Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Bem, Sandra L.

doi: 10.1037/h0036215pmid: N/A

Describes the development of a new sex-role inventory that treats masculinity and femininity as 2 independent dimensions, thereby making it possible to characterize a person as masculine, feminine, or "androgynous" as a function of the difference between his or her endorsement of masculine and feminine personality characteristics. Normative data, provided by 561 male and 356 female college and junior college students, are presented, as well as the results of various psychometric analyses. Findings indicate that: (a) The dimensions of masculinity and femininity are empirically and logically independent. (b) The concept of psychological androgyny is a reliable one. (c) Highly sex-typed scores do not reflect a general tendency to respond in a socially desirable direction, but rather a specific tendency to describe oneself in accordance with sex-typed standards of desirable behavior for men and women.

Fo, Walter S.; O'Donnell, Clifford R.

doi: 10.1037/h0036260pmid: 4823551

Tested the application of the triadic model of therapeutic intervention within a community-based program that trained indigenous nonprofessionals as behavior change agents. Each of 42 youngsters, aged 11-17, referred for behavior and academic problems, received the friendship and companionship of an adult resident in the community. These adult "buddies" attempted to influence their youngsters through their relationship and through the contingent use of social and material reinforcement. School attendance increased when placed on social or social-material contingency, but no change occurred in noncontingent relationship and control conditions. Social-material contingency was also effective in decreasing assorted problem behaviors, e.g., fighting, returning home late, and not doing home chores. However, there were no effects across conditions when academic achievement (i.e., improved grades) was the target behavior. (15 ref)

Langner, Thomas S.; Gersten, Joanne C.; Greene, Edward L.; Eisenberg, Jeanne G.; Herson, Joseph H.; McCarthy, Elizabeth D.

doi: 10.1037/h0036249pmid: 4823552

Reports on the prevalence of, treatment for, and factors associated with treatment for serious psychological impairment in urban children aged 6-18. 2 Manhattan samples were studied, the 1st a random cross-section of 1,034 families and the 2nd of 1,000 families receiving welfare (Aid to Dependent Children). A significantly greater number of welfare children were seriously impaired, but the referral rate and long-term treatment rate of children in the 2 samples were similar. Less than 50% of the seriously impaired children were referred, and only 1 in 5 received treatment of 6 mo or longer. Referral rates increased dramatically as mother's education increased, whether she did or did not receive welfare. Families who referred their children were colder, less punitive, and of higher social status. Implications of the findings and possible solutions of the imbalance between treatment and need are discussed.

Roff, James D.

doi: 10.1037/h0036235pmid: 4823553

Reports findings in a follow-up study 17-30 yrs later of 33 adolescent schizophrenics. 61% had a chronic course while 39% had a more adequate adult adjustment, although frequently with neuroticlike deficits. The 2 outcome groups were compared on information available at the time of adolescent treatment contact. The poor outcome cases were more likely to have relatives with chronic schizophrenia, a disturbed parent, below-average IQ, hebephrenic subtype diagnosis, and distinctive developmental changes.

Scott, William A.

doi: 10.1037/h0036181pmid: 4823554

Adminstered 4 self-report measures of personal maladjustment and 3 self-report measures of academic maladjustment to university students in Boulder, Colorado (n = 88), Wellington, New Zealand (n = 122-161), and Kyoto, Japan (n = 80). The 1st set were significantly correlated with ratings on neuroticism obtained from the Ss' friends, while the 2nd set were significantly correlated with the Ss' grades in school. The same Ss also filled out questionnaires for appraising their patterns of cognition pertaining to self, acquaintances, family of orientation, and nations. Personal maladjustment was associated with a tendency to describe the 1st 3 classes of objects (but not nations) in terms that were (a) affectively neutral, (b) ambivalent, and (c) inconsistent in affect and evaluation. Academic adjustment (measured by grades) was associated with complex views of objects in all 4 cognitive domains, but this relationship was not independent of general intellectual aptitude. (23 ref)

