"Predictive validity of the Addiction Severity Index's composite scores in the assessment of 2-year outcomes in a methadone maintenance population": Erratum.

Reports several errors in the original article by G. B. Bovasso et al (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2001, Vol 15[3], 171-176). On p. 172, cocaine prevalence should have been reported as 67%, and the prevalence rate should have been reported as not exceeding 9% for lifetime bipolar disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, simple phobia, and social phobia. On p. 173, the treatment dropout rate should have been reported as 48%. In the first sentence of the Alcohol Problems section of the Results, the N for the logistic regression analysis of negative drug outcomes should be 283. On p. 174, the number of Ss reporting alcohol intoxication was reported as both 61 and 104; 104 is correct. In Table 3, the entries for the Drug Composite Scores (CS) were incorrect; the corrected table is provided. On p. 175, in the first sentence of the Legal Problems section, the p value of the chi square for the association of the Legal CS and criminal charges rounded to .01, not .001. Also, the last two lines of the Threshold Manipulation section are incorrect; the correct sentences are provided. (The abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2001-18100-001.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of the predictive validity of four sets of baseline ASI summary indices.

This study compared the long-term predictive validity of original and new baseline Addiction Severity Index summary scores in methadone patients. The indices included the original Interviewer Severity Ratings (ISRs) and the new Clinical Indices (CIs), which use both lifetime and recent problem information, and the original Composite Scores (CSs) and Evaluation Indices (EIs), based on recent problems only. Outcomes were medical hospitalization, employment, alcohol intoxication, drug hospitalization, and psychiatric hospitalization in Months 7–24 poststudy entry and criminal charges in Months 0–24. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used in which 1 index was entered first and the other in the 2nd step. The reverse order of entry was used in a 2nd analysis, A final analysis set compared the best predictor from each of the 2 prior analysis sets. The CIs were superior to the other indices in predicting 3 of 6 outcomes (psychiatric hospitalization, drug hospitalization, and criminal charges); the EI was the best predictor of alcohol intoxication, and the CS the best predictor of unemployment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Addiction Severity Index as a predictor of the use of mental health care.

The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) has been extensively used in the United States and Europe as an indicator of the problems of substance abuse patients. Several studies have shown the ASI to be a reliable and valid instrument, but lately doubt has arisen regarding its validity and reliability. The article focuses on a specific scale of the ASI-the Psychiatric Status scale-and its strength in predicting the use of mental health care. A group of 1,027 heroin patients in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who participated in a methadone program were the subjects. Three indices have been used: the evaluation index, the clinical index, and the composite scores. It appears that no matter which indices are used, the Psychiatric scale does discriminate between those who will have contact with mental health care and those who will not. However, the percentage of false positives is high. None of the indices predicts the intensity and duration of the mental health care treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor Validation of the Addiction Severity Index Scale Structure in Persons With Concurrent Disorders.

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the scale structure of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in a sample of 1,802 substance abusers (43% alcohol dependent) with a concurrent psychiatric disorder (46% with mood disorders). The fit of the original composite score model based on the work of P. L. McGahan, J. A. Griffith, R. Parente, & A. T. McLellan (1990) was compared with the evaluation indices (EIs) developed by A. I. Alterman et al. (1998). The 5-dimensional model based on the EIs was an overall better fit to the data. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the EIs ranged from .66 (family domain) to .75 (legal domain). The 5 EIs were moderately correlated (rs = .42-.72) with the interviewer severity ratings from the ASI. Evaluation studies involving concurrent disordered substance abusers should use the EIs as summary measures of change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health correlates of pathological gambling in a methadone maintenance clinic.

This study compared methadone maintenance patients with and without pathological gambling (n = 167). Participants completed a self-report survey assessing lifetime pathological gambling and past-2-month gambling behavior, and they completed the SF-12v2 Health Survey (J. E. Ware, M. Kosinski, & S. D. Keller, 1996), a measure of current mental and physical health. In the sample, 52.7% were classified as lifetime pathological gamblers, and the majority of pathological gamblers were actively gambling within the past 2 months. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that methadone maintenance patients with pathological gambling had significantly poorer mental and physical health than methadone maintenance patients without pathological gambling. These results suggest that pathological gamblers receiving methadone maintenance may benefit from additional psychosocial services. In fact, most pathological gamblers in the sample expressed interest in gambling-related services. These results extend previous research in other populations that has found that pathological gamblers report poorer mental and physical health than nonpathological gamblers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of a multidisciplinary model of reemployment success.

The authors propose a multidisciplinary model of the predictors of reemployment and test its predictive validity for explaining reemployment success. Predictor variables from the fields of economics, sociology, and psychology are incorporated into the model. Reemployment success is conceptualized as a construct consisting of unemployment insurance exhaustion and reemployment speed, and for reemployed persons, job improvement, job-organization fit, and intention to leave the new job. Direct, mediated, and moderated relationships were hypothesized and tested, clarifying the role of the variables in the reemployment process and outcome. The authors' proposal and examination of a multidisciplinary model of reemployment success contributes to a literature that has not tended to adequately cross disciplinary boundaries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incremental validity of the Psychopathy Checklist facet scores: Predicting release outcome in six samples.

