Measurement of smoking outcome expectancies in children: The Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Child.

A measure of smoking outcome expectancies was developed for children ages 7-12 years. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to determine whether a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-factor solution was most appropriate for the data set. CFA revealed that the 3-factor model produced the most adequate fit (Positive Reinforcement, Negative Consequences, and Weight Control). The resulting 15-item measure was named the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Child (SCQ-C). The fit of the 3-dimensional structure was then examined separately for 3 age groups representing young (7- to 8-year-old), middle (9- to 10-year-old), and old (11- to 13-year-old) children. Overall, the 3-factor structure fit the data well for the 3 groups. As such, we examined the relations of the 3 scales with antecedent variables for the entire sample. The Positive Reinforcement scale was associated with children's smoking behavior and having a family member or peers who smoked. The Negative Consequences scale was inversely related to having a family member or peer who smoked. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Adult: Measurement of smoking outcome expectancies of experienced smokers.

The original Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (SCQ; T. H. Brandon & T. B. Baker, 1991) measured college students' outcome expectancies for cigarette smoking. A version (SCQ-Adult) was needed for assessing expectancies in more typical, older, nicotine-dependent smokers. Two separate versions of the SCQ were developed and compared. Tests of construct validity provided greater support for the version comprising probability items over the version comprising subjective expected utility items. As expected, principal components analyses revealed a greater number of factors than the original SCQ suggesting that expectancies become more specific with smoking experience. All scales showed good reliability. Over the course of smoking cessation treatment, expectancies became less positive, especially for abstaining participants. Other validity tests also tended to be consistent with research on alcohol expectancies and with contemporary models of drug outcome expectancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol outcome expectancies: Scale construction and predictive utility in higher order confirmatory models.

The goals of this research were to develop a scale to measure alcohol outcome expectancies that incorporated important features suggested by previous research; to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument, with particular attention to item discrimination; and to examine the relationship of positive and negative expectancy to self-reported alcohol use. In Study 1, a preliminary expectancy scale was constructed; factor analysis showed 2 general constructs representing positive and negative consequences of drinking. In Study 2, the scale was refined through tests of item discrimination and was used to predict alcohol use using structural equation modeling. Although negative expectancy was significantly related to alcohol use, positive expectancy was a stronger predictor. These results are consistent with earlier work that proposed a general positive–negative expectancy distinction and suggest that positive expectancy is a more powerful motivator of drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy expectancies, outcome expectancies, and the persistence of pain control in childbirth.

Examined A. Bandura's (see record 1977-25733-001) self-efficacy theory of mastery behavior, which distinguishes self-efficacy expectancies (SEEs) from outcome expectancies (OEs), by the relative roles of SEEs, OEs, and importance as predictors of persistence of pain control in medication-free childbirth. 52 primiparous women made self-efficacy judgments before and during labor and then reported in postdelivery interviews the timing and amount of medication use during labor and delivery. SEEs predicted persistence in pain control without medication better than OEs, importance, and 7 other alternative predictors. These results support several aspects of construct validation to the SEE construct. However, SEEs and OEs were highly correlated and largely redundant in their correlations with mastery. Three possible reasons and implications for this lack of differentiation are discussed. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dietrich Object Relations and Object Representations Scale: Convergent and discriminant validity and factor structure.

Introduces the Dietrich Object Relations and Object Representations Scale (DOROS; D. R. Dietrich, 1985), and assesses convergent and discriminant validity and factor structure. Among other dimensions, the DOROS measures object investment, object love, object warmth, empathy, depression, and psychological mindedness. The scale was applied to Thematic Apperception Test data. 102 psychiatric Ss and 48 nonpsychiatric volunteers were included in the study. Factor analysis revealed 1 structural factor and 1 content factor. Convergent validity was supported through correlations between the factors and the Conceptual Level of Object Representations Scale as described by S. J. Blatt et al (1988). The content factor correlated with Mutuality of Autonomy Scale as described by J. Urist and M. Shill (1982), whereas the structural factor did not. Discriminant validity was supported via correlations with 2 measures of verbal ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol expectancies regarding sex, aggression, and sexual vulnerability: Reliability and validity assessment.

