Multidimensional analysis of observers' perceptions of self-disclosing behavior.

The nature of perceptions of self-disclosing speakers was examined using a multidimensional assessment procedure for scoring the basic parameters of disclosure. Ss were 168 male and 168 female undergraduates. Computation of usefulness coefficients revealed that the sex of the speaker and the amount, intimacy, rate, and affective manner of presentation of self-relevant information uniquely explained significant amounts of variance in the overall perception of disclosing behavior. Separate regression analyses by S sex were computed to determine if males and females attended to different facets of verbal discourse when judging self-disclosure. Although there was a gender-related bias affecting the ratings given to the speakers, no sex differences were found in the manner in which these judgments were made. Results are discussed in terms of the practical and theoretical importance of multidimensional assessment procedures in self-disclosure research. (25 ref) (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)     

Mentors' perceptions of negative mentoring experiences: Scale development and nomological validation.

Three studies were conducted to develop a psychometrically sound, multidimensional measure of mentors' perceptions of negative experiences with their protégés. In Study 1, items were developed, and content-related validity was established. In Study 2, CFA was used to establish the dimensionality of the new measure. Construct-related (convergent and discriminant) and criterion-related validity evidence were also obtained by using data from matched mentor-protégé dyads. Study 3 replicated the factor structure of the instrument and provided additional validity evidence by using a sample of female academic mentors. The findings are discussed in terms of broadening the scope of mentoring research to consider the mentor's perspective of relationship problems and dyadic processes in mentoring relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On developing self-concepts: a controlled study of children and adolescents with autism

This study employed the self-understanding interview of Damon and Hart (1988) to assess the self-concepts of two groups of children and adolescents: a group of individuals with autism and a group of nonautistic mentally retarded individuals who were matched for age and for verbal ability. On the basis of an hypothesis concerning the interpersonal origins of social and psychological self-concepts (Hobson, 1990; Neisser, 1988), it was predicted that the participants with autism would show a relative dearth of such concepts in their talk about themselves. In accordance with our predictions, there was a significant group difference in the number and quality of statements that fell into the social category of self-concept; contrary to our predictions, however, there was no group difference in the number of statements that fell into the psychological category. In addition, although there were not significant group differences in the overall production of verbally expressed concepts concerning self-attributes of a physical, active, or psychological kind, even within these categories individuals with autism made fewer references to social interactions or qualities. These results are discussed with regard to theories of self-concept development in typically developing as well as autistic and mentally retarded individuals, and with reference to the limitations of interpersonal understanding ("theory of mind") in people with autism.     

Construct validation of the Rorschach Reality-Fantasy Scale in alexithymia.

The study applies Winnicott's conceptualization of potential space to the alexithymia construct by using a new Rorschach index, the Reality-Fantasy Scale (RFS). The scale uses variables derived from the Rorschach Comprehensive System (Exner, 2000, 2001) to detect different types of psychopathological manifestations conceptualized as forms of collapse of potential space. Following previous research, the present study further evaluates the construct validity of the RFS in a sample of 92 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, categorized on the basis of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) as alexithymic, indeterminate alexithymia, and nonalexithymic groups. As hypothesized, the RFS significantly correlated with the TAS-20, discriminated among the 3 groups, and showed incremental validity in detecting alexithymia over isolated Rorschach markers. The study supports the exploration of psychoanalytic ideas by empirical, statistically based methods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Academic, social, and general self-concepts of behavioral subgroups of learning disabled children.

