Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Depue, Richard A.; Dubicki, Margaret D.

doi: 10.1037/h0020031pmid: 4427005

Hospitalization and premorbid data were collected on withdrawn and active schizophrenics in an attempt to explore basic differences between these types of patients. Results showed that withdrawns are first hospitalized at an earlier age, stay in the hospital longer each time they are admitted, spend more of their lives in psychiatric facilities, and have a higher incidence of delusions and hallucinations than actives. These data seem to reflect basic differences beyond the schizophrenic episode since withdrawns were also found to have a poorer overall premorbid adjustment, are less likely to be married, have fewer estimated friends between the ages of 6 and 18, and have fewer estimated high school activities than actives. Finally, implications for future research and high-risk studies are discussed.

Heilbrun, Alfred B.

doi: 10.1037/h0037089pmid: 4427006

Research into the factors predisposing clients to terminate prematurely from counseling often requires the ability to measure and predict defection or continuation, the readiness variable. This study attempted to improve upon the Counseling Readiness Scales by the empirical development of correction keys using the remaining items from the Adjective Check List. Ss were 186 female and 243 male undergraduate counseling clients. This effort was successful as far as improved discrimination between both male and female true negatives (clients predicted to drop who actually drop) and false negatives (clients predicted to drop who actually stay). However, similar efforts to improve the discrimination between true positives (clients predicted to stay who actually stay) and false positives (clients predicted to stay who actually drop) were unsuccessful.

Buchwald, Charles; Blatt, Sidney J.

doi: 10.1037/h0036939pmid: 4427007

Conducted 2 studies to investigate the effects of personality, as dichotomized along a thought-action dimension, on time perception. Study 1 divided 27 10-48 yr old psychiatric patients into groups depending on whether their weighted color responses on the Rorschach exceeded or were exceeded by the sum of the movement responses. Ss with an introversive Experience Balance (EB) overestimated time, whereas Ss with an extratensive EB underestimated time. Study 2 used 24 normal undergraduates divided into high introversive and high extraversive based on the Maudsley Personality Inventory. 2 time judgments were obtained from each S, and the effect of situational factors (stress) as well as personality was noted. Results are similar to those of Study 1. The time estimation of the action-oriented Ss was significantly more influenced by situational factors than were the time judgments of the ideational Ss. The relationship between thought-action and time estimation was significant in both normal and clinical samples. (40 ref)

Faschingbauer, Thomas R.

doi: 10.1037/h0037049pmid: 4154335

Describes the 166-item Faschingbauer Abbreviated Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (FAM) which was developed using cluster analysis and compared to the MMPI and other short forms. Median reliabilities of .88 for 146 Ss (1 day apart) and .77 for 50 Ss (1 wk apart) as well as median validities of .91 for 399 Ss (in context) and .76 for 119 Ss (1 day apart) were found. All Ss were either normal undergraduates or psychiatric inpatients. On code-type correspondence, configural classifications, profile validities, and scale elevations, the FAM compared favorably to a retest MMPI. Differences in context, obvious, and true items were minimal. The FAM retains the usual 13 scales and 47% of the critical items and showed itself superior to the other short forms in most respects. (37 ref)

Wallace, Charles J.; Davis, John R.

doi: 10.1037/h0037075pmid: 4427008

Conducted 2 experiments to determine if the conversational behavior of 3 male and 1 female chronic psychiatric patients could be increased through either reinforcement or the provision of information about potential topics of conversation. Each experiment utilized 1 dyad in a withdrawal design or a combined changing criterion and withdrawal design. For 3 of the 4 Ss a positive reinforcement contingency was used, while for the 4th an avoidance contingency was used. Conversation was defined as talk between the members about a specified topic of general interest with eye contact at least once every 15 sec. Only reinforcement increased conversational behavior. Information about the specified topics was ineffective in spite of the fact that the information was comprehended and was relevant to the topics. Additional results demonstrate the ineffectiveness of instructions and the potential usefulness of the infrequently used changing criterion design. The avoidance of extended conversation effectively reinforced a specified duration of initial conversation. (18 ref)