The incremental validity of the 4 facet scores (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, Antisocial) of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991, 2003) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995) was evaluated in 6 forensic/correctional samples with average follow-ups ranging from 20 weeks to 10 years. Results indicated that whereas Facet 4 (Antisocial) achieved incremental validity relative to the first 3 facets (Interpersonal, Affective, and Lifestyle) in predicting recidivism in all 6 samples, a block of the first 3 facets achieved incremental validity relative to the 4th facet in only 1 sample. Thus, although there was consistent support for the incremental validity of Facet 4 above and beyond the first 3 facets, there was minimal support for the incremental validity of Facets 1, 2, and 3 above and beyond Facet 4. The implications of these findings for the psychopathy construct in general and the PCL-R/SV in particular are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale.

To investigate the reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), 28 youth aged 6 to 17 years with Tourette's syndrome (TS) participated in the study. Data included clinician reports of tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity, parent reports of tics, internalizing and externalizing problems, and child reports of depression and anxiety. All children participated in a 2nd YGTSS administration by the same rater 48 days later. Good internal consistency and stability were found for the YGTSS scores. YGTSS scores demonstrated strong correlations with parent-rated tic severity (r = .58-.68). YGTSS scores were not significantly related to measures of clinician ratings of OCD severity (r = .01-.15), parent ratings of externalizing and internalizing behavior (r = -.07-.20), and child ratings of depression (r = .02-.26) and anxiety (r = -.06 -.28). Findings suggest that the YGTSS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of pediatric TS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of Personal Growth Initiative Scale scores with a Mexican American college student population.

This study tested the validity of scores on the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS; C. Robitschek, 1998, 1999) with a Mexican American college student sample. Results indicated that the PGIS scores appear to be culturally relevant for this population, with scores on the PGIS having many similar relations with other variables that have been found in prior research with mostly European American college students. PGIS scores appear to be minimally related to measures of cultural constructs for both Mexican American men and women. Results are discussed in terms of their relations to constructs prevalent in Mexican American cultures. Limitations, implications for counseling, and suggestions for future research are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive and incremental validity of the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide scores with male and female jail inmates.

The present study examines the predictive and incremental validity of Violence Risk Appraisal Guide scores in a sample of 328 male and 145 female jail inmates held on felony charges. Significant gender differences were observed in VRAG item and total score means, as well as in correlations between the VRAG and concurrent measures of aggression. VRAG scores significantly predicted institutional misconduct during incarceration and recidivism in the first year postrelease for male inmates but not for female inmates. In terms of incremental validity, VRAG scores predicted institutional misconduct and recidivism beyond that accounted for by psychopathy for male inmates but not for female inmates. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strong claims and weak evidence: Reassessing the predictive validity of the IAT.

The authors reanalyzed data from 2 influential studies—A. R. McConnell and J. M. Leibold (see record 2001-11532-008) and J. C. Ziegert and P. J. Hanges (see record 2005-05102-011)—that explore links between implicit bias and discriminatory behavior and that have been invoked to support strong claims about the predictive validity of the Implicit Association Test. In both of these studies, the inclusion of race Implicit Association Test scores in regression models reduced prediction errors by only tiny amounts, and Implicit Association Test scores did not permit prediction of individual-level behaviors. Furthermore, the results were not robust when the impact of rater reliability, statistical specifications, and/or outliers were taken into account, and reanalysis of A. R. McConnell & J. M. Leibold (2001) revealed a pattern of behavior consistent with a pro-Black behavioral bias, rather than the anti-Black bias suggested in the original study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of the Chinese version of the Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire: Psychometric properties and its short version.

The success of screening for individuals at suicidal risk among the general population relies heavily on the availability of a reliable and validated instrument. However, there remains a lack of a well-validated screening tool for suicidal risk in Chinese, despite the fact that about a quarter of the world's suicides takes place in China. In view of the severity of the suicide problem among the Chinese population, there is a crucial need to develop robust screening tools locally. This study investigates the psychometric properties related to the Chinese version of the Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ) with a 2-wave, population-based panel study in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China. Two-thousand sixteen Chinese people were interviewed for their suicidality, psychological well-being, and ASIQ scores. The Chinese ASIQ was shown to have strong internal reliability, convergent validity, and factorial validity. This study also demonstrated its predictive validity by examining sensitivity and specificity in identifying subsequent suicidality. A 4-item short version of ASIQ was also developed. (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)     

Conversion and Validation of the Teen-Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) for Internet and Automated-Telephone Self-Report Administration.

This study converted the Teen-Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) into self-report formats using Internet (Net) and interactive voice response (IVR) automated-telephone technologies. Reliability and convergent validity were assessed among 95 inpatient adolescent participants. Current functioning scores obtained by clinician interview correlated well with self-report Net (mean r = .74, SD = .14) and IVR (mean r = .72, SD = .16). Lifetime history items obtained by clinicians were consistent with self-report Net (mean r = .60, SD = .32; mean κ = .67, SD = .24) and IVR formats (mean r = .60, SD = .30; mean κ = .64, SD = .26). Participants rated "ease of use" as being high for both Net and IVR formats. These findings suggest that automated T-ASI administration is a valid and potentially less expensive alternative to clinician-administered T-ASI interviews. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The assessment and validity of stress-related growth in a community-based sample.

