A comment on the recent study of the Mechanical Comprehension Test (CC) by R. L. Decker.

Reference is made to a 1959 article (see 33: 6982) which is "lacking in accuracy to such an extent that some comments on it appear to be in order." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of the Minnesota Counseling Inventory in a college population.

Simultaneous validation of personality inventory scales and their underlying constructs was attempted by comparing groups made up from 1809 college freshmen rated by their dormitory counselors. 4 scales (Family Relationships, Social Relationships, Conformity, and Leadership) differentiated between the nominated groups, least fit, best fit, and not nominated. 2 scales (Emotional Stability and Mood) worked only for girls. Only 1 (Reality) gave no indication of being valid. Overlap of raw scores between groups indicated a need for caution in interpreting individual scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and validity of the Kopas Personnel Test Battery.

"For a sample of 88 plant protection officers, the seven tests in the battery were uncorrelated with one another, and correlations with Supervisory Ratings were negligible. The multiple correlation was .348. In two independent samples, the internal consistency reliabilities of the six non-performance tests… ranged from .58 to .93. In another sample, test-retest reliabilities ranged from .40 to .87." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The convergence and predictive validity of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory and the Personality Assessment Inventory among individuals with chronic pain.

Objective: To explore the convergence, redundancy, and validity of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in a chronic pain treatment setting. Participants: Data from intake (N=235) and follow-up (N=187) for individuals with an average of 9 years of chronic pain who participated in a 20-day integrative treatment program were analyzed. Outcome Measures: Oswestry Disability Index, Beck Depression and Anxiety inventories, Rand Short-Form Health Survey, and clinician-rated ability to stand and carry. Results: Conjoint factor analyses suggested that the MPI and PAI combine to tap five orthogonal factors: Negative Affect, Support, Externalizing, Physical Dysfunction, and Impulsivity. MPI and PAI scales significantly related to various aspects of client functioning, although these scales were more limited in predicting clinician-rated markers and change during treatment. Conclusion: Results support the combined use of the MPI and PAI to understand patient heterogeneity and predict treatment outcome in chronic pain samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An anxiety scale for the Strong Vocational Interest Inventory: Development, cross-validation, and subsequent tests of validity.

A level of adjustment dimension utilizing a combination of Taylor MAS and Winne Scale of Neuroticism scales has been developed for the Strong VIB. 400 graduate psychology students served as Ss while a second validation used 200 male freshmen. For the 33 items split-half reliability on the first cross-validation was .73. Criterion cross-validations yielded corrected correlations of .44 and .51. 27 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inferential structure of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory: Construct validity of the Big Four personality clusters.

Four studies investigated the dimensionality of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992). In Study 1, four inferential dimensions and four clusters represented the NEO-FFI when 114 undergraduates freely sorted items into categories. Construct validity for four item-clusters derived from the inferential space was obtained in Study 2 based on self-report with 304 undergraduates. Study 3 validated these inferential clusters using self and peer reports for 420 undergraduates. Study 4 validated the cluster scales for predicting quality of life and significant social and cultural behaviours for 110 undergraduates. Implications for implicit personality theory, the number of dimensions issue in personality, and test construction are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social reputation and social behavior: A further validation of the Peer Nomination Inventory.

2 studies were done on the congruence of reputation and overt behavior. Ss were 255 5th- and 6th-grade boys. The Peer Nomination Inventory (Wiggins & Winder, 1961) was used to assess the reputation of each boy for Aggression, Dependency, Withdrawal, Depression, and Likeability. Ss were assigned to high-,medium-, and low-aggression reputation groups, and to analogous dependency reputation groups. Then, Ss were observed, respectively, in a Situational Test of Aggression and a Situational Test of Dependency. Findings support the conclusion that reputation is predictive of overt interpersonal behavior. A tentative conclusion is that overt dependency and overt aggression are less closely related than are those aspects of reputation. More specifically, the results are a partial validation of the Aggression and Dependency scales of the Peer Nomination Inventory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory.

Four studies examined the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI), a measure of abusive behavior among adolescent dating partners. Exploratory factor analysis was used to refine items based on high school participants with dating experience (N?=?393; 49% female). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to derive and cross-validate the factor structure with participants from 10 high schools (N?=?1,019, 55% female; ages 14–16). The model structure fit for all grades and both sexes, with physical abuse, verbal abuse, and threatening behavior most representative of the underlying "abuse" factor. In Studies 3 and 4, the second-order abuse factor showed acceptable test–retest reliability, partner agreement, and correlation (significant for males only) between observer ratings of dating partners' interactions and youths' CADRI scores. Results support the CADRI as a measure of abusive behavior in adolescent dating relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor Structure of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory: Validity and Implications for Clinical Assessment.

