The Rorschach Human Experience Variable, interpersonal relatedness, and object representation in nonpatients.

W. Perry and D. J. Viglione (1991) combined human representational variables from J. E. Exner's (1993) Comprehensive System in their Ego Impairment Index to create the Human Experience Variable (HEV). To validate the HEV, 105 nonpatient women completed the Bell Object Relations Inventory (M. Bell, 1991) and the Rorschach. Their spouses also rated the quality of these women's interpersonal relatedness by completing a modified Bell Object Relations Inventory and the Emotional Maturity Rating Form (H. Bessell, 1984). The HEV was significantly related to the quality of interpersonal relatedness, after considering Rorschach measures of psychopathology and "nonhuman" Rorschach images. Results indicate that representations of self and other accessed through the Rorschach account for unique variance in the prediction of the quality of interpersonal relationships, thus supporting the validity of the Rorschach and the concept of object relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and object relational pathology in young adult children of alcoholics.

Compared 15 adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) with 15 non-ACAs, using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) and 2 Rorschach measures of developmental object relational pathology and egocentricity. Higher levels of personality pathology and lower levels of object relational development were found in ACAs compared with non-ACAs, confirming the presence of personality disorders and characterological defensive adaptation. Findings are consistent with the picture of moderate characterological pathology etiologically related to developmentally based object relational deficits in ACAs. (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)     

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)     

Children's internal representations, empathy and fantasy play: A validity study of the SCORS-Q.

The authors investigated relationships among internal representations, empathy, and affective and cognitive processes in fantasy play to test the validity of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale Q-Sort (SCORS--Q; D. Westen, 1995) with children. Eighty-six 8--10-year-olds were administered 8 Thematic Apperception Test cards, a standardized play task, and a self-report empathy measure. Teachers rated children's empathy and helpfulness. As predicted, internal representations were related to empathy, helpfulness, and quality of fantasy play. Developmental differences on the SCORS--Q were consistent with object relations theory and with results from the original SCORS. The findings support the value of internal representations as a means of understanding children's interpersonal functioning and contribute to the validity of the SCORS--Q for use with children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The construct validity of the Category Test: Is it a measure of reasoning or intelligence?

Although the Category Test (W. C. Halstead, 1947) is generally described as a measure of abstract reasoning, determination of its construct validity has been difficult given methodological inconsistencies of previous studies. It has been suggested that the Category Test measures intelligence (G. J. Boyle, 1988), although others suggest it measures distinct reasoning processes (M. D. Kelly, D. K. Kundert, & R. S. Dean, 1992; K. Perrine, 1993). This study investigated the construct validity of the Category Test for 308 participants with heterogeneous cognitive dysfunction. A factor analysis using measures of reasoning (Category subtests), intelligence (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Revised; D. Wechsler, 1981), memory (Wechsler Memory Scale--Revised; D. Wechsler, 1987), and other "problem solving" abilities (Trail Making Test; Army Individual Test Battery, 1944; Tactual Performance Test; W. C. Halstead, 1947) indicated the Category subtests to load on 3 factors distinct from intelligence (and other neuropsychological measures), labeled as follows: Symbol Recognition/Counting (Subtests 1 and 2); Spatial Position Reasoning (Subtests 3, 4, and 7); and Proportional Reasoning (Subtests 5 and 6). Clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On conceptualizing and assessing guilt.

The psychological construct of guilt and its measurement were investigated in a series of studies (N?=?1,041). Data collection and analyses involved 3 broad issues: (1) the further development and validation of the Guilt Inventory, designed to measure trait guilt, state guilt, and moral standards; (2) comparisons involving extant measures of guilt, shame, moral standards, and other emotions for the purpose of exploring the distinctions between trait guilt and state guilt, affective guilt and moral standards, and guilt and other emotions including both shame and the full range of emotional traits; and (3) an exploration of the factor structure of the trait guilt scales. Results supported the validity and reliability of the Guilt Inventory and the validity of most of the other guilt measures. However, results also raised questions regarding commonly articulated distinctions between trait and state guilt, guilt and shame, and for some measures, affective guilt and moral standards. Discussion focuses on issues of measurement and conceptualization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic validity statistics and the MCMI-III.

