Social anhedonia in the prediction of psychosis proneness.

Investigated, in 3 studies using 203 undergraduates (80 females and 123 males), the validity of the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS) and the role of social anhedonia as measured by the scale. Ss were drawn from a pool of approximately 6,000 undergraduates administered the scale. In Study 1, 38 Ss who scored deviantly high on the RSAS and 45 undergraduate controls participated in a structured interview derived from modified versions of a social adjustment scale and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia—Lifetime version. Results show that socially anhedonic Ss had a marked pattern of social withdrawal. Results of Study 2 show that socially anhedonic females reported more schizotypal features and more deviant psychoticlike experiences than controls. In Study 3, scores of 79 Ss who scored high on the Perceptual Aberration–Magical Ideation subscale of the RSAS were analyzed. Ss scoring high who were also socially anhedonic reported poorer social adjustment than did nonanhedonic Ss. Socially anhedonic males reported more schizotypal features and more deviant psychoticlike experiences. Findings provide validity for the RSAS and suggest that it may be of use in identifying hypothetically psychosis-prone individuals. (49 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Depressive Symptom Scale for the California Psychological Inventory: Construct Validation of the CPI-D.

To facilitate life span research on depressive symptomatology, a depressive symptom scale for the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) is needed. The authors constructed such a scale (the CPI-D) and compared its psychometric properties with 2 widely used self-report depression scales: the Beck Depression Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Construct validity of the CPI-D was examined in 3 studies. Study 1 established content validity, classifying CPI-D items into Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition depressive symptoms. Study 2 used 3 large samples to gather evidence for reliability and validity: Correlational analyses demonstrated alpha reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; factor analysis provided evidence for discriminant validity with anxiety; and regression analyses demonstrated comparative validity with existing standard PI scales. Study 3 used clinician ratings of depression and anxiety as criteria for external validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of multidimensional coping: Task, emotion, and avoidance strategies.

Reports 4 studies on the psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Study 1 examined the factor structure of the CISS in samples of 832 college students and 483 adults. Strong support was found for the multidimensionality of the CISS, suggesting that the scale independently assesses 3 basic dimensions: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented coping. Study 2 further investigated the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with 2 measures of basic coping styles. Study 3 also examined the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with various measures of psychopathology. Study 4 investigated the concurrent validity of the CISS by studying the relationship between coping style (assessed by the CISS) and situation-specific coping responses used in 2 different stressful situations. Overall, the results of the 4 studies suggest that the CISS is a valid and reliable measure of basic coping styles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reactive and proactive aggression: Evidence of a two-factor model.

This article examines the construct validity of reactive and proactive aggression, as assessed by the teacher-rating scale developed by K. A. Dodge and J. D. Coie (1987). 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. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributional complexity: An individual differences measure.

Describes the development of a scale that measures the complexity of attributional schemata for human behavior—the Attributional Complexity Scale (ACS). In Study 1, the ACS was administered to 289 undergraduates. The results show that the ACS had adequate internal reliability and test–retest reliability, and a factor analysis yielded 1 major factor. Study 2 tested the discriminant and convergent validity of the ACS by administering it to 81 undergraduates. As predicted, attributional complexity was not related to social desirability, academic ability, or internal–external locus of control, but it was positively related to the need for cognition. Study 3 confirmed the prediction that psychology majors (n?=?59) would have more complex attributional schemata than natural science majors (n?=?35). Studies 4 and 5, with 174 Ss, provided evidence for the external validity of the scale: Attributionally complex Ss compared with attributionally simple Ss spontaneously produced more causes for personality dispositions and selected more complex causal attributions for simple behavioral events. Implications for various issues in social cognition are discussed. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of a new scale for measuring acculturation: the Taiwan Aboriginal Acculturation Scale (TAAS)

As part of the Taiwan Aboriginal Study Project (TASP), a new acculturation scale (the Taiwan Aboriginal Acculturation Scale, or TAAS) has been developed among the aboriginal minorities of Austronesian origin in Taiwan. The design of the original 54 items was based on Milton Gordon's concept of assimilation in association with a careful consideration of cross-cultural validity. These items were administered to 144 subjects stratified by age and sex who were randomly sampled from four major Taiwanese aboriginal groups. Item analysis and factor analysis were applied to select an 18-item scale which has three subscales (factors): cultural assimilation, social assimilation, and social attitude. Results of validity and reliability studies of the TAAS were found to be acceptable. The development of TAAS demonstrates the applicability of the concept of acculturation as a process that involves changes both in attitude, and in behaviour, to non-western societies.     

Effects of erotica upon men's loving and liking responses for women they love.

