Psychological Assessment

Xu, Feng; Hilpert, Peter; Randall, Ashley K.; Li, Qiuping; Bodenmann, Guy

doi: 10.1037/pas0000329pmid: 27183045

The Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI, Bodenmann, 2008) assesses how couples support each other when facing individual (e.g., workload) and common (e.g., parenting) stressors. Specifically, the DCI measures partners’ perceptions of their own (Self) and their partners’ behaviors (Partner) when facing individual stressors, and partners’ common coping behaviors when facing common stressors (Common). To date, the DCI has been validated in 6 different languages from individualistic Western cultures; however, because culture can affect interpersonal interactions, it is unknown whether the DCI is a reliable measure of coping behaviors for couples living in collectivistic Eastern cultures. Based on data from 474 Chinese couples (N = 948 individuals), the current study examined the Chinese version of the DCI’s factorial structure, measurement invariance (MI), and construct validity of test scores. Using 3 cultural groups (China, Switzerland, and the United States [U.S.]), confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 5-factor structure regarding Self and Partner and a 2-factor structure regarding Common dyadic coping (DC). Results from analyses of MI indicated that the DCI subscales met the criteria for configural, metric, and full/partial scalar invariance across cultures (Chinese-Swiss and Chinese-U.S.) and genders (Chinese men and women). Results further revealed good construct validity of the DCI test scores. In all, the Chinese version of the DCI can be used for measuring Chinese couples’ coping behaviors, and is available for cross-cultural studies examining DC behaviors between Western and Eastern cultures.

Reidy, Thomas J.; Sorensen, Jon R.; Davidson, Megan

doi: 10.1037/pas0000224pmid: 26460899

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) has been widely employed in correctional settings as a screening tool to assess inmates’ risk for committing various types of institutional misconduct. Evaluations have generally found the PAI scales Antisocial Features (ANT), Aggression (AGG), and the Violence Potential Index (VPI) to be modestly related to institutional misbehavior, thus supporting its construct validity. The current study provides the most comprehensive examination of the predictive and incremental validity of the PAI and its subscales among a large sample of imprisoned offenders to date. In particular, the size of the sample (n = 15,546) and follow-up period (mean time at risk of 2.2 years) allowed for the disaggregation of institutional misconduct by levels of seriousness and separate examinations by conviction offense and criminal history variables. The 3 scales most strongly related to general rule infractions were ANT, AGG, and the VPI. After controlling for age at intake, violent conviction history, prior violent arrests, and time at risk, the PAI scales were shown to add incremental validity to the classification of 4 types of disciplinary infractions ranging from 2 to 4 percentage points. The study also explored the relationship of the PAI’s response bias scales to institutional misconduct.

Doran, Jennifer M.; Safran, Jeremy D.; Muran, J. Christopher

doi: 10.1037/pas0000222pmid: 26460895

This study investigates the utility and psychometric properties of a new measure of psychotherapy process, the Alliance Negotiation Scale (ANS; Doran, Safran, Waizmann, Bolger, & Muran, 2012). The ANS was designed to operationalize the theoretical construct of negotiation (Safran & Muran, 2000), and to extend our current understanding of the working alliance concept (Bordin, 1979). The ANS was also intended to improve upon existing measures such as the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI; Horvath & Greenberg, 1986, 1989) and its short form (WAI-S; Tracey & Kokotovic, 1989) by expanding the emphasis on negative therapy process. The present study investigates the psychometric validity of the ANS test scores and interpretation—including confirming its original factor structure and evaluating its internal consistency and construct validity. Construct validity was examined through the ANS’ convergence and divergence with several existing scales that measure theoretically related constructs. The results bolster and extend previous findings about the psychometric integrity of the ANS, and begin to illuminate the relationship between negotiation and other important variables in psychotherapy research.

Nanninga, Marieke; Jansen, Danielle E. M. C.; Kazdin, Alan E.; Knorth, Erik J.; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.

