Alzheimer's disease (n = 119). Both tests yielded comparable reliability estimates. Fewer years of education decreased specificity and increased sensitivity, whereas increasing age primarily decreased specificity. It is concluded that although the 2 tests produce comparable effects, the inclusion of a verbal fluency test would increase the sensitivity of the MMSE. Normative data for the NCI group, stratified for 2 age levels (65-79 and 80-89) and 2 educational levels (0-8 and 9+ years), are presented. Folstein, Folstein, and McHugh (1975) introduced the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) as a brief, objective assessment of cognitive functioning and as a measure of changes in cognitive status. The MMSE usually can be administered in 5-10 min and has been employed extensively in clinical settings, community surveys, and epidemiological studies. In a recent review of the literature, Tombaugh and Mclntyre (1992) concluded that the MMSE possessed moderate to high reliability coefficients, demonstrated high levels of sensitivity for cognitive deficits in patients suffering from moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, and reflected the cognitive decline typical of dementia patients. Criticisms of the MMSE included (a) its failure to discriminate between people with mild dementia and those who are not demented, (b) a limited ability to detect impairment caused by focal lesions, particularly those in the right hemisphere, (c) overly simple language items that reduce sensitivity to mild linguistic deficits, and (d) a large number of false-positive errors because of its bias against individuals with low education. In response to these problems, several attempts have been made to improve the MMSE. Of these, the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS; Teng & Chui, 1987) represents the most extensive revision. Teng and Chui (1987) added four additional subtests (date and place of birth, word fluency, similarities, and delayed recall of words). The maximum score was

This study investigated whether the use of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in a network of inner-city alcohol and drug abuse clinics under nonideal conditions would yield internally consistent and valid data. A sample of 8,984 ASI scores was collected over a 34-month period. Construct validity was examined by computing the internal consistency of all subscales. Convergent and divergent validity of composite scores and of severity ratings were evaluated using correlation matrices. Findings demonstrated that ASI scores were internally consistent and valid, even though the recommended administration protocol may not always have been followed as faithfully as might be desirable. This robustness bodes well for the use of the ASI in on-line clinical environments. Results should be viewed with caution until the reliability of ASI administration is tested under similar nonideal conditions and until permissible deviations from standard protocol can be quantified.

This article examines the construct validity of reactive and proactive aggression, as assessed by the teacher-rating scale developed by K. A. . In Study 1 (n = 149 boys), confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a 2-factor model, in which a substantial correlation was observed between the 2 latent factors, presented a better fit than a single-factor model. Study 2(n= 193 boys)"examined the relations presented by the 2 forms of aggression with peer status, leadership, social withdrawal, and victimization by peer. Reactive and proactive aggressive behaviors presented distinct patterns of relations consistent with the theoretical definitions. The results of these studies suggest that the questionnaire measures 2 forms of aggressive behavior that, although being substantially related, have a unique discriminant dimension.

Objectif : Le sentiment de culpabilité est essentiel au bon fonctionnement interpersonnel mais peut également jouer un rôle dans les conduites autodestructrices. Bien qu'il existe une vingtaine d'échelles de culpabilité en anglais, aucune n'a été à ce jour validée en langue française. Cette étude pallie ce manque en proposant une version française de l'Inventaire de culpabilité (IC, « Guilt Inventory ») qui évalue le sentiment de culpabilité état et trait, ainsi que les standards moraux. Méthode : Sept cent trente-huit étudiants ont rempli l'IC français ainsi que des échelles évaluant l'anxiété trait et état, et les compétences empathiques. Dans un sous-groupe de cet échantillon, nous avons également évalué la dépression, la désirabilité sociale et les facteurs de personnalité. Résultats : L'analyse factorielle exploratoire, menée sur la moitié des participants, a conduit à conserver 18 des 20 items de l'IC trait, et 9 des 10 items de l'IC état, mais à écarter l'échelle des standards moraux. L'analyse factorielle confirmatoire, effectuée sur l'autre moitié de l'échantillon, a validé cette structure en deux facteurs. Les corrélations attendues entre les scores de culpabilité, d'affectivité négative et de fonctionnement interpersonnel ont été observées. Conclusion : Cette étude suggère que la version française de l'IC constitue une mesure satisfaisante du sentiment de culpabilité trait et état et pourrait s'avérer un instrument utile tant pour la recherche qu'à des fins cliniques.

Our driving population is aging and faces increased risk for injury and death from motor vehicle crashes. Clinicians are often asked to judge the driving safety of their patients without adequate guidelines. This article describes the development of a systematic performance-based road test for measuring driving skills of elderly drivers and its correlation with cognitive measures.