This study was designed to validate the Alcohol Expectancies Regarding Sex, Aggression, and Sexual Vulnerability Questionnaire. This instrument includes alcohol expectancies in 4 domains (aggression, sexual affect, sexual drive, and vulnerability to sexual coercion) for 3 targets (self, women, and men). Confirmatory factor analyses with 715 undergraduates supported the hypothesized factor structure for the entire sample, as well as for gender and ethnic subgroups. Each of the subscales had high internal consistency reliability, moderate test-retest reliability, and good discriminant validity. Multivariate analyses of variance supported the hypothesis that participants' alcohol expectancies for other people conformed to gender role stereotypes. Participants saw themselves as being less influenced by alcohol than were others. Implications for sexual assault prevention programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring adolescent alcohol outcome expectancies.

The psychometric properties and construct validity of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol (CEOA) questionnaire were compared with those of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire—Adolescent version (AEQ-A) in relation to adolescent alcohol consumption. Ss were aged 13–17 yrs. Both measures of adolescent alcohol expectancies were found to be internally reliable and temporally stable. Alcohol use was significantly associated with subjective evaluations for Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment and Self-Perception on the CEOA and with expected effects for Cognitive and Motor Impairment and Changes in Social Behavior on the AEQ-A. Compared with the AEQ-A, the CEOA explained more variance in quantity (28%) and a similar variance in frequency (15%) for adolescent alcohol use (AEQ-A quantity = 20%, frequency = 15%). Whereas the general content and psychometric properties of the 2 measures are markedly similar, the Likert response format, shorter length, and assessment of both expected effects and subjective evaluations with the CEOA may offer measurement advantages over the AEQ-A. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Violent recidivism: Assessing predictive validity.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 73(4) of Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (see record 2007-16787-001). In this article, several errors are present on pp. 738 and 746. The corrections are listed in the erratum.] Until very recently, there has been little evidence of the ability of either clinicians or actuarial instruments to predict violent behavior. Moreover, a confusing variety of measures have been proposed for the evaluation of the accuracy of predictions. This report demonstrates that receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) have advantages over other measures inasmuch as they are simultaneously independent of the base rate for violence in the populations studied and of the particular cutoff score chosen to classify cases as likely to be violent. In an illustration of the value of this approach, the base rates of violence were altered with the use of data from 3.5-, 6-, and 10-year follow-ups of 799 previously violent men. Base rates for the 10-year follow-up were also altered by changing the definition of violent recidivism and by examining a high-risk subgroup. The report also shows how ROC methods can be used to compare the performance of different instruments for the prediction of violence. The report illustrates how ROCs facilitate decisions about whether, at a particular base rate, the use of a prediction instrument is warranted. Finally, some of the limitations of ROCs are outlined, and some cautionary remarks are made with regard to their use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of a Coping with Discrimination Scale: Factor structure, reliability, and validity.

Four studies were conducted to develop and validate the Coping With Discrimination Scale (CDS). In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (N = 328) identified 5 factors: Education/Advocacy, Internalization, Drug and Alcohol Use, Resistance, and Detachment, with internal consistency reliability estimates ranging from .72 to .90. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (N = 328) provided cross-validation of the 5-factor model as well as evidence for validity of the scale. The validity evidence was similar across racial groups and for males and females. In Study 3, the estimated 2-week test–retest reliabilities (N = 53) were between .48 and .85 for the 5 factors. Education/Advocacy, Internalization, Drug and Alcohol Use, and Detachment were positively associated with active coping, self-blame, substance use, and behavioral disengagement, respectively, providing further support for validity of the CDS. Finally, incremental validity evidence was obtained in Study 4 (N = 220), where it was shown that the CDS explained variance in outcome variables (i.e., depression, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and ethnic identity) that could not be explained by general coping strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies.

