Multimodal assessment of impulsiveness in abusing, neglecting, and nonmaltreating mothers and their preschool children.

Three groups of 12 mothers who had a history of child abuse (mean age 26.67 yrs), child neglect (mean age 25.75 yrs), or no known history of child maltreatment (mean age 29.08 yrs) and their 48–70 mo old children were compared on the nature and extent of their impulsiveness in a multimodal assessment procedure. Children were also rated by their mothers on the Revised Conners Parent Rating Scale and by their teachers on the Conners Teacher Rating Scale. Results indicate that comparison mothers performed better than did abusing mothers on 2 measures of motor inhibition, a modified Matching Familiar Figures Test and the Stroop Color and Word Test. Neglectful mothers rated their children as having more conduct problems than did comparison mothers. No significant differences were found on the other child measures of impulsiveness. Implications for assessing and treating child maltreatment are discussed. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of the D 48, Cattell Culture Fair, and Army Beta Tests in a sample of college males.

The D 48 test, the Cattell Culture Fair, and the Revised Beta Examination were administered to lower-division college males (N = 94 to 33). Additional verbal and nonverbal measures, as well as the grade point average (GPA) were also available. None of the 3 tests correlated very highly with the GPA, but of the 3 only the D 48 correlated significantly (.22 significant at the .05 level). Analysis of the results indicates that the D 48 has slightly more predictive validity than the Culture Fair or Army Beta and that it is essentially similar to these tests in its pattern of relationships to other measures of ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological functioning after mercury exposure.

Observed visuographic and paranoid symptomatology in 26 dentists (mean age, 49.9 yrs) with elevated mercury levels. Neuropsychological functions were assessed with measures such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Bender-Gestalt Test, and the SCL-90 (Revised). Although the observed changes were mild, their presence suggests subtoxic hazards associated with dental practice and underscore a continual need for maintaining mercury hygiene. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mediators of change for multisystemic therapy with juvenile sexual offenders.

The mediators of favorable multisystemic therapy (MST) outcomes achieved at 12 months postrecruitment were examined within the context of a randomized effectiveness trial with 127 juvenile sexual offenders and their caregivers. Outcome measures assessed youth delinquency, substance use, externalizing symptoms, and deviant sexual interest/risk behaviors; hypothesized mediators included measures of parenting and peer relations. Data were collected at pretreatment, 6 months postrecruitment, and 12 months postrecruitment. Consistent with the MST theory of change and the small extant literature in this area of research, analyses showed that favorable MST effects on youth antisocial behavior and deviant sexual interest/risk behaviors were mediated by increased caregiver follow-through on discipline practices as well as decreased caregiver disapproval of and concern about the youth’s bad friends during the follow-up. These findings have important implications for the community-based treatment of juvenile sexual offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multisystemic therapy for juvenile sexual offenders: 1-year results from a randomized effectiveness trial.

Despite the serious and costly problems presented by juvenile sexual offenders, rigorous tests of promising interventions have rarely been conducted. This study presents a community-based effectiveness trial comparing multisystemic therapy (MST) adapted for juvenile sexual offenders with services that are typical of those provided to juvenile sexual offenders in the United States. Youth were randomized to MST (n = 67) or treatment as usual for juvenile sexual offenders (TAU-JSO; n = 60). Outcomes through 12 months postrecruitment were assessed for problem sexual behavior, delinquency, substance use, mental health functioning, and out-of-home placements. Relative to youth who received TAU-JSO, youth in the MST condition evidenced significant reductions in sexual behavior problems, delinquency, substance use, externalizing symptoms, and out-of-home placements. The findings suggest that family- and community-based interventions, especially those with an established evidence-base in treating adolescent antisocial behavior, hold considerable promise in meeting the clinical needs of juvenile sexual offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological performance and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Examined cognitive functions in 11 positive-symptom (mean age 36 yrs), 10 negative-symptom (mean age 33.8 yrs), and 23 mixed-symptom (mean age 31.4 yrs) schizophrenics; 15 bipolar patients (mean age 34.7 yrs); and 12 normal controls (mean age 34.8 yrs) to explore the relation between symptoms and performance. Ss were administered a neuropsychological test battery including the Purdue Pegboard, the Revised Visual Retention Test, and the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R). Group comparisons revealed generalized deficits in schizophrenics. Positive-symptom schizophrenics scored below normal Ss and negative-symptom Ss on 2 measures tapping verbal memory. Multiple regression analyses revealed that negative symptom ratings were inversely associated with performance on visual-motor tasks, whereas positive symptoms were inversely associated with verbal memory performance. Findings are not consistent with the notion that cognitive deficits are uniquely associated with negative symptoms. Instead, results suggest that there may be specific cognitive correlates of both the positive and negative symptom dimensions. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heterosexual social skills in a population of rapists and child molesters.