This article (a) describes and illustrates the nonredundant and clinically important information that may be obtained from 5 diagnostic validity statistics (DVSs): incremental validities of positive and negative test diagnoses, Cohen's kappas, Cohen's effect sizes, and areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and (b) determines values of these DVSs for 24 Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory III scales from results reported in 1994 and 1997 validity studies. The DVSs for the 1997 study (T. Millon, R. Davis, & C. Millon, 1997) were often more than 3 times larger than corresponding DVSs for the 1994 study (T. Millon, 1994). The author suggests these large differences could reflect not only effects of factors that caused underestimation of validities by DVSs of the 1994 study, but also effects of factors that may have caused overestimation of validities by DVSs of the 1997 study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adaptation canadienne-fran?aise de la forme révisée du State–Trait Anxiety Inventory de Spielberger.

Describes a series of studies on the psychometric properties of the French-Canadian adaptation of the latest version (Form Y) of the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI—Y) by C. D. Spielberger (1983). Results from several samples involving a total of 1,226 male and female Canadian university students (aged 19–55 yrs) reveal that the construct validity and reliability of the French adaptation of the STAI—Y are similar to those of the original English instrument. Norms and T-scores are presented for both scales. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validation d'une traduction fran?aise d'un instrument de mesure des réponses affectoves á la premiére relation sexuelle avec pénétration.

Tested the validity of a self-questionnaire (D. L. Weis; 1983) measuring the affective responses to the first sexual intercourse with a sample of 198 French-Canadian women. This study also explores the affective responses to the first sexual relation with penetration within this same group. Ss answered experimental and original versions of the questionnaire. Results show consistency between cues of content validity and concomitant validity of the original version and the French version, a noticeable temporal stability and a high internal consistency. Results also show the accuracy of the French translation and the validity of the questionnaire on the affective responses to the first sexual relation with penetration. A copy of the French version of the questionnaire is appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quality of life: theory and methodology in rehabilitation

Validity studies of neuropsychological tests have typically examined individuals with neurological disorders. The present study was designed to investigate the construct validity of neuropsychological measures in patients with schizophrenia. We used Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised (WAIS-R) factor scores that were generated from the population of interest as marker variables in the present analysis. The current study included 39 patients with schizophrenia who were evaluated with a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing attention, memory, and abstract reasoning abilities. Pearson correlations indicated significant relationships between (a) WAIS-R Verbal Comprehension factor and tests of sustained attention, verbal memory and remote memory; (b) WAIS-R Perceptual Organization factor and tests of visual memory and abstraction and problem solving; and (c) WAIS-R Freedom From Distractibility factor and neuropsychological measures of attention and concentration. These results provide support for the construct validity of the neuropsychological tests in patients with schizophrenia, and indicate that these tests evaluate essentially the same constructs in patients with schizophrenia as they do for patients with structural neurological disorders.     

Concurrent validity of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory depression scales.

In a sample of 95 psychiatric clinic outpatients, this investigation compared two new measures of depression (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory [MCMI] Dysthymia and Major Depression subscales) with two established instruments: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a self-report measure that emphasizes the cognitive-affective aspects of depression, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), and interview measure that emphasizes somatic complaints. All measures were significantly intercorrelated. The relatively weaker relations between the HRSD and the MCMI depression subscales, which resulted because of their neglect of vegetative depressive symptoms, pose a serious problem for interpreting the meaning of the MCMI Major Depression subscale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Overall maturity of object relations as assessed by the McGill Object Relations Scale

The McGill Object Relations Scale (MORS) is an instrument for assessing levels of drive-based object relations along a continuum of positions representative of psychosexual development. Its theoretical foundations as well as empirical antecedents are presented, and its rating procedure is demonstrated through a case application. The MORS was applied, by five experienced psychiatrists, to 67 adult patients seeking psychoanalytic psychotherapy, in order to assess interrater reliability, internal structure, and construct validity. Results indicate that overall maturity of object relations stems from structural indices of self-object differentiation determined by a particular configuration of many positions, rather than from the thematic aspects included in the individual psychosexual positions.     