This study assessed perceived competence in 60 children (aged 8–13 yrs) who were classified into 4 carefully matched groups: (1) non-learning-disabled (non-LD), non-behavior-disordered, (2) LD, non-behavior-disordered, (3) LD with externalizing symptoms, and (4) LD with externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Results indicated that the scores of the non-behavior-disordered groups were higher than those of the behavior-disordered groups in cognitive, social, and general self-concept. The scores of the non-LD group did not differ from those of the non-behavior-disordered LD group. Correlation and regression analyses demonstrated that cognitive and social self-concept are at least as strongly related to behavioral factors as they are to achievement level. Implications for education and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of a brief form of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 14(3) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2007-17094-001). On page 154, in Table 1, the MPQ-BF column for the "Has a happy disposition" item (second row) under the Wellbeing scale incorrectly reads "26, 97, 31, 104." The correct numbers are 26, 97, 32, 104.] The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; A. Tellegen, 1982, in press) provides for a comprehensive analysis of personality at both the lower order trait and broader structural levels. Its higher order dimensions of Positive Emotionality, Negative Emotionality, and Constraint embody affect and temperament constructs, which have been conceptualized in psychobiological terms. The MPQ thus holds considerable potential as a structural framework for investigating personality across varying levels of analysis, and this potential would be enhanced by the availability of an abbreviated version. This article describes efforts to develop and validate a brief (155-item) form, the MPQ-BF. Success was evidenced by uniformly high correlations between the brief- and full-form trait scales and consistency of higher order structures. The MPQ-BF is recommended as a tool for investigating the genetic, neurobiological, and psychological substrates of personality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validation of a strategy model of student self-regulated learning.

Using student interviews, teacher ratings, and achievement test outcomes, we validated a strategy model of student self-regulated learning as a theoretical construct. Forty-four male and 36 female high school students were asked to describe their use of 14 self-regulated learning strategies in six contexts, and their teachers rated these students for their self-regulated learning during class. Factor analyses of the teachers' ratings along with students' scores on a standardized test of mathematics and English revealed a single self-regulated learning factor that accounted for nearly 80% of the explained variance and two smaller factors that were labeled Student Verbal Expressiveness and Achievement. Students' reports of using self-regulated learning strategies during a structured interview correlated .70 with the obtained teachers' rating factor and were negatively related to the Student Verbal Expressiveness and Achievement factors. Our results indicate both convergent and discriminative validity for a self-regulated learning construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maintaining perceptions of control: Finding perceived control in low-control circumstances.

Three questions about the role of perceived control in coping with a major life stressor were addressed in a sample of 71 cancer patients. As expected, those with greater perceptions of control were less depressed, even when physical functioning, marital satisfaction, and negative affectivity were controlled for. Consistent with a compensatory model of control, it was more important for patients to believe that they could control daily emotional reactions and physical symptoms than the course of the disease. Patients who endorsed irrational beliefs had lower overall perceptions of control. The results indicated that even patients who were physically or psychosocially worse off were better adjusted if they had higher perceptions of control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validation of the Overcontrolled Hostility scale of the MMPI.

Administered the Overcontrolled Hostility (O-H) scale of the MMPI to 110 male forensic psychiatric patients at a state hospital. Anamnestic data were used to divide Ss with a criminal record of assault into overcontrolled or undercontrolled personality types. The O-H scale significantly discriminated between these 2 criterion groups, thus supporting its construct validity. High-O-H patients were characterized by rigidity, excessive control, repression of conflicts, the ability to delay immediate gratification, and a reluctance to express psychiatric symptoms. High-O-H patients reported less alienation, anxiety, and anger than did low-O-H patients. (1 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent prediction of children's self-concepts.

Parents of 140 normal and 97 disturbed 8-14 yr. olds brought to a clinic predicted their child's responses to the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Clinic children had slightly but significantly lower scores on the scale, but parents differed greatly, with normal parents overestimating and clinic mothers underestimating their child's self-esteem. While percent agreement scores showed no significant differences except in favor of mother-father agreement, it was found that normal parents agreed with their child better on positive responses, and clinic parents (especially mothers) agreed better on negative responses. It is suggested that parent attitudes may be the most significant factor separating the 2 groups, and that satisfaction with the child, rather than just awareness of his feelings, may be the more crucial issue in the perception of him as needing or not needing professional help. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multidimensional model for control of private information.