Adaptación del instrumento Multidimensional Trauma Recovery and Resilience (MTRR) en una muestra de madres maltratadoras físicas con historia de maltrato fisico y madres no maltratadoras con historia de maltrato físico. Método: La muestra estuvo constituida por 80 participantes provenientes de Santiago y Temuco, quienes, en un diseño de caso control, fueron divididos en dos grupos: un grupo de madres maltratadoras físicas con historia de maltrato físico en la niñez (n = 40) y un grupo de madres no maltratadoras con historia de maltrato físico en la niñez (n = 40). Ambos grupos fueron pareados en 5 variables sociodemográficas. Se estimó la confiabilidad del acuerdo interjueces y la consistencia interna de loś ıtems del inventario MTRR; se hizo un análisis deítems y una comparación de ambos grupos en las ocho escalas del instrumento a través de la prueba de Wilcoxon. Resultados: El nivel de concordancia entre los jueces fue de .79 (coeficiente de concordancia W de Kendall) y la consistencia interna según alfa de Cronbach fue .75. Un total de veinticincoítems (26.3%) discriminaron significativamente entre ambos grupos. La comparación de grupos a través de la prueba de Rangos Señalados de Wilcoxon mostró que seis de las ocho escalas también discriminaron significativamente. Conclusiones: En el contexto de nuestro país, el instrumento presentó resultados fiables y que discriminaron entre los grupos estudiados. Estos datos preliminares apoyan la idea de continuar trabajando en el desarrollo de una versión chilena de este instrumento.

Factor analysis was applied to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) scores of 432 Pennsylvania students referred for evaluation for special education services to determine the factor structure of the WISC-IV with this population. A first-order, four-factor oblique solution that mirrored that found in the WISC-IV normative sample was supported. When transformed to an orthogonalized higher order model, the general factor accounted for the greatest amount of common (75.7%) and total (46.7%) variance. In contrast, the largest contribution by a first-order factor (Verbal Comprehension) was 6.5% of total variance. It was recommended that interpretation of the WISC-IV not discount the strong general factor.

We used an economic model based on evolutionary theory to guide an examination of relations among self-reported depressive symptoms and ratings of mate values of self, social, and sexual partners. This model treats assortative mating as a form of social exchange between partners of socially and sexually desirable traits. Methods: Two studies used variants of the Mate Value Inventory (MVI), a multivariate assessment of attributes desired in social or sexual partners. For study 1, 115 male and 124 female undergraduates provided self reports on four forms of the MVI-11 and on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); for study 2, 208 male and 277 female undergraduates provided self reports on seven forms of the MVI-7 and on the BDI-II. Results: Both multisample structural equations models indicated that the parameters were statistically equivalent between female and male subsamples and provided an adequate fit to the data. The models revealed significant relations between the mate values ascribed to the self and those ascribed to short-and long-term partners as well as best friends. Furthermore, greater BDI scores significantly predicted lesser ratings of mate value for the self, and hence indirectly predicted lesser ratings of mate value for all types of partners evaluated. Limitations: Although the data obtained from the MVI demonstrated good psychometric validity, external validity has not yet been established.

The present study analyzed the factorial structure of the I 7 Impulsiveness questionnaire (Impulsiveness, Venturesomeness and Empathy) with a Spanish sample of 742 males and 1.075 females, through exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis. In relation to the original English data, a three-factor structure showed global congruency coefficients of 0.92 and 0.94 for men and women. Venturesomeness had a modest congruency for males (0.83). A cross-validation analytical strategy showed that the 24-item I 7 was invariant only for the female sample. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis with 24 items showed a sound factor structure. The 24-item version showed the best and most robust structure and similar internal consistency coefficients in regard to the 54-item version. No important differences were founded between I 7 long and short versions with impulsiveness scales of ZKPQ, BIS-10 and SPSRQ.

The Sociopolitical Control Scale (SPCS) is a widely used measure of the intrapersonal component of psychological empowerment. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted with data from two samples to test the hypothesized structure of the SPCS, the potential effects of method bias on the measure's psychometric properties, and whether a revised version of the scale (SPCS-R) yielded improved model fit. Sample 1 included 316 randomly selected community residents of the Midwestern United States. Sample 2 included 750 community residents of the Northeastern U.S. Results indicated that method bias from the use of negatively worded items had a significant effect on the factor structure of the SPCS. CFA of the SPCS-R, in which negatively worded items were rephrased so that all statements were positively worded, supported the measure's hypothesized two-factor structure (i.e., leadership competence and policy control). Subscales of the SPCS-R were found reliable and related in expected ways with measures of community involvement. Implications of the study for empowerment-based research and practice are described, and strategies to further develop the SPCS are discussed.