Psychopathy and perceptual asymmetry during verbal dichotic listening.

Administered a verbal dichotic listening (divided attention) task to 146 male prison inmates (mean age 30 yrs) and 159 male noncriminals (mean age 27.5 yrs). The inmates were divided into psychopathic (P), nonpsychopathic (NP), and mixed (M) groups on the basis of a psychopathy checklist and the DSM-III criteria for antisocial personality disorder. Group P exhibited a significantly smaller right-ear advantage (less lateralized performance) than did either Group NP or the noncriminals. When the task was administered to 48 inmates under instructions to focus attention on 1 ear at a time, the performance of Group P was again less lateralized than was that of Group NP. The possibility that language processes are not strongly lateralized in psychopaths and that psychopaths are characterized by asymmetric low left-hemisphere arousal is discussed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structure of personality needs in a young, deviant, male population.

Group profiles and personality trait factor structures on Form B of the Personality Research Form (PRF) are contrasted between 122 male prisoners (aged 17–56 yrs; mean age 24 yrs) and D. N. Jackson's (1974) normative sample of 1,000 male college students. Beyond expected mean level differences in the group profiles, interesting variations were found in the factor structures of the 2 groups. These differences suggest that the PRF measures some group-specific personality dimensions in inmates. Clinical and research implications of prisoner PRF factors are discussed in the context of the correctional psychology. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two- and four-subtest short forms of the WAIS--R: Validity in a psychiatric sample.

Investigated the validity of 2 (Vocabulary [V] and Block Design [BD]) and 4 (V, BD, Arithmetic, and Picture Arrangement)-subtest short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R) using 45 male (mean age 27.93 yrs) and 45 female (mean age 30.41 yrs) psychiatric patients. 42% of the Ss were placed in different IQ categories by short-form 2 (SF 2), whereas a 40% misclassification rate occurred with short-form 4 (SF4). Shortened administration time reduced the accuracy of SF2. SF4 validity was better for females than for males. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of age and education to Halstead test performance in different patient populations

Examined the effects of age and education on Halstead Neuropsychological Test Battery performance in a cross-validation of the A. Vega and O. A. Parsons's study (see record 1968-01419-001). Ss in the present study were 32 male and 3 female brain-damaged patients (mean age, 34.6 yrs) and 18 male and 7 female non-brain-damaged medical-surgical and psychiatric controls (mean age, 33.2 yrs). Age was significantly correlated with performance on the Category Test, Tactual Performance Test Time, Memory, Location, and the Impairment Index but not with Speech, Rhythm, or Tapping in brain-damaged patients. In medical-surgical and psychiatric patients, however, age was significantly correlated with all Halstead test performances. Education was not significantly correlated with performance in brain-damaged or psychiatric patients but was correlated with 6 Halstead tests in the medical-surgical group. Differences between correlation in psychiatric patients and medical-surgical control Ss are discussed. The importance of taking age into consideration as well as differences in various "control" or reference groups when making clinical inferences about the presence of brain dysfunction is stressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defective interhemispheric transfer in schizophrenia.

Groups of schizophrenics, nurses, and psychiatric controls were trained to perform a manual shape discrimination task. The 20 schizophrenics included 17 outpatients and 3 short-term inpatients: 10 males (mean age 36 yrs) and 10 females (mean age 37.6 yrs). Nurse control Ss were 10 male (mean age 26.3 yrs) and 10 female (mean age 22 yrs) psychiatric nurses or student nurses. Psychiatric control Ss were 8 males (mean age 36.1 yrs) and 10 females (mean age 32.6 yrs). On both of the tasks included in the experiment, the schizophrenic group, but not the control groups, displayed defective intermanual transfer. The performances of the schizophrenics resembled those previously obtained with split-brain monkeys on similar tasks; therefore, it is concluded that the schizophrenics tested suffered from incomplete transfer of stereognostic shape information from 1 cerebral hemisphere to the other. Experiments suggesting poor interhemispheric transfer on auditory tasks in schizophrenics are discussed along with the possibility that certain schizophrenic symptoms are related to defective interhemispheric communication. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hysteria scale elevations in low back pain patients: A risk factor for misdiagnosis?

Examined the nature of elevations on the Hysteria scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) in low back pain patients by comparing Harris-Lingoes subscale elevation patterns in 53 female (average age 43.2 yrs) and 40 male (mean age 33.5 yrs) low back pain patients and 61 female (average age 31.1 yrs) and 41 male (average age 31.4 yrs) normal controls. Subscales reflecting somatic complaints were more powerful predictors of diagnostic status than subscales with nonsomatic context. Both overlapping and nonoverlapping items on the Hysteria and Hypochondriasis subscales contributed significantly to the discrimination between patients and controls. However, nonoverlapping items were less notable contributors to the discriminant function in women than in men. The data suggest that more evidence than a Conversion V profile is required for the diagnoses of hysterical dynamics in association with somatic complaints. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of the decision-tree and standard methods of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery.