Describes a scale measuring dispositional optimism, defined in terms of generalized outcome expectancies. Two preliminary studies, involving a total of 438 male and 336 female undergraduates, assessed the scale's psychometric properties and its relationships with several other instruments. The scale was then used in a longitudinal study of symptom reporting among 79 male and 62 female undergraduates. Ss were asked to complete 3 questionnaires 4 wks before the end of a semester. Included in the questionnaire battery were the measure of optimism, a measure of private self-consciousness, and a 39-item physical symptom checklist. Ss completed the same set of questionnaires again on the last day of class. Consistent with predictions, Ss who initially reported being highly optimistic were subsequently less likely to report being bothered by symptoms (even after correcting for initial symptom-report levels) than were Ss who initially reported being less optimistic. This effect tended to be stronger among Ss high in private self-consciousness than among those lower in private self-consciousness. Discussion centers on other health related applications of the optimism scale and the relationships between the theoretical orientation of the scale and several related theories. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interrater agreement and predictive validity.

Ss were 549 illiterate Iranian truck drivers rated for intelligence and given an individual intelligence test. To relate unreliability of ratings to validity, correlations were made between intelligence test scores and 4 groups of criterion ratings differing in reliability. The authors conclude that in the construction of rating scales, weighting of ratings by their agreement is better than by their disagreement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergent and discriminant validity of selected assertiveness measures.

Used D. T. Campbell and D. W. Fiske's (see record 1976-20103-001) multitrait-multimethod design and D. N. Jackson's (see record 1976-00077-001) multimethod factor analysis to investigate the convergent and discriminant validity of selected assertiveness measures as compared with those of aggression and dominance. The selected assertiveness measures were the College Self-Expression Scale (J. P. Galassi et al; see record 1974-30156-001), the Wolpe-Lazarus Assertiveness Questionnaire (J. Wolpe and A. Lazarus, 1966), and global self-ratings of assertiveness. 159 undergraduates served as Ss. Results provide strong support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the assertiveness measures. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor analysis of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory: structure and validity

Principal-components (PC) factor analysis of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI) was conducted using a sample of outpatients (n = 189) with acquired brain injury (ABI) to evaluate whether outcome after ABI is multifactorial or unifactorial in nature. An eight-factor model was derived which explained 64-4% of the total variance. The eight factors were interpreted as representing Activities of Daily Living, Social Initiation, Cognition, Impaired-Self-awareness/Distress, Social Skills/ Support, Independence, Visuoperceptual, and Psychiatric, respectively. Validation of the Cognition factor was supported when factor scores were correlated with various neuropsychological measures. In addition, 117 patient self-rating total scores were used to evaluate the Impaired Self-awareness/Distress factor. An inverse relationship was observed, supporting this factor's ability to capture the two-dimensional phenomena of diminished self-awareness or enhanced emotional distress. A new subscale structure is suggested, that may allow greater clinical utility in understanding how ABI manifests in patients, and may provide clinicians with a better structure for implementing treatment strategies to address specific areas of impairment and disability for specific patients. Additionally, more precise measurement of treatment outcomes may be afforded by this reorganization.     

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)     

Factor structure and validity of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool--Criminal Adjudication.

Examination of the available literature regarding the development of the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA) reveals 2 theoretical factor structures on which the MacCAT-CA was based: one in which 3 lower-order constructs are proposed (understanding, reasoning, appreciation) and one in which 2 higher-order constructs are proposed (competence to assist counsel and decisional competence). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted with the MacCAT-CA's original normative sample (N = 729) to test both the relative fit of these 2 theoretical factor structures and models that combine the 2 factor structures. Analyses were also completed to examine the convergent and discriminant validity of the MacCAT-CA. Results are discussed in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the nomothetic nature of the MacCAT-CA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Further validation of the IDAS: Evidence of convergent, discriminant, criterion, and incremental validity.