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by impulsive antisocial deviance in the context of emotional and interpersonal detachment. A factor analysis of the subscales of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) yielded evidence for 2 factors. One factor showed relations with external criteria mirroring those of the emotional-interpersonal facet of psychopathy, including high dominance, low anxiety, and venruresomeness. The other factor showed relations paralleling those of the social deviance facet of psychopathy, including positive correlations with antisocial behavior and substance abuse, negative correlations with socioeconomic status and verbal ability, and personality characteristics including high negative emotionally and low behavioral constraint. Findings support using the PPI to assess these facets of psychopathy in community samples and to explore their behavioral correlates and genetic-neurobiological underpinnings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Discriminative validity of parent report of hypomanic and depressive symptoms on the General Behavior Inventory.

It often is difficult clinically to differentiate bipolar disorder from other mental health conditions in young people. This study evaluated a parent report measure of depressive and hypomanic/biphasic symptoms. Parents of 196 youths, who were 5 to 17 years old and presented at an outpatient research center, completed an adapted General Behavior Inventory (GBI). Factor analyses suggested two dimensions, depression and biphasic/hypornania. Logistic regressions using these scales discriminated mood disorder versus disruptive behavior disorder or no diagnosis, unipolar versus bipolar disorder, and bipolar versus disruptive behavior disorder based on structured interviews. Classification rates exceeded 80%, and receiver operating characteristic analyses showed good diagnostic efficiency for the scales, with areas under the curve greater than .80. Results indicate that clinicians can use the parent-completed GBI to derive clinically meaningful information about mood disorders in youths. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The utility and comparative incremental validity of the MMPI-2 and Trauma symptom Inventory validity scales in the detection of feigned PTSD.

The authors examined the comparative predictive capacity of the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) Atypical Response Scale (ATR) and the standard set of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) fake-bad validity scales (i.e., F, FB, Fp, FBS) to detect feigned posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Remitted trauma victims (n = 60) completed the TSI and MMPI-2 under standard (honest) instructions and then were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental conditions (noncoached/validity scale coached) in which they were administered these instruments again with instruction to fake PTSD. These test protocols were compared with TSI and MMPI-2 results from workplace injury claimants with PTSD (n = 84). The ATR and FBS were able to distinguish only the noncoached participants instructed to fake from the PTSD claimants; in contrast, the F, FB, and Fp scales were able to distinguish both the noncoached and the validity-scale-coached participants from the PTSD claimants. F, FB, and Fp always outperformed the ATR and FBS; neither the ATR nor the FBS was able to add incremental predictive variance to that of F, FB, or Fp. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and initial validation of the Inventory of Microaggressions Against Black Individuals.

The present article describes the development and initial validation of the Inventory of Microaggressions Against Black Individuals (IMABI) using a sample of 385 undergraduates who self-identified as Black or African American. The IMABI is a 14-item, unidimensional measure of racial microaggressions that captures both microinsults and microinvalidations. The present findings support the IMABI as a reliable and valid measure of microaggressions that was associated with general distress and perceived stress. Importantly, the association between the IMABI and psychological adjustment persisted even when social desirability and another measure of race-related stress were included in the analyses. Discussion focuses on the potential implications of the IMABI for understanding the daily experiences and psychological adjustment of Black individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occupations ten years later of high school seniors with high scores on the SVIB life insurance salesman scale.

From a pool of 2500 Minnesota high school seniors of the 1953 and 1954 classes, 93 students were identified who had "A" ratings on the SVIB life insurance salesman scale. Information on their current occupations was collected from 72. Of these, 10% were in the life insurance business, 32% were in other sales jobs, 12% were in business-contact jobs such as public relations, 22% were in social service persuasive jobs such as lawyer or minister, and 24% were in essentially unrelated jobs. In a further analysis, each profile was analyzed as to its appropriateness for the individual's current occupation. 64% were classified as "hits," 22% as "misses," and 14% as "indeterminate." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criterion validity of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory Social Symptomatology Scale in a prison sample.

The 36-item, self-report Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI; R. R. Holden, 1996) and the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL–R; R. D. Hare, 1991) were administered to 214 male, adult prison inmates in Canadian federal correctional facilities. The 12-item HPSI Social Symptomatology scale, a measure of antisocial behavior, demonstrated a large effect size in significantly differentiating between PCL–R-identified psychopaths and nonpsychopaths. HPSI scales not theoretically related to psychopathic behavior showed no such significant effects. Findings are interpreted as supporting the criterion validity of the Social Symptomatology scale and suggest that this brief, self-report screen has research and clinical merit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the validity of validity scales: The importance of defensive responding in the prediction of institutional misconduct.