Compared the decision-tree and standard formats of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery on 30 psychiatric patients (mean age 40.7 yrs), 30 subtle neurological patients (mean age 52.6 yrs), and 30 clear-cut neurological patients (mean age 55.1 yrs). Results of correlational analyses, mean item disagreements, the C. J. Golden et al (see record 1981-29340-001) diagnostic 2- and 3-point elevation rules, and a distance metric (D–2) for comparison of profiles strongly suggest a high degree of correspondence between the decision-tree method and the standard battery for the Clinical, Localization, and Factor scales. It is noted that the average number of items omitted by the decision-tree method indicates a substantial savings of time. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The 3-4/4-3 MMPI code type in an offender population: An update on levels of hostility and violence.

Levels of hostility and type of crime committed were compared in 94 male offenders with either 3-4 or 4-3 MMPI high point pairs and in 94 randomly selected offenders (mean age for all Ss 31 yrs) without these codes who were matched for race with the 3-4/4-3 group. The samples were drawn from all male offenders entering a state prison system over 5 yrs. Self-report measures included the MMPI, Buss Durkee Hostility Inventory, and Monroe Dyscontrol Scale. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that those with 3-4 codes did not differ from those with 4-3 codes. Except for higher scores on Megargee's Overcontrolled-Hostility scale, the combined 3-4/4-3 offenders either did not differ from or scored lower than the comparison group on type of crime and all self-report measures of hostility, anger, episodic dyscontrol, and violence. Neither these results nor the majority of research on 3-4/4-3 profiles supports these codes as evidence of a proclivity for violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of the Beck Depression Inventory with three non-clinical populations.

Administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to samples from 3 different nonclinical populations (402 introductory psychology students, 101 female [mean age 27.8 yrs] and 94 male [mean age 29.5 yrs] expectant parents, and 151 female [mean age 30.3 yrs] and 117 male [mean age 32.3 yrs] married adults). Responses to the BDI were subjected to principal components analysis. The factors extracted differed among the 3 samples, with the only factor common to all 3 groups being Negative Self-View. Analyses showed that the sex differences were largest for the expectant parents group and smallest for the adult couples group. Findings have implications for the choice of control or comparison groups in studies of depression. (French abstract) (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopathy and lateral preference.

Administered a self-report questionnaire to measure lateral preferences (hand, foot, eye, and ear) in 258 male prison inmates (mean age 29.8 yrs) divided into high, medium, and low psychopathy groups on the basis of a 22-item psychopathy checklist. As a group, Ss displayed much the same pattern of lateral preferences as did a normative group of 1,211 male noncriminals described by C. Porac and S. Coren (1981), with the exception that criminals were more likely to be right-side dominant than were noncriminals. The inmate groups did not differ from one another on any of the lateral preference measures, although there was a tendency for the incidence of consistent left-handedness to be higher in the medium than in the high or low psychopathy groups. Lateral preferences were unrelated to type or severity of criminal history or aggressive and violent behavior. Results conflict with models that attempt to use evidence of sinistrality as a basis for global inferences about cerebral dominance and dysfunction in delinquency, criminality, and psychopathy. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generalizability of a checklist for assessment of psychopathy.

Suggests that there are problems associated with assessments of psychopathy in prison populations that use self-report inventories and global diagnostic procedures. In response to these problems, the authors developed a behavioral checklist for psychopathy. The psychometric qualities of the checklist were evaluated using generalizability theory and classical test score indices of reliability. In each of 5 yrs, 2 raters (usually different each year) rated prison inmates (N?=?301; mean age 26.9 yrs) on 22 items. The generalizability coefficients were .85, .86, and .89 for the years 1977–1981, respectively. The generalizability coefficient for a test–retest study was .89. Classical indices of reliability (alpha coefficients and inter- and intrarater reliability) ranged from .82 to .93. Results indicate that the checklist is a highly reliable and generalizable instrument when used with prison populations. It is highly correlated with global ratings of psychopathy and criteria from the DSM-III for antisocial personality disorder. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigation of the Karnofsky Performance Status as a measure of quality of life.

Inter-rater reliability of the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) was studied in Exp I, using primarily male Veteran's Administration Medical Center patients; 6 psychiatric outpatients (average age 48 yrs), alcoholic rehabilitation inpatients (average age 45 yrs), general medical inpatients (average age 62 yrs), nursing home residents (average age 74 yrs), and terminally ill patients (average age 70 yrs) were used. In Exp II, inter-rater reliability and concurrent and discriminant validity were studied, using 20 28–61 yr old normals, 20 21–65 yr old outpatients, 20 28–71 yr old pain patients, 20 21–67 yr old dialysis patients, and 20 20–66 yr old stroke patients, primarily male. Results show that the KPS was acceptably reliable and valid as a global measure but failed to capture adequately the conceptual domain of quality of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Faking good and bad adjustment on the MMPI and overcontrolled-hostility in maximum security psychiatric patients.