The authors explicated the validity of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS; D. Watson et al., 2007) in 2 samples (306 college students and 605 psychiatric patients). The IDAS scales showed strong convergent validity in relation to parallel interview-based scores on the Clinician Rating version of the IDAS; the mean convergent correlations were .51 and .62 in the student and patient samples, respectively. With the exception of the Well-Being Scale, the scales also consistently demonstrated significant discriminant validity. Furthermore, the scales displayed substantial criterion validity in relation to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses in the patient sample. The authors identified particularly clear and strong associations between (a) major depression and the IDAS General Depression, Dysphoria and Well-Being scales, (b) panic disorder and IDAS Panic, (c) posttraumatic stress disorder and IDAS Traumatic Intrusions, and (d) social phobia and IDAS Social Anxiety. Finally, in logistic regression analyses, the IDAS scales showed significant incremental validity in predicting several DSM-IV diagnoses when compared against the Beck Depression Inventory-II (A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (A. T. Beck & R. A. Steer, 1990). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concurrent and predictive validity designs: A critical reanalysis.

Historical and contemporary discussions of test validation cite 4 major criticisms of concurrent validity that are assumed to seriously distort a concurrent validity coefficient. These include "missing persons," restriction of range, motivational and demographic differences between present employees and job applicants, and confounding by job experience. As a result, predictive validity has been espoused as a scientifically superior strategy for the validation of personnel selection tests. However, it is argued here that frequently the conceptual distinction between predictive and concurrent validity has been exaggerated. More importantly, the differences that may exist have never been shown to render concurrent validity inaccurate as an estimate of predictive validity. Existing data suggest that these differences, if present, have a minimal impact on the magnitude of an obtained validity coefficient. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergent and discriminant validity of personality disorder prototypic acts.

The diagnosis of personality disorders is problematic, largely because of low interrater reliability. One proposal has been to increase the behavioral specificity of the diagnostic criteria by using prototypic acts. However, the methodology by which prototypic acts have been selected has relied solely on face validity. The convergent and discriminant validity of prototypic acts for the schizoid, histrionic, and obsessive–compulsive personality disorders was assessed in this study, using a sample of patients who were diagnosed with personality disorder symptomatology after a semistructured interview. It was demonstrated that some acts might indeed be useful as either inclusion or exclusion criteria but that others lacked convergent and/or discriminant validity. The results are discussed regarding the limitations of prototypic acts and the methodology by which they are developed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preoccupied with predictive validity: An alternative perspective.

Psychologists have expressed concern over the problems of empirically establishing the predictive validity of individual assessments, and in particular the lack of empirical evidence for this practice. A case study is used to illustrate the benefits and drawbacks of externally conducted individual assessments to illustrate why predictive validity is only part of the picture. The consulting psychologist and client relationship are compared with the doctor and patient relationship, and this analogy is used to analyze the role of the consulting psychologist, and of the individual assessments that they conduct. Finally, the implications of conducting individual assessments for practicing within a scientist-practitioner model are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of altered outcome expectancies stemming from placebo and feedback treatments on the validity of the guilty knowledge technique.

Examined the effect of using placebo and feedback treatments to alter outcome expectancies on the detection efficiency of the guilty knowledge polygraph technique. 270 undergraduates each committed a mock murder, after which the investigator administered a series of 5 lie detector tests to ascertain the facts involved in the simulated murder. Prior to testing, an equal number of male and female Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 9 treatment groups. The groups consisted of the different treatment combinations produced by pairing 1 of 3 placebo conditions (pass, control, fail) with 1 of 3 feedback conditions (pass, control, fail). Although highly significant sex and feedback effects on outcome expectancies were found, there were no significant main or interaction effects produced by the sex, feedback, or placebo conditions with respect to detection efficiency as measured by a standard guilty knowledge scoring procedure. Results support the detection of deception theories that stress the importance of differential arousal and/or habituation effects associated with relevant and irrelevant stimuli. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)