Compared the performance of 20 rapists and 20 child molesters (inmates in a federal maximum-security prison) on in vivo, questionnaire, and cognitive assessments of social skill with the performance of 20 non-sex-offender inmates and 20 nonincarcerated high- and low-SES males on the same measures. In behavioral assessments, Ss were asked to engage in a conversation with a female confederate for as long as they felt comfortable doing so. Questionnaires and self-report scales included the Quick Test, Survey of Heterosexual Interactions, and Social Avoidance and Distress Scale. Results indicate that behavioral ratings provided by the S, confederate, and 2 independent judges showed good convergence and portrayed low-SES males as generally less skilled and more anxious than their high-SES counterparts. Within the 2 sex-offender groups, child molesters presented a clearer profile of heterosocial inadequacy than did rapists: These Ss rated themselves as less skilled and more anxious in heterosexual interactions and less assertive in accepting positive feedback from others. Rapists were more similar to low-SES males than were child molesters. It is concluded that the identification of heterosocial inadequacy in a population of sex offenders has etiological implications and points to an area in need of remediation with respect to inmates' postrelease social adjustment. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological impairment in pedophiles.

Compared 15 heterosexual, 14 homosexual, and 10 bisexual male pedophiles (mean age 39 yrs) to 14 nonviolent nonsex offenders (mean age 25 yrs), using the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery, the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and computerized tomography scans. Ss were classified into their groups based on criminal history, a standard sex history assessment, and a phallometric test of erotic preference. Pedophiles tended to have lower IQs than controls and showed significantly more impairment on all measures. Left temporo-parietal pathology was noted more often for pedophiles. Findings suggest that neuropsychological examination can provide useful and potentially discriminating information in pedophilia and should be considered an important supplement in clinical assessments of the disorder. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stimulus-seeking behavior in three delinquent personality types.

Examined stimulus-seeking behavior in 3 delinquent personality types (psychopathic, neurotic, and socialized) drawn from 3 populations (juvenile delinquents, young adult offenders, and college students). 10 Ss were selected from each population with mean ages of 15.2, 20.6, and 19.0 yrs, respectively. Results from a kinesthetic aftereffect task and the Sensation-Seeking Scale indicate only limited evidence of pathological stimulus seeking by the psychopathic delinquent personality type. It is suggested that this limited evidence results from the incarceration experiences of the young adult offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancies, mood, and performance of depressed and nondepressed psychiatric inpatients on chance and skill tasks.

The learned helplessness model of depression predicts that, compared with nondepressed patients, depressed patients will demonstrate psychomotor deficits, provide lower subjective evaluations of their performance, and perceive reinforcement in skill tasks as more response independent. These predictions were tested in 32 depressed (mean age 35 yrs) and 32 nondepressed (mean age 38 yrs) psychiatric inpatients, who had been administered the Quick Test and the Beck Depression Inventory. Ss performed card- and peg-sorting tasks in which measures of performance, ratings of mood and expectancy of success, and subjective evaluations of performance were obtained under chance and skill reinforcement conditions. Although some support was obtained for the prediction that depressives provide lower evaluations of their performance than nondepressives, the other predictions were not supported. Comparisons between depressed and nondepressed schizophrenics indicate that the mood of depressed schizophrenics was especially sensitive to task outcome for both skill and chance conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How localized are age-related effects on neuropsychological measures?