25 male patients (mean age 29 yrs) in a maximum security psychiatric hospital were administered the MMPI under each of 3 sets of instructions—honest, fake-good adjustment, and fake-bad adjustment. As in an earlier study with inmates by P. Gendreau et al (see record 1973-30226-001), it was found that Ss were able to fake both good and bad adjustment, but that various faking indices were reasonably accurate in detecting both. Overcontrolled-hostility (OCH) scale scores were related to scores on the faking indices, suggesting that high OCH scores may indicate a desire to appear normal on psychological testing. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interactional correlates of premature termination.

Examined the relation of premature termination (PT) from individual psychotherapy to topic determination (TD), which was defined as the proportion of the topic initiations subsequently followed by the other participant, in 2 studies. It was hypothesized that those therapist–client dyads that terminated prematurely would evidence lower degrees of topic determination in the early sessions than continuing dyads. Study 1 compared 4 continuing dyads (2 successful and 2 unsuccessful) and 2 PT dyads. All dyads involved nonpsychotic female clients (mean age 22 yrs) seen at a university counseling center using a time-limited therapy format. The PT dyads had lower levels of TD than the continuing dyads. Specific threshold levels of TD were associated with client failure to return. Study 2 examined 12 dyads that included male and female clients (mean age 22 yrs) of average disturbance (based on psychiatric outpatient norms). Results confirm the PT–TD relation and the TD threshold found in Study 1. For the continuing dyads, low TD values were also found to be associated with client "no-shows" but not cancelled sessions. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Premorbid social competence construct generalizability across ethnic groups: Path analyses with two premorbid social competence components.

Studied the stability across ethnic groups of interrelations among 5 variables (education, age at 1st psychiatric hospitalization, current age, alcoholism symptom severity, and behavioral adjustment while hospitalized) using path analysis. 24 male Mexican Americans, mean age 39.8 yrs, and 24 male Anglo Americans, mean age 47.1 yrs, were studied. Behavioral adjustment was determined with the MACC Behavioral Adjustment Scale. Certain findings involving 4 variables were consistent with theoretical expectations for the Anglo-American group but were reversed in the Mexican-American group. Methodological and theoretical implications are presented. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of procedures for the assessment of psychopathy.

Compared clinical-behavioral and self-report measures of psychopathy in 274 male prison inmates (mean age 29.8 yrs). Assessment procedures included global clinical ratings, a 22-item checklist, DSM-III criteria for antisocial personality disorder, and self-report version of the 22-item checklist, the Socialization scale of the California Psychological Inventory, and the MMPI. Agreement among the various assessment procedures was evaluated with correlational analyses, discriminant function analyses, and kappa coefficients of diagnostic agreement. Results indicate that there was stronger agreement among the clinical-behavioral measures (ratings, checklist, and DSM-III) than among the self-report measures. Agreement between these 2 measurement domains was, with few exceptions, poor. Findings suggest that caution should be exercised when comparisons are made among studies in which different assessment procedures for psychopathy are used. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Features that distinguish the smooth-pursuit eye-tracking performance of schizophrenic, affective-disorder, and normal individuals.

Examined the eye-tracking records of 25 schizophrenic (mean age 37.6 yrs), 25 unipolar (mean age 37.9 yrs), 24 bipolar (mean age 36 yrs), and 46 medical control (mean age 35 yrs) patients. All the psychiatric patients were in symptom remission. All three psychiatric groups produced more oscillations than controls, and spiky tracking was correlated with poor performance as indexed by the production of large saccades. Schizophrenics did, however, produce smaller saccades and tracked with more phase lag than did each of the other groups. Results suggest that the smooth-pursuit system of schizophrenics is functionally different from that of normal people. Use of the phase lag as a potential marker of schizophrenia is discussed. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality test correlates of psychiatric case history data.

Correlated scores on factor analytically derived traits of normal personality, as measured by the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS), with ratings of psychological disturbance and psychiatric diagnosis derived from case-history data for 210 female (mean age 31.8 yrs) and 184 male (mean age 30.2 yrs) psychiatric outpatients. Results confirm findings from past statistical studies, showing that extreme scores on normal personality trait scales were associated with psychological disturbance, especially low scores on Trust vs Defensiveness, Activity vs Lack of Energy, Emotional Stability vs Neuroticism, Extraversion vs Introversion, and high scores on Orderliness vs Lack of Compulsion. New statistical evidence was obtained in the present study for the importance of certain extreme trait scores where only clinical evidence was available before. Findings provide further support for the premise that objective tests of normal personality traits have an important role to play in psychiatric screening, diagnosis, and design of clinical interventions. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)