"The Rorschach Human Experience Variable, interpersonal relatedness, and object representations in nonpatients": Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by B. Burns and D. J. Viglione, Jr. (Psychological Assessment, 1996 [Mar], 8[1], 92–99). On pages 94–97, for the regression analysis in Tables 4–9, the Human Experience Variable was calculated slightly differently than described, the actual formula is given. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1996-00429-013). W. Perry and D. J. Viglione (1991) combined human representational variables from J. E. Exner's (1993) Comprehensive System in their Ego Impairment Index to create the Human Experience Variable (HEV). To validate the HEV, 105 nonpatient women completed the Bell Object Relations Inventory (M. Bell, 1991) and the Rorschach. Their spouses also rated the quality of these women's interpersonal relatedness by completing a modified Bell Object Relations Inventory and the Emotional Maturity Rating Form (H. Bessell, 1984). The HEV was significantly related to the quality of interpersonal relatedness, after considering Rorschach measures of psychopathology and "nonhuman' Rorschach images.… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing object relations and social cognitive correlates of eating disorder.

The relation between eating disorder and disturbances in object relations and cognitive structure was investigated. 183 undergraduate women were assessed for eating disorder on 2 measures and for object relations deficits on the 4 subscales of the Bell Object Relations Inventory of M. Bell et al (see record 1987-02849-001). Cognitive structure was assessed using an interpersonal repertory grid. Canonical correlation analyses revealed that eating disorder was predicted by measures of object relations disturbance and cognitive structure. Women with higher levels of eating disorder showed higher levels of object relations disturbances along 2 of the 4 subscales (Insecure Attachment and Social Incompetence), and more simplistic and rigid social cognitive schemata. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that object relations disturbance and cognitive structure made independent contributions to the predictions of disordered eating. The implications of these findings for counseling are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Construct validity of WAIS—R factors: Neuropsychological test correlates in adults referred for evaluation of possible head injury": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by E. M. S. Sherman et al (Psychological Assessment, 1995[Dec], Vol 7[4], 440–444. On page 444, line 36 of the reference list incorrectly reads, "Reitan, R. M., & Davidson, L. A.' The correct spelling is Davison. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1996-10111-001.) A 3-factor solution of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R; Wechsler, 1981) in 260 adults with suspected head injury suggested relatively good construct validity for the factors, based on correlations with neuropsychological tests purported to measure similar abilities. The Verbal Comprehension factor was related to verbal ability, verbal memory, and executive functioning. The Perceptual Organization factor, although measuring primarily visual-spatial perception and visual construction ability, was related to visual-spatial memory, visual attention, and executive functioning. The Freedom From Distractibility factor was correlated with two attention measures and was not associated with memory measures. Its association with executive functioning was inconsistent. The findings are discussed in terms of the multidimensional nature of neuropsychological tests and WAIS—R factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On shutting one's eyes to face validity.

The present author reasserts the primacy of convergent and discriminant validity in construct validation. In response to the observations of J. G. Nicholls et al (see record 1983-04770-001) concerning the dangers of personality questionnaires, the present author defends a certain amount of item similarity across measures in terms of the broad process of construct validation. As an illustration, it is argued that the Affective Communication Test presents no danger to theory construction. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric characteristics and clinical correlates of NEO-PI-R fearless dominance and impulsive antisociality in the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported online in Psychological Assessment on September 26 2011 (see record 2011-21951-001). The Appendix should have read: Fearless Dominance: 7*, 11, 16*, 37, 46, 71, 72, 102*, 127*, 132, 144, 152, 162*, 166, 192, 227, 232 Impulsive Antisociality: 14, 30, 44*, 45, 50*, 60*, 65*, 66, 95, 99, 159, 169, 189, 201, 205, 229, 240* * Indicates a reverse-scored item (based on original item content). NEO-PI-R = NEO Personality Inventory–Revised (Costa & McCrae, 1992).] This study evaluates the validity of derived measures of the psychopathic personality traits of Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality from the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) using data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (baseline N = 733). These 3 issues were examined: (a) the stability of the measures over a 10-year interval, (b) their criterion-related validity, and (c) their incremental validity relative to an alternative NEO-PI-R profile-rating approach for assessing psychopathy. NEO-PI-R Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality scales were relatively stable across 10 years and demonstrated differential associations with measures of personality pathology and psychopathology generally consistent with past research and theoretical considerations. Moreover, these measures demonstrated an appreciable degree of incremental validity over the NEO-PI-R profile-rating approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)