Third-party involvement in the psychologist–client service transaction has raised a number of concerns related to the disclosure of personal information. The present paper clarifies the psychologist's appreciation of the complex interrelationships and new concepts that are involved when personal information disclosure is used to help assure the client, psychologist, and 3rd party that a reasonable quality and level of psychological services are being rendered. A multidimensional model is presented as a guide to assure adequate controls against the harmful disclosure of personal information. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multidimensional scaling of complex sounds by school-aged children and adults

A paired-comparisons procedure was used to evaluate the processing of complex, nonspeech sounds by 7- and 10-year-old children and adults. Stimuli were brief duration and included pure tones, harmonic complexes, and bands of noise. From their similarity ratings, a three-dimensional multidimensional scaling solution was derived. Results suggested that listeners classified the stimuli into clusters based upon periodicity and the number of spectral peaks. Within each cluster, the stimuli were ordered according to frequency. Because individual differences in the overall weightings of features were large, separate solutions were derived for two subgroups of listeners, formed based upon similarities in the pattern of dimension weights obtained in the group analysis. One subgroup, for whom the full group analysis captured a large proportion of the variance in the ratings, included the adults, many of the 10-year-olds, and a few of the 7-year-olds. The solution derived for this subgroup suggested that spectral and temporal information were weighted equally and integrated into all dimension weights. Frequency information was coded but given less weight and was not used for stimulus classification. A second subgroup of listeners included most of the 7-year-old and some of the 10-year-old children. Examination of their data suggested that they relied heavily on an analysis of the signals according to periodicity as was reflected in their temporal fine structure. Also encoded but of lesser importance were aspects of spectral shape and absolute frequency.     

Multidimensional locus of control in psychiatric patients.

At 1-mo intervals, functionally psychotic and neurotic inpatients (N = 165) were given 3 Likert scales to measure different aspects of locus of control: internality, control by powerful others, and control by chance forces. Initial testing within 5 days of hospitalization indicated that Ss perceived significantly more control by powerful others and chance forces than normal samples, and psychotics scored higher than neurotics. Committed Ss believed that powerful others controlled their lives, and readmitted Ss had higher perceptions of control by powerful others and chance forces than new Ss. Factor analysis indicated that the dimensions of control by powerful others and control by chance forces were consistent factors, while only 1/2 of the internality scale items were responded to as a single factor. During the 1st mo of hospitalization, Ss gained in their belief in internal control. However, initial scale scores were not significantly different from those obtained before discharge. Possible reasons for the lack of change are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validation of an instrumentality-expectancy-task-goal model of work motivation: Some theoretical boundary conditions.

Tested in 2 organizations an instrumentality-expectancy-task-goal model that sought to add specificity to the conceptualization and measurement of key variables by focusing on employees' decision process. Support for the major links in the model was found in 1 of the organizations (using data from a sample of 184 employees), but results from the other organization (with a sample of 412 employees) generally failed to support the hypotheses. Special attention is given to the potential effect of the organizational environment on employee cognitions and motivation. The different results in the 2 organizations are attributed to possible boundary conditions that may affect the relationships among employee cognitions, task goal selection, and performance. Implications of the basic model and its boundary conditions for research and practice are discussed. It is concluded that the model facilitated the observation of systematic and orderly results, thus adding to the understanding of behavior in organizations. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Academic crime and punishment: Faculty members' perceptions of and responses to plagiarism.

Academic dishonesty and its consequences have become increasingly complex. Highly accessible electronic media, profound consequences for misconduct and reporting, and lack of standard practice intensify the issues. We surveyed 270 faculty members to determine whether they had been confronted with plagiarism and if they felt prepared to deal with it. Using case studies, we examined faculty characterizations of the severity of students' uncited use of another's work, and their suggested actions, reports, and sanctions, by source, use, and amount of material. In addition to multiple interactions, we found that faculty members' perceptions of severity strongly mediate the consequences they recommend. However, within-case, recommended consequences (e.g., course actions, reports and sanctions) vary widely. Implications for development of guidelines based on level of plagiarism are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validation of optimism and pessimism in older men: Findings from the normative aging study.

Validation of M. F. Scheier and C. S. Carver's (1985) Life Orientation Test has identified associations between bipolar optimism and several external constructs. However, optimism and pessimism may not be bipolar, but rather separate constructs. Furthermore, these constructs may be indistinguishable from personality traits, such as neuroticism and extraversion. This study examined the associations of separate optimism and pessimism measures with self-reports of hassles, psychological symptoms, and illness severity, controlling for personality. Ss were 1,192 men from the Normative Aging Study. Findings suggest that optimism and pessimism are separate and that their relations to external criteria remain, although attenuated, when neuroticism and extraversion are controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)