Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Patterson, G. R.

doi: 10.1037/h0036731pmid: 4847255

Summarizes results of treatment programs for boys exhibiting problems commonly subsumed under the label "conduct disorder." 27 children referred by community agencies received treatment in the home; 14 also received treatment in the classroom. Treatment consisted of training the agents in each setting to alter the deviant behaviors of the problem child. Direct observations were made in the children's homes and classrooms before, during, and after intervention. Daily reports were also obtained regarding the occurrence of symptom behavior noted by the parents. At termination, data showed significant reductions from baseline for both criteria in the family intervention. The observation data collected in the classroom also showed significant changes after intervention. Follow-up data showed that the effects persisted in both settings. (49 ref)

Pettit, Irene B.; Pettit, Tupper F.; Welkowitz, Joan

doi: 10.1037/h0036716pmid: 4847256

Investigated the relationship between values, social class, and duration of psychotherapy of 249 patients and 104 therapists at a moderate-cost outpatient clinic in New York City. Values were measured by the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, Ways to Live scale, Study of Values, and the Optimal Personality Integration Scale. Lower-class patients tended to be more authoritarian-submissive than upper-class patients. The significant linear relationship indicated that the lower the social class and the higher (more authoritarian-submissive) the patient's score relative to his therapist, the longer the duration of treatment. It is postulated that authoritarian-submissive patients might tend to remain in therapy precisely because of this quality. (18 ref)

Lorion, Raymond P.; Cowen, Emory L.; Caldwell, Robert A.

doi: 10.1037/h0036758pmid: 4847257

Describes a methodology by which primary-grade children experiencing school maladjustment problems are classified according to specific problem types. Evidence is presented that the methodology reliably differentiates among children with acting-out, shy-anxious, and learning difficulties. An intervention program using nonprofessional child aides was most effective in reducing the problems of shy-anxious children. The methodology is proposed as a paradigm for identifying problem types, an important step in individualizing helping interventions. Findings suggest that a generalized helping approach is likely to be differentially effective with different problem types. Implications for more traditional treatment approaches such as psychotherapy are considered. (19 ref)

Mariotto, Marco J.; Paul, Gordon L.

doi: 10.1037/h0036701pmid: N/A

Assessed the convergent and discriminant validity of the Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Scale (IMPS) for 80 chronically institutionalized patients (mean age 44 yrs) over 3 modes of assessment (interview ratings, ward ratings, and observed frequency of behavior), 2 settings (interview and ward), and 2 points in time. Sequential performance of raw-score intercorrelations, principal-components analyses, and multimethod factor analysis indicated that the IMPS possessed excellent concurrent validity. However, it failed to demonstrate the same utility as a measure of change. Caution should therefore be exercised in any usage of the IMPS where absolute level differences are required for evaluative assessment. (27 ref)

Depue, Richard A.; Fowles, Don C.

doi: 10.1037/h0036543pmid: 4847258

Conducted 2 studies to assess 225 female schizophrenics' conceptual organization under conditions of low and high arousal and low and high response interference. Ss were classified as either active or withdrawn on Venables's Activity-Withdrawal scale. Arousal was manipulated by having Ss maintain grip pressure on a dynamometer. Besides revealing less ability of schizophrenics to benefit from increases in conceptual organization of input, results reveal important differences between active and withdrawn schizophrenics. In addition to conceptual organization deficiencies, withdrawns exhibited response interference problems under standard conditions and showed trends indicating further deterioration of both conceptual organization and response interference with increased arousal. In contrast, actives showed neither severe response interference nor increased deterioration with increased arousal. One aspect of actives' performance improved with heightened arousal, suggesting that these Ss function normally at a suboptimal level of arousal. (28 ref)

Coursey, Robert D.