Deiker, Thomas E.

doi: 10.1037/h0036239pmid: 4150896

Cross-validated the 13 basic MMPI scales, 21 experimental scales of hostility and control, and 4 response-bias scales on 168 male criminals assigned to 4 aggressive criterion groups (nonviolent, threat, battery, and homicide). All but 1 of the 17 hostility scales showing group differences confirmed E. I. Megargee's prediction of lower scores on hostility measures and higher on control for aggressive individuals. However, a more parsimonious interpretation in terms of a naysaying response style in the aggressive groups accounted for all group differences. Balancing of item scoring on experimental MMPI scales is suggested until such time as the issue of acquiescence response style on true/false tests is resolved. (35 ref)

Alkire, Armand A.; Brunse, Anthony J.

doi: 10.1037/h0036257pmid: 4823555

Describes a controlled study involving group selection of content material to be role played, videotape feedback of the role-playing situation, and effects on the self-image of disturbed marital couples. Ss were 2 groups of 3 married couples with 2 separate therapists. Follow-up concerning marital disruption and suicide, when added to results obtained in the laboratory setting, gave evidence that such a procedure may produce a high "casualty" rate in disturbed married couples, as contrasted to noninterdependent dyads of disturbed patients used as control Ss. The widespread use of such powerful techniques without evaluation of their potential effects is discussed.

Wallbrown, Fred H.; Blaha, John; Wherry, Robert J.; Counts, Dorotha H.

doi: 10.1037/h0036244pmid: 4823556

A Wherry-Wherry hierarchical factor solution was obtained on WISC subtest intercorrelations for normal and reading-disabled Ss to test 3 cognitive structure hypotheses derived from the formulations of H. Myklebust, M. Bannochie, and J. Killen. Comparison of the ability structure for these groups provided strong support for 2 of the 3 hypotheses. First, the ability structure of reading-disabled Ss was distinguishable from that of normals by less effective ability integration. Second, the ability structure of reading-disabled Ss was distinguishable from that of normals by a different overall ability arrangement. For normals the factor structure consisted of a strong general factor and 2 subgeneral factors corresponding to the verbal-educational ability and spacial-perceptual ability of P. Vernon's (see PA, Vol 49:879) hierarchical paradigm. For reading-disabled Ss the factor structure consisted of a weak general factor, 2 subgeneral factors, and 4 primary factors. However, communality estimates for reading-disabled and normal Ss were comparable, thus failing to support the ability organization hypothesis. (18 ref)

Lanyon, Richard I.; Johnson, James H.; Overall, John E.

doi: 10.1037/h0036224pmid: 4823557

Reports 2 parallel item-level factor analyses of the Psychological Screening Inventory (PSI), using 2 sets of 400 Ss each from the original normative sample. PSI scale scores were also included for use as marker variables. Each analysis defined 5 comparable factors. Factor 1 loaded most highly on the Alienation scale and was interpreted as representing serious psychopathology. Factor 2 strongly represented the Expression dimension of extraversion-introversion. Factors 3 and 4, only weakly represented in the item pool, were labeled "Acting Out" and "Protestant Ethic." Factor 5 was strongly identified as the Discomfort dimension of general maladjustment. Results indicate some similarity between the nature of the standard PSI scales and the item factor structure.

Mardsen, Gerald; Kalter, Neil; Ericson, William A.

doi: 10.1037/h0036256pmid: 4823558

Contends that most content analysts of psychotherapy materials have failed to consider the possibility that the frequency of units coded to the categories of the content analysis system might be correlated with the total number of units produced. The existence of such relationships may confound interpretation of the association between content analysis variables and other external variables. When investigators have attempted to control for response productivity, they have usually divided the frequency of units in each category by the total number of units. This procedure does not control for response productivity and is often uninterpretable. The issues involved are discussed and demonstrated, and appropriate techniques of controlling for productivity are described. (43 ref)