This study examined the effects of defensive responding on the prediction of institutional misconduct among male inmates (N = 349) who completed the Personality Assessment Inventory (L. C. Morey, 1991). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses demonstrated significant main effects for the Antisocial Features (ANT) scale as well as main effects for the Positive Impression Management (PIM) scale in some instances. Significant ANT × PIM interactions also were evident, particularly when examining recommended cut scores on these scales. These results demonstrate the predictive validity of ANT with prisoners and reinforce the importance of context when considering whether validity scales are in fact valid. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence and Wide Range Intelligence Test: Convergent and structural validity.

The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI; Psychological Corporation, 1999) and the Wide Range Intelligence Test (WRIT; Glutting, Adams, & Sheslow, 2000) are two well-normed brief measures of general intelligence with subtests purportedly assessing verbal–crystallized abilities and nonverbal–fluid–visual abilities. With a sample of 152 children, adolescents, and adults, the present study reports meaningful convergent validity coefficients and a latent factor structure consistent with the theoretical intellectual models both tests were constructed to reflect. Consideration of the hierarchical model of intelligence tests and issues regarding test interpretation are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic validity of the Eppendorf Schizophrenia Inventory (ESI): A self-report screen for ultrahigh risk and acute psychosis.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 23(1) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2011-04411-006). Presents changes that are very small and do not in any way affect the findings of the research. These changes are explained in the correction.] Providers of mental health services need tools to screen for acute psychosis and ultrahigh risk (UHR) for transition to psychosis in help-seeking individuals. In this study, the Eppendorf Schizophrenia Inventory (ESI) was examined as a screening tool and for its ability to correctly predict diagnostic group membership (e.g., help seeking, mild psychiatric complaints, highly symptomatic mood or anxiety disorder, UHR, acute psychosis). Diagnostic evaluation with established instruments was used for diagnosis in 3 research samples. UHR status was assessed with the Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms/Scale of Prodromal Symptoms (Miller et al., 1999) and the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms Prediction list (Gross, Huber, Klosterk?tter, & Linz, 1987; Klosterk?tter, Hellmich, Steinmeyer, & Schulze-Lutter, 2001). This study showed that members of different diagnostic groups rate themselves significantly differently on the ESI and its subscales. A new subscale was constructed, the UHR–Psychosis scale, that showed good utility in detecting individuals with interview-diagnosed UHR status and acute psychosis. The scale is also sensitive to the threshold between UHR and acute psychosis. Practical applications of the ESI include use as a diagnostic tool within various settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Delaying Gratification Inventory.

Deficits in gratification delay are associated with a broad range of public health problems, such as obesity, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse. However, 6 decades of research on the construct has progressed less quickly than might be hoped, largely because of measurement issues. Although past research has implicated 5 domains of delay behavior, involving food, physical pleasures, social interactions, money, and achievement, no published measure to date has tapped all 5 components of the content domain. Existing measures have been criticized for limitations related to efficiency, reliability, and construct validity. Using an innovative Internet-mediated approach to survey construction, we developed the 35-item 5-factor Delaying Gratification Inventory (DGI). Evidence from 4 studies and a large, diverse sample of respondents (N = 10,741) provided support for the psychometric properties of the measure. Specifically, scores on the DGI demonstrated strong internal consistency and test–retest reliability for the 35-item composite, each of the 5 domains, and a 10-item short form. The 5-factor structure fit the data well and had good measurement invariance across subgroups. Construct validity was supported by correlations with scores on closely related self-control measures, behavioral ratings, Big Five personality trait measures, and measures of adjustment and psychopathology, including those on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form. DGI scores also showed incremental validity in accounting for well-being and health-related variables. The present investigation holds implications for improving public health, accelerating future research on gratification delay, and facilitating survey construction research more generally by demonstrating the suitability of an Internet-mediated strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: III. Meta-analysis of predictive validity.

This review of 122 research reports (184 independent samples, 14,900 subjects) found average r = .274 for prediction of behavioral, judgment, and physiological measures by Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures. Parallel explicit (i.e., self-report) measures, available in 156 of these samples (13,068 subjects), also predicted effectively (average r = .361), but with much greater variability of effect size. Predictive validity of self-report was impaired for socially sensitive topics, for which impression management may distort self-report responses. For 32 samples with criterion measures involving Black–White interracial behavior, predictive validity of IAT measures significantly exceeded that of self-report measures. Both IAT and self-report measures displayed incremental validity, with each measure predicting criterion variance beyond that predicted by the other. The more highly IAT and self-report measures were intercorrelated, the greater was the predictive validity of each. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)