A battery of neuropsychological tests (e.g., Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trail Making Test, Rey Auditory–Verbal Learning Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised Block Design, Object Assembly, and Digit Symbol tests) was administered to 259 adults ages 18 to 94 who reported themselves to be in good to excellent health. Moderate age-related declines were apparent in performance measures that could be postulated to be sensitive to damage in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. However, correlation-based analyses revealed that the age-related influences on the different measures were not independent. Across all variables examined, an average of about 58% of the age-related variance in a given variable was shared with that in other variables. These results indicate that only a portion of the age-related influences on many commonly used neuropsychological measures is specific and potentially localized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting relapse: A meta-analysis of sexual offender recidivism studies.

Evidence from 61 follow-up studies was examined to identify the factors most strongly related to recidivism among sexual offenders. On average, the sexual offense recidivism rate was low (13.4%; n?=?23,393). There were, however, subgroups of offenders who recidivated at high rates. Sexual offense recidivism was best predicted by measures of sexual deviancy (e.g., deviant sexual preferences, prior sexual offenses) and, to a lesser extent, by general criminological factors (e.g., age, total prior offenses). Those offenders who failed to complete treatment were at higher risk for reoffending than those who completed treatment. The predictors of nonsexual violent recidivism and general (any) recidivism were similar to those predictors found among nonsexual criminals (e.g., prior violent offenses, age, juvenile delinquency). Our results suggest that applied risk assessments of sexual offenders should consider separately the offender's risk for sexual and nonsexual recidivism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Field validity of the STATIC-99 and MnSOST-R among sex offenders evaluated for civil commitment as sexually violent predators.

Despite their widespread use in forensic and correctional practice, surprisingly little research investigates how well actuarial risk assessment instruments (ARAIs) for sexual offenders work within the contexts where they are routinely applied. We examined the predictive validity (M = 4.77 years follow-up) of the two most widely used ARAIs for sexual offenders, the STATIC-99 and Minnesota Sex Offender Sex Offender Screening Tool–Revised (MnSOST-R), as administered in routine practice among 1,928 offenders screened for possible civil commitment as sexually violent predators. Effect sizes for both ARAIs were lower than in most published research and meta-analytic reviews, although the STATIC-99 was a more consistent predictor of recidivism than the MnSOST-R. Recidivism rates for the STATIC-99 were much closer to those expected based on the 2009 norms than the 2003 norms. Offender characteristics (e.g., age at release, prior arrests, release type) were often as or more effective than ARAIs for predicting recidivism. This study, apparently the largest cross-validation study of popular ARAIs for sex offenders, suggests that the predictive validity of these measures in routine practice in the United States may be poorer than often assumed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother–son relationships of juvenile felons.

67 mother–son dyads from father-absent families were divided into 3 groups: violent felon, nonviolent felon, and normal control. Adolescent sons had a mean age of 14.5 yrs, while mothers had a mean age of 39.3 yrs. During the assessment session, mothers and sons completed self-report inventories and engaged in an interaction task that was audio-recorded. Consistent with prior research, mother–son relationships in families with juvenile offenders were less warm and tended to evidence less positive communication and more negative communication than did those in families with nonoffenders. Marginally significant results suggest that the 16 violent juvenile felons had even poorer relationships with their mothers than did the 15 nonviolent felons. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Speed in test performance in depressed patients.

Compared the performance of 2 groups of nonschizophrenic, nonorganic, psychiatric patients—25 depressed (mean age 41.4 yrs) and 25 nondepressed (mean age 37.8 yrs) Ss—on several tests, including the Quick Test, the WAIS, and 10 speed tests and measures of ambiguous figure reversal rates. The 2 groups of Ss were matched for general psychopathology, sex, age, and education. No difference in the performance on power-cognitive (i.e., intelligence) tests was found. Depressed patients performed more slowly on psychomotor speed tests, confirming an earlier study comparing depressed patients and normal controls. Findings generally confirm those of the 1st author et al (1972) and those of several earlier studies summarized by W. R. Miller (see record 1975-20082-001). (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopathy screening of incarcerated juveniles: A comparison of measures.