Allen, Jon G.; Hamsher, J. Herbert

doi: 10.1037/h0037046pmid: N/A

Developed the Test of Emotional Styles based on 3 dimensions of emotionality: responsiveness (intensity of affect), expressiveness (interpersonal communication of affect), and orientation (attitudes toward emotion). 3 measures of these dimensions (incomplete sentences, true-false, and forced choice) were analyzed in a multitrait-multimethod matrix. Construct validity was established by correlations with peer ratings of emotionality, experimentally induced affect, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale, the Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank, and the Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory. There was substantial support for convergent and discriminant validity, and the measures were unconfounded with adjustment or social desirability. Females scored significantly higher than males on all dimensions in a sample of 120 undergraduates. (23 ref)

Chipman, Abram; Paykel, Eugene S.

doi: 10.1037/h0037059pmid: 4427009

Studied the relationship between an unstructured global rating of severity of illness and structured ratings of individual symptoms (e.g., Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) in 278 25-60 yr old depressed women. Correlational analyses revealed that patients rated as more severely ill were those showing psychomotor retardation, depressive delusions, agitation, guilt, initial insomnia, hopelessness, suicidal tendencies, verbal complaint of depressed feelings and observed appearance of depression, and less short-term reactivity of mood. Findings suggest that patients showing greater severity on the core symptoms of depression and more characteristics of psychotic or endogenous depression are perceived as more ill. A multiple regression equation derived from 30 symptoms accounted for 56% of variance in the global scale.

Davis, William E.; Jones, Mark H.

doi: 10.1037/h0037062pmid: 4154336

Reports that in a group of 2,750 1st and 2nd admissions to the psychiatric unit of a Veteran's Administration hospital differences in proportion of Negroes vs Caucasians receiving schizophrenic, alcoholic, and depressive psychiatric diagnoses were found. Race, education (12 yrs or more vs 11 yrs or less), and diagnosis (schizophrenic vs nonschizophrenic) were varied. Contrary to past research, data from 160 Negro and Caucasian, schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic, and high- and low-educated patients under age 50 reveal no significant race-related main effects on the 9 MMPI clinical scales. Schizophrenics scored higher on the Paranoia (Pa) and Schizophrenia (Sc) scales, and poorly educated patients scored higher on Sc. Higher Pa and Sc scale scores were obtained from poorly educated Negroes but not from higher educated Negroes or Caucasians at both educational levels. Results are discussed in terms of education having an inculturating effect on minority groups and a selective process whereby poorly motivated minority group members drop out of school.

Pope, Benjamin; Nudler, Sylvia; Vonkorff, Michael R.; McGhee, James P.

doi: 10.1037/h0037090pmid: 4427010

Compared interviewer behavior and efficacy of complete novices and experienced professionals. In each of 2 studies interviewees were 16 female undergraduates. 16 interviewers were professionals, and 16 were novices. Interviewees rated the novices more benignly than the professionals but the professionals were rated as more skilled. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups on genuineness and warmth, with 1 questionable difference in favor of the professionals on empathy, as measured by the Truax and Carkhuff scales, Non-Possessive Warmth, Genuineness or Self-Congruence, and Accurate Empathy. Novice interviewers were more anxious (higher non-ah ratios). None of the payoff variables (e.g., productivity) in interviewee response distinguished between the professionals and novices. The "novice" but not the "professional" interviews conformed to a synchrony model on productivity. (42 ref)

Mezzich, Juan E.; Demarin, Fred L.; Erickson, James R.

doi: 10.1037/h0037067pmid: 4154337

Used as source of data the MMPI protocols of 223 18-60 yr old psychiatric inpatients randomly divided into 2 groups for a double cross-validation design, clinical diagnosis of depressive vs nondepressive states as criterion, and multiple regression as the main analytic technique. The individual validity of MMPI scales constructed through empirical (external criterion), purely intuitive, and intuitive plus internal consistency techniques was lower than the validity of regression models. The validity and cross-validity of regression equations obtained from several different sets of scales including "linear models" composed of single scales and "configural models" that included their binary cross-products was very similar across models and across construction techniques of the component scales. A simplified regression formula is provided for diagnostic purposes. (18 ref)