In an investigation of the assessment and construct validity of stress-related growth, community-dwelling women (N = 163) wrote essays about the impact of a stressful life event that had occurred in the previous few years and completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Independent ratings of growth in the essays were positively correlated with PTGI scores, suggesting that endorsement of growth on questionnaires can be substantiated by personal accounts. There was no relation between reports of growth on the PTGI and socially desirable responding or negative mood. Higher PTGI scores were associated with greater positive mood and greater depth of processing in the essays. These findings support the validity of stress-related growth as a construct and its assessment via questionnaire. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a process-focused model of test score validity: Improving psychological assessment in science and practice.

Although definitions of validity have evolved considerably since L. J. Cronbach and P. E. Meehl's classic (1955) review, contemporary validity research continues to emphasize correlational analyses assessing predictor–criterion relationships, with most outcome criteria being self-reports. The present article describes an alternative way of operationalizing validity—the process-focused (PF) model. The PF model conceptualizes validity as the degree to which respondents can be shown to engage in a predictable set of psychological processes during testing, with those processes dictated a priori by the nature of the instrument(s) used and the context in which testing takes place. In contrast to the traditional approach wherein correlational methods are used to quantify the relationship between test score and criterion, the PF model uses experimental methods to manipulate variables that moderate test score–criterion relationships, enabling researchers to draw more definitive conclusions regarding the impact of underlying psychological processes on test scores. By complementing outcome-based validity assessment with a process-driven approach, researchers will not only improve psychology's assessment procedures but also enhance their understanding of test bias and test score misuse by illuminating the intra- and interpersonal factors that lead to differential performance (and differential prediction) in different groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative validity of two projective and two structured attitude tests in a prison population.

Which is better for assessing personality—structured or projective devices? "Attitude toward Home & Parents and Attitude toward Law & Justice of 79 prison inmates were each measured by a sentence completion test and a structured attitude test. As examined through a multitrait-multimethod matrix, these tests were found to validate each other quite satisfactorily. Insofar as the two measurement approaches differed at all in the efficacy with which they differentiated crime groups among the prisoners, the structured tests were slightly the better." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The predictive validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth in secondary educational settings.

Current developments in violence risk assessment warrant consideration for use within educational settings. Using a structured professional judgment (SPJ) model, the present study investigated the predictive validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence in Youth (SAVRY) within educational settings. The predictive accuracy of the SAVRY scales was assessed using a retrospective file review to gather data on 87 adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were used to gauge the predictive accuracy. With an area under the curve of .72 (p = .001), the accuracy of the SAVRY total score in correctly identifying violent youth exceeds the accuracy of identifications based on chance predictions in this sample. Logistic regression analyses assessed the relative contribution of the SAVRY subscales, whereas the omnibus equation using all subscale scores correctly classified 82% of those adolescents who were nonviolent and 45% of those adolescents who were violent. These results build on previous research and provide support for the use of the SAVRY in educational settings for identification as well as directing intervention efforts. Practical implications and areas for future research are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validation of a mental health assessment in an African conflict population.

We studied the validity of the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression within the context of an epidemiological mental health survey among war-affected adolescents and young adults in northern Uganda. Local language versions of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Depression section of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (DHSCL) were administered by trained local interviewers. Correlations with probable predictor variables (i.e., trauma exposure), outcomes (e.g., impaired functioning), and local idioms of distress (i.e., spirit possession) were determined to estimate criterion-related construct validity. To assess convergent validity, expert clinicians reinterviewed a subsample using structured interviews (the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale [CAPS] and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview [MINI]). Depression and PTSD symptoms as assessed by the local interviewers correlated with the context variables as predicted. After optimizing the scoring algorithm, we found good agreement between the PDS-based diagnoses and expert diagnoses. However, the concordance for depression diagnoses was not satisfactory. Results show that mental health assessments in African languages can produce reliable and valid data but that caution is warranted in the unevaluated transfer of cutoff scores and scoring algorithms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The reliability and validity of a multicultural assessment instrument developed for a graduate program in psychology.

The Diversity Mission Evaluation Questionnaire (DMEQ) was developed to assess attitudes, beliefs, and experiences pertaining to multicultural matters at a graduate program in psychology. Using scores of 247 students, 57 faculty, and 19 staff, the authors revealed three latent traits through exploratory factor analysis: Overall Success, Open Discussion of Diversity Issues, and belief that multicultural activities were Freely Undertaken. The high internal consistency of all of these scales, (as > .81), coupled with expected between-groups differences and significant correlations with experiences of prejudice, suggests that the instrument assessed diversity issues in a precise and valid manner. It was concluded that the DMEQ could be used by institutions desiring to assess their multicultural climates. Evaluative data from a graduate school that has adopted and implemented a diversity mission are presented, and issues related to multicultural change are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)