In 2 studies, the construct validity of the Rubin Love scale and its discriminant validity in relation to the Rubin Liking scale were examined. In Study 1, 51 male undergraduates were asked to describe their loved ones on a series of measures after having been exposed to either erotica or control materials. Analysis of the within-condition correlations revealed convergent and discriminant patterns indicating construct validity. Analysis of covariance also revealed convergent and discriminant patterns: Only scores on the Love measures reliably increased from the control to the erotica condition. In presenting a behavioral analysis of the differential impact of erotica on Love vs Liking scale responses, it was assumed that (a) women are more likely to reinforce suitors for emitting statements more similar to the Love than to the Liking items and (b) men are more likely when sexually aroused than when not aroused to express statements more similar to the Love than to the Liking items to their loved ones. In Study 2, a series of surveys of 77 female and 64 male undergraduates offer support for these assumptions. Overall, results are interpreted as corroborating the construct validity of the Love scale. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Injection Phobia Scale–Anxiety.

The present investigation examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Injection Phobia Scale–Anxiety (IPS-Anx). Principal components analysis of IPS-Anx items in Study 1 (n = 498) revealed a 2-factor structure consisting of Distal Fear and Contact Fear. However, CFA results in Study 2 (n = 567) suggest that a 1-factor structure may be more parsimonious. IPS-Anx scores demonstrated excellent reliability including test–retest over a 12-week period in Study 3 (n = 195). Supportive evidence for convergent and divergent validity of IPS-Anx scores was also found in Study 4 (n = 319), with strong associations with disgust propensity and sensitivity and weak associations with positive affect. Further evidence of validity was found in Study 5 (n = 1,674) because IPS-Anx scores discriminated those who have experienced fainting symptoms or avoided medical procedures from those without a history of such symptoms. In Study 6, data from Studies 2 through 5 were pooled, and the findings of Study 2 were replicated. The 1-factor model also fit the data well for men and women in Study 6. Lastly, IPS-Anx scores differentiated those with blood-injection-injury phobia (n = 39) from those without this phobia (n = 43) in Study 7. These findings suggest that the IPS-Anx has excellent psychometric properties, making it suitable for use in programmatic research on injection phobia. However, future research examining the validity of a short form of the scale with only the Contact Fear items may further improve the efficiency and utility of the IPS-Anx. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Multidimensional Health Profile. Part I: Psychosocial functioning.

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Multidimensional Health Profile, Part I: Psychosocial Functioning (MHP-P), a self-report screening instrument for use in mental health and primary care settings. The MHP-P assesses mental health, life stress, coping skills, and social resources. In Study 1, retest reliability, validity, social desirability response bias, and factor structure were examined in a national sample of men and women (N?=?673). In Study 2, the effect of time frame on the retest reliability of the mental health scales was examined in a sample of male and female college students (N?=?147). A national sample of men and women (N?=?2,411) provided data for additional confirmatory factor analyses and norm development in Study 3. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale: A brief self-report measure of anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder.

This article describes the development and validation of a brief self-report scale for diagnosing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Study 1 used a panel of eating-disorder experts and provided evidence for the content validity of this scale. Study 2 used data from female participants with and without eating disorders (N?=?367) and suggested that the diagnoses from this scale possessed temporal reliability (mean κ?=?.80) and criterion validity (with interview diagnoses; mean κ?=?.83). In support of convergent validity, individuals with eating disorders identified by this scale showed elevations on validated measures of eating disturbances. The overall symptom composite also showed test–retest reliability (r?=?.87), internal consistency (mean α?=?.89), and convergent validity with extant eating-pathology scales. Results implied that this scale was reliable and valid in this investigation and that it may be useful for clinical and research applications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence.

Two studies with 399 university students provide methodological refinement in the measurement of loneliness. Study 1 presents a revised version of the self-report UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Loneliness Scale, designed to counter the possible effects of response bias in the original scale, and reports concurrent validity evidence for the revised measure. Results of Study 2 demonstrate that although loneliness is correlated with measures of negative affect, social risk taking, and affiliative tendencies, it is nonetheless a distinct psychological experience. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Preschool Behaviour Questionnaire: A useful index of behaviour problems in elementary school-age children?

Examined the validity of the Preschool Behaviour Questionnaire (PBQ) with elementary school children. In Study 1, the PBQ was administered to 157 1st graders. A factor analysis was performed on the 30 items of the PBQ. The 3 factors that emerged were almost identical to those described by L. Behar and S. Stringfield (1974)—Hostility/Aggression, Anxiety/Fearfulness, and Hyperactivity/Distractibility—in their original investigation. In Study 2, the 3 1st-grade PBQ factors were correlated with 72 1st graders' scores on a social problem-solving test and a sociometric rating scale. Furthermore, free-play observations were related with the PBQ factor scores. The PBQ factors correlated significantly with conceptually appropriate behaviors and social skills. For example, Ss rated as aggressive were less popular among peers, more aggressive in their play, and more likely to suggest inappropriate solutions to hypothetical social dilemmas. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What's so unhealthy about hostility? Construct validity and psychosocial correlates of the Cook and Medley Ho scale.

