Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Lanyon, Richard I.

doi: 10.1037/h0020197pmid: 4395277

This paper describes the rationale, development, and validation of the Psychological Screening Inventory (PSI), a 10-20-minute instrument designed to maximize the advantages of the inventory technique. It is intended as a brief screening device for use in mental health related settings where time and psychological skills may be at a premium. The five scales are: (a) Alienation, assessing similarity to psychiatric patients; (b) Social Nonconformity, assessing similarity to incarcerated prisoners; (c) Discomfort, assessing the major personality factor of anxiety or perceived maladjustment; (d) Expression, assessing the factor of extraversion or undercontrol; and (e) Defensiveness, assessing test-taking attitude. Norms were established on a national sample of 500 men and 500 women. Validity data include mean profiles of cross-validation groups, hit-and-miss discriminations, intercorrelations with other inventories, factor analyses of correlations with the MMPI for college students, mean MMPI profiles of extreme scorers on certain PSI scales, and relationships with intelligence.

Berkowitz, Leonard

doi: 10.1037/h0029607pmid: 5487603

Reviews the literature and reinterprets evidence presumably indicative of hostility catharsis. It is proposed that the sight of people being injured aggressively (to an appropriate degree) is a reinforcement for those Os who are angry or who have been frequently rewarded for aggression. As a reinforcement, this stimulus might be gratifying, but it is also capable of eliciting further aggression. It is concluded that the catharsis hypothesis blinds us to the important social principle that aggression is likely to lead to still more aggression. (32 ref.)

Holt, Robert R.

doi: 10.1037/h0029609pmid: 5487613

Argues that L. Berkowitz (see 44:20852) is right in asserting that the energic theory of catharsis is untenable on both logical and empirical grounds, but that he is wrong in clinging to the underlying tension-reduction theory of motivation on which catharsis was based. It is also suggested that he fails to distinguish constructive from destructive ways of expressing anger, and some researchable hypotheses about this distinction are presented. Clinical and experimental data are cited to show that not expressing anger can also have maladaptive consequences: "poisoning" of relationships, psychosomatic disorders, and impairment of cognitive functions. (26 ref.)

Schafer, Roy

doi: 10.1037/h0029613pmid: 5487601

Argues that L. Berkowitz' (see 44:12) critique of hypotheses concerning catharsis and psychic energy is neither clear, comprehensive, nor consistent. The current psychoanalytic theory of psychic energy is more complex in both content and the functions it serves than Berkowitz conveys; moreover, it is intertwined with other types of explanatory (metapsychological) assumptions and propositions (structural, dynamic, etc.). The experimental findings cited, which mainly confirm long-established clinical findings, do not necessarily invalidate energy theory. Berkowitz himself uses cryptoenergic formulations and psychodynamic speculations that neither derive from nor live up to his purported stimulus-response model. Nevertheless, the present form of psychoanalytic metapsychology derives from Freud's having taken a possible, but not necessary, option of postulating psychic energy to help explain psychological phenomena. Other psychoanalytic options remaining to be fully explored are mentioned.

Berzins, Juris I.; Ross, Wesley F.; Cohen, Daniel I.

doi: 10.1037/h0029649pmid: 5487602

Examines the skill vs. chance activity preference inventory, proposed by J. M. Schneider (see 42:9) as an alternate measure of internal-external locus of control, was examined within a hospitalized addict population. The skill-chance and J. B. Rotter's (see 40:3) Locus of Control scales were administered to 97 male Ss. The 2 variables were unrelated in this setting, although the skill-chance inventory showed an acceptable degree of internal consistency. The utility of the skill-chance inventory with noncollegiate samples was questioned.

McClain, Edwin W.

doi: 10.1037/h0029625pmid: 5487604

Attempted to validate the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) as a means of differentiating levels of self-actualization among normal adults. The personalities of 30 National Defense Education Act Guidance Institute counselors were studied in depth by staff members, who rated each S for self-actualization according to criteria found in the writings of A. H. Maslow. A composite self-actualization score for each S was derived from the evaluations of the 3 staff members who knew him most intimately. These composite scores were correlated with POI scores. The correlations, which ranged from .23-.69, were significant in 11 out of 14 measures. These findings are offered as evidence that the POI can measure self-actualization among normal adults.

Baugh, J. R.; Pascal, G. R.; Cottrell, T. B.

doi: 10.1037/h0029587pmid: N/A

Divided 22 female undergraduates into 2 groups, by means of a behavioral interview, on the basis of a relatively good or a relatively poor reported early relationship with their fathers. In a 2nd interview over closed-circuit television, 3 measures were taken of S's interview behavior. The E and S were in 2 separate rooms, and communication was maintained by television cameras and receivers. The 2 groups responded significantly different on 2 of the 3 measures. Data suggest that present behavior can be predicted by perceived early history variables and that the interview is both a reliable and valid technique for obtaining these data.

Parsons, Oscar A.; Schneider, John M.; Hansen, Arne S.

doi: 10.1037/h0029594pmid: 5487605

The internal-external attitudes of undergraduates in 2 Western societies which differ in degree of governmental control, Denmark and the United States, were compared, as were their ascribed internal-external attitudes for students in several other societies. Danish (N = 115) and United States (N = 373) students manifested the same general level of internality. However, they differed in pattern of scoring over the various items comprising the Internal-External scale. When asked to predict other students' responses, Danes ascribed greater internality to United States and West German students, while United States students ascribed greater externality to West German, Japanese, and other United States students. The measurement of locus of control expectancies appears to be of value in determining cultural differences and national stereotypes.

Tiffany, Donald W.; Cowan, James R.; Blinn, Elaine

doi: 10.1037/h0029621pmid: 5487606

Identified volunteer response bias in terms of demographic and personality characteristics of responders to a mailed questionnaire. A 2-stage design was used. Stage 1 consisted of obtaining completed mailed questionnaires from former psychiatric patients and comparing the demographic characteristics of those who responded to 600 Ss randomly selected from the parent population. Stage 2 held demographic characteristics constant and compared self-referent ratings of Ss responding to each of the 3 repeated mailings. Stage 1 revealed only a 30% response to the mailed questionnaire, which consisted of significantly more female, employed, and married Ss than male, unemployed, and divorced Ss. Stage 2 showed that while the 3 response levels did not differ significantly, Items * Levels interaction did, indicating that earlier responders showed a greater sense of "fate control" than later responders.

Thomas, Schill; Gary, Emanuel; Virginia, Pederson; Larry, Schneider; Dale, Wachowiak

doi: 10.1037/h0029620pmid: N/A

Related the personality variables of repression-sensitization and defensiveness to sexual responses given in free association to double-entendre words. 166 male undergraduates were tested in groups, 1 session conducted by a female, the other by a male E. No significant differences were found when E was female. For Ss tested by the male E, those low in defensiveness as compared to those high showed the highest level of sexual responsivity. There was a relationship between repression-sensitization and sexual responsivity only when defensiveness was taken into account. Nondefensive repressors and sensitizers showed significantly greater sexual responding than defensive repressors.