doi: 10.1037/h0036605pmid: N/A

Conducted 3 studies to explore some of the dimensions of the present crisis facing the Catholic church. A scale was developed to assess the liberal-conservative nature of this conflict. Study 1, using Ss in both liberal and conservative parishes (N = 678), found that although a generalized liberal-conservative dimension exists, 6 factors emerged from factor analysis: Concerns with Authority, the Open-Closed Nature of the Catholic Community, Marriage Issues (e.g., birth control), Church Regulations, and Styles of Worship, and the Church's Involvement in Sociopolitical Issues. The liberal-conservative religious conflict appeared to function like other social attitudes in that conservatism was related to greater age and less education. Study 2 investigated the cognitive dimensions of the conflict among 486 9th and 12th graders. Liberal religious attitudes were associated with degree and amount of liberal religious education and with achievement, motivation, and intelligence within a liberal context. A strong cognitive component to the liberal-conservative conflict was thus established for younger populations. Study 3 compared 98 pairs of liberal and conservative subjects matched on sex, age, education, and income and still found profound differences on the liberal-conservative scale.

Stricker, Lawrence J.

doi: 10.1037/h0036680pmid: 4847259

Examined the factor structure of the Personality Research Form (PRF) and its relations with response styles. Ss were 71 11th and 12th graders who also completed a battery of response bias measures. In general, the PRF content scales correlated moderately with each other and with measures of acquiescence, social desirability, and defensiveness response biases. 6 oblique factors, identified as Conscientiousness, Hostility, Ascendance, Dependence, Imagination, and Carefreeness, were found in a principal-axis analysis of the content scales. The stylistic measures' estimated loadings on these factors were scattered and moderate. Several factors were similar to the categorization of scales in the PRF manual as well as the factors previously obtained by A. L. Edwards et al . (27 ref)

Wishner, Julius; Wahl, Otto

doi: 10.1037/h0036707pmid: 4847260

Studied the nature of dysfunction in the selective attention of schizophrenics. 12 schizophrenics and 12 alcoholic controls were tested in dichotic listening in a 2 * 4 (Groups * Conditions) repeated-measures design. Schizophrenics made significantly more omission-type errors than alcoholic controls with a fast rate of presentation but not with a slow rate. In the latter case, when they were asked to listen to the distractor words during shadowing, schizophrenics were more susceptible than controls to interpenetration-type errors. Considered together with findings in tests of memory, results implicate speed and filtering efficiency as the most important determinants of schizophrenic performance. The filtering inefficiency appears to be centered at some stage or stages beyond the sensory input. (22 ref)

Beutler, Larry E.; Jobe, Avis M.; Elkins, David

doi: 10.1037/h0036720pmid: 4847261

Attempted to predict the outcomes of group psychotherapy using attitude theory. 34 group therapy patients and their therapists were tested on a questionnaire designed to measure 7 attitudes varying in centrality. At the conclusion of 3 mo of therapy, it was found that among attitudes of medium centrality initial attitude difference between patient and therapist was more strongly related to attitude change than were either attitude similarity or acceptability. However, initial patient-therapist similarity and acceptability of attitudes were related more to patient-rated improvement than was attitude dissimilarity. Results are discussed as they relate to psychotherapy as an interpersonal influence process, predictable by persuasion theory. (16 ref)

Vojtisek, John E.; Magaro, Peter A.

doi: 10.1037/h0036705pmid: N/A

Explored the difficulties of using the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) with hospitalized psychiatric patients. A factor analysis of the EFT indicated the presence of a reversible perspective factor in addition to a pure embedded figures factor. No differences were found in the performance of 383 male 20-60 yr old psychiatric patients divided in terms of chronicity, premorbidity, and diagnosis on the reversible perspective factor. However, acute good premorbid nonschizophrenics were more field independent and chronic poor premorbid schizophrenics were more field dependent on the pure embedded figure factor. The factors previously considered to account for poor patient performance were redefined in terms of test length and the compounding effects of early failure. A short form of the EFT was devised to minimize such effects.