The Cook and Medley Hostility (Ho) scale, a measure of hostility derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), was recently found in 1 cross-sectional study to be related to the severity of coronary artery disease and in 2 prospective studies to predict the development of coronary heart disease. The present 2 studies attempted to address concerns about the lack of information regarding the meaning of the scale and the psychosocial characteristics of individuals with high Ho scores. In Study 1, the Ho scale demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. Data gathered on 85 undergraduates who completed a battery of inventories indicated that the scale primarily assesses suspiciousness, resentment, frequent anger, and cynical distrust of others rather than overtly aggressive behavior or general emotional distress. In Study 2, which tested 135 undergraduates on a similar battery of questionnaires, Ss with high scores displayed comparatively more anger, less hardiness, more frequent and severe hassles, and fewer and less satisfactory social supports. It is concluded that the Ho scale assesses cynical hostility and that high scores are associated with an unhealthy psychosocial risk profile. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring faking in the employment interview: Development and validation of an interview faking behavior scale.

An Interview Faking Behavior (IFB) scale is developed and validated in 6 studies (N = 1,346). In Study 1, a taxonomy of faking behavior is delineated. The factor structure of a measure is evaluated and refined (Studies 2 and 3). The convergent and discriminant validity of the measure is examined (Study 4). The IFB scale consists of 4 factors (Slight Image Creation, Extensive Image Creation, Image Protection, and Ingratiation) and 11 subfactors (Embellishing, Tailoring, Fit Enhancing, Constructing, Inventing, Borrowing, Masking, Distancing, Omitting, Conforming, and Interviewer Enhancing). A study of actual interviews shows that scores on the IFB scale are related to getting a 2nd interview or a job offer (Study 5). In Study 6, an experiment is conducted to test the usefulness of the new measure for studying methods of reducing faking using structured interviews. It is found that past behavior questions are more resistant to faking than situational questions, and follow-up questioning increases faking. Finally, over 90% of undergraduate job candidates fake during employment interviews; however, fewer candidates engage in faking that is semantically closer to lying, ranging from 28% to 75%. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of an implicit association test for assessing anxiety.

The Implicit Association Test (TAT) was adapted to measure anxiety by assessing associations of self (vs. other) with anxiety-related (vs. calmness-related) words. Study 1 showed that the TAT-Anxiety exhibited good internal consistency and adequate stability. Study 2 revealed that the IAT-Anxiety was unaffected by a faking instruction. Study 3 examined the predictive validity of implicit and explicit measures and showed that the TAT-Anxiety was related to changes in experimenter-rated anxiety and performance decrements after failure. Study 4 found that several behavioral indicators of anxiety during a stressful speech were predicted by the TAT. Taken together, these studies show that the TAT-Anxiety is a reliable measure that is able to predict criterion variables above questionnaire measures of anxiety and social desirability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Aberrant Salience Inventory: A new measure of psychosis proneness.

Aberrant salience is the unusual or incorrect assignment of salience, significance, or importance to otherwise innocuous stimuli and has been hypothesized to be important for psychosis and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Despite the importance of this concept in psychosis research, no questionnaire measures are available to assess aberrant salience. The current research describes 4 studies designed to develop and validate the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) as a measure of aberrant salience. In Study 1, an overinclusive item pool was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis, and items were kept or discarded based on factor loadings. In Study 2, the 5-factor structure of the ASI was confirmed with a confirmatory factor analysis, and a 2nd-order factor analysis found evidence consistent with a single higher order factor. Study 2 also provided support for the scale score's convergent validity as the ASI was strongly associated with psychosis-proneness measures and dissociation measures and moderately correlated with measures associated with levels of dopamine. This study also provided support for its discriminant validity as the ASI was only weakly associated with social anhedonia. Study 3 found that participants with elevated psychosis proneness had increased ASI scores, but in contrast, participants with elevated social anhedonia had similar scores to comparison participants. Finally, Study 4 found that participants with a history of psychosis had elevated ASI scores compared to a psychiatric comparison group. Overall, the ASI demonstrated sound psychometric properties and may be useful for measuring aberrant salience and psychosis proneness in clinical and nonclinical samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ): Construct Validation of a Self-Report Scale of Somatic Symptoms.

The authors report the results of 3 studies that were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ), a brief self-report scale of somatic symptoms. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis results revealed 4 empirically distinct dimensions of somatic symptoms: gastrointestinal problems, headaches, sleep disturbances, and respiratory illness. In Study 2, this structure was replicated using confirmatory factor analysis, and correlations of the PHQ dimensions with measures of negative affect, psychological health, and job performance provided further validity evidence. In Study 3, a minor revision to the wording of several items helped to address the limitations of one of the PHQ subscales. Together, these results provide evidence of the construct validity of the PHQ. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)