How well do brief screening measures correspond with a full-scale assessment of psychopathy among juvenile offenders? This study compared 3 independent screening measures (the Antisocial Process Screening Device [APSD] Self-Report [A. A. Caputo, P. J. Frick, & S. L. Brodsky, 1999], the APSD Staff Rating [P. J. Frick & R. D. Hare, 2001] and the Psychopathy Content Scale [D. C. Murrie & D. G. Cornell, 2000] on the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory [T. Millon, 1993]) with the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV; A. E. Forth, D. S. Kosson, & R. D. Hare, in press) in a sample of 117 incarcerated male juveniles. Modest correlations (.30-.49) were found between PCL:YV scores and those of the 3 screening measures, and there was moderate accuracy (67%-82%) in identifying youth who scored relatively high (≥25) on the PCL:YV. Although these results support the construct of adolescent psychopathy, they indicate substantial limitations in the use of psychopathy screening measures with juvenile offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of self-appraisals of ability on academic performance.

Longitudinal data on 1,718 high school males from the Youth in Transition Project (J. G. Bachman, 1970) were analyzed using structural equation models. Data, which were collected over a 3-yr period, included self-appraisals of academic ability and effort, reports of test anxiety, and scores on measures such as the Quick Test and the Vocabulary scale of the General Aptitude Test Battery. Results suggest that self-appraisals had moderate effects on later grades and that this effect in part reflected greater effort by Ss with positive self-appraisals. Although self-appraisals affected the degree of test anxiety experienced by the Ss, they did not appear to affect grades. There was some evidence that test anxiety interfered with performance on standardized tests. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diversion of juvenile offenders: An experimental comparison.

This study presents the results of a longitudinal experiment focused on the relative efficacy of varying treatments for juvenile offenders (N?=?213). Four interventions using nonprofessionals were contrasted with an attention-placebo group and a treatment-as-usual control group. Systematic manipulation checks indicated a high degree of integrity in the different treatment conditions. Examination of outcomes was accomplished using multiple measures of self-reported delinquency and official recidivism. Results indicated no significant differential effects on self-reported delinquency. However, all treatment conditions involving a specific intervention model located outside the formal juvenile justice system produced lower recidivism rates than the attention-placebo condition, the treatment-as-usual control condition, or the intervention condition located within the juvenile justice system. The nature of these findings and their relation to the field of delinquency theory and treatment are discussed. (61 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anger as a predictor of aggression among incarcerated adolescents.

This study examined the validity of trait anger as a predictor of aggressive behavior among juvenile offenders. Two standard self-report anger scales were administered to 65 recently incarcerated male adolescents. These youths were followed prospectively for physical and verbal aggression during 3 months of subsequent incarceration. Anger scores were not correlated with participant history of violent offending or staff ratings of anger. However, anger scores from both instruments were predictive of subsequent physical and verbal aggression. For example, the Trait Anger scale successfully classified 66% of juvenile offenders into high and low aggressive groups; receiver operating characteristic analysis obtained an effect size of .72. These results support the predictive validity of self-reported anger in identifying juvenile offenders at risk for institutional aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence that IQ scores are irrelevant to the definition and analysis of reading disability.

250 reading disabled and 719 nondisabled Ss (aged 7–16 yrs) with IQs ranging primarily from 80 to 110 were divided into groups based on scores from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC—R), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and Vocabulary and Block Design subtests. Ss were assessed, using the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Ability, the Goldman-Fristoe-Woodcock Sound-Symbol Test, the Gilmore Oral Reading Test, and subtests of other measures. Results show that the presence or absence of reading disability was a better predictor of performance than IQ test scores on tasks involving reading, spelling, understanding of syntax, and short-term and working memory. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)