doi: 10.1037/pas0000229pmid: 26460898

Expectations concerning barriers to children’s psychosocial care seem to be major drivers when seeking help, but validated questionnaires measuring expectations are not available. Therefore, this study examined the psychometric properties of the parent and adolescent versions of the Barriers to Treatment Participation Scale–Expectancies (BTPS-exp), in terms of consistency, structure, parent–child agreement, and validity. The authors obtained data via questionnaires on 1,382 Dutch children aged 4–18 years (response rate 56.6%) enrolled in psychosocial care, and on 666 children (response rate 70.3%) from the community. Internal consistencies of the BTPS-exp total and subscales of both versions were good (lowest Cronbach’s alpha = .85). Fit of the data with the assumed scale structure was acceptable. Correlation coefficients between the parent and adolescent scores were low (Pearson’s r total scale = 0.25). Parents expecting multiple barriers was significantly more likely in non-Dutch ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.1, 1.9]), in lower parental educational levels (primary education: OR = 3.0; 95% CI [1.5, 6.1]; lower-level secondary education: OR = 2.0; 95% CI [1.3, 3.1], both vs. university), in single parent families (1.3; 1.1–1.6), in case of child psychosocial problems (OR = 1.3; 95% CI [1.0, 1.5]) and in adolescents with psychosocial problems (OR = 2.1; 95% CI [1.4, 3.1]). Expecting multiple barriers did not affect the association between psychosocial problems and care enrollment. The authors conclude that the BTPS-exp has good psychometric properties regarding reliability and structure and is reasonably valid. Parents and adolescents have their own separate views, implying that it is valuable to assess both. Use of the scale might be helpful in providing direction to improve access to psychosocial care for children and adolescents.

Bjaastad, Jon Fauskanger; Haugland, Bente Storm Mowatt; Fjermestad, Krister W.; Torsheim, Torbjørn; Havik, Odd E.; Heiervang, Einar R.; Öst, Lars-Göran

doi: 10.1037/pas0000230pmid: 26460894

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Competence and Adherence Scale for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CAS-CBT). The CAS-CBT is an 11-item scale developed to measure adherence and competence in cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders in youth. A total of 181 videotapes from the treatment sessions in a randomized controlled effectiveness trial (Wergeland et al., 2014) comprising youth (N = 182, M age = 11.5 years, SD = 2.1, range 8–15 years, 53% girls, 90.7% Caucasian) with mixed anxiety disorders were assessed with the CAS-CBT to investigate interitem correlations, internal consistency, and factor structure. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s alpha = .87). Factor analysis suggested a 2-factor solution with Factor 1 representing CBT structure and session goals (explaining 46.9% of the variance) and Factor 2 representing process and relational skills (explaining 19.7% of the variance). The sum-score for adherence and competence was strongly intercorrelated, r = .79, p < .001. Novice raters (graduate psychology students) obtained satisfactory accuracy (ICC > .40, n = 10 videotapes) and also good to excellent interrater reliability when compared to expert raters (ICC = .83 for adherence and .64 for competence, n = 26 videotapes). High rater stability was also found (n = 15 videotapes). The findings suggest that the CAS-CBT is a reliable measure of adherence and competence in manualized CBT for anxiety disorders in youth. Further research is needed to investigate the validity of the scale and psychometric properties when used with other treatment programs, disorders and treatment formats.

Lee, SoYean; Burns, G. Leonard; Beauchaine, Theodore P.; Becker, Stephen P.

doi: 10.1037/pas0000232pmid: 26502205

The objective was to determine if the latent structure of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms is best explained by a general disruptive behavior factor along with specific inattention (IN), hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), and ODD factors (a bifactor model) whereas the latent structure of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms is best explained by a first-order factor independent of the bifactor model of ADHD/ODD. Parents’ (n = 703) and teachers’ (n = 366) ratings of SCT, ADHD-IN, ADHD-HI, and ODD symptoms on the Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavior Inventory (CADBI) in a community sample of children (ages 5–13; 55% girls) were used to evaluate 4 models of symptom organization. Results indicated that a bifactor model of ADHD/ODD symptoms, in conjunction with a separate first-order SCT factor, was the best model for both parent and teacher ratings. The first-order SCT factor showed discriminant validity with the general disruptive behavior and specific IN factors in the bifactor model. In addition, higher scores on the SCT factor predicted greater academic and social impairment, even after controlling for the general disruptive behavior and 3 specific factors. Consistent with predictions from the trait-impulsivity etiological model of externalizing liability, a single, general disruptive behavior factor accounted for nearly all common variance in ADHD/ODD symptoms, whereas SCT symptoms represented a factor different from the general disruptive behavior and specific IN factor. These results provide additional support for distinguishing between SCT and ADHD-IN. The study also demonstrates how etiological models can be used to predict specific latent structures of symptom organization.

Burton, Charles L.; Bonanno, George A.

doi: 10.1037/pas0000231pmid: 26502200

Flexibility in self-regulatory behaviors has proved to be an important quality for adjusting to stressful life events and requires individuals to have a diverse repertoire of emotion regulation abilities. However, the most commonly used emotion regulation questionnaires assess frequency of behavior rather than ability, with little evidence linking these measures to observable capacity to enact a behavior. The aim of the current investigation was to develop and validate a Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale that measures a person’s ability to enhance and suppress displayed emotion across an array of hypothetical contexts. In Studies 1 and 2, a series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the FREE Scale consists of 4 first-order factors divided by regulation and emotional valence type that can contribute to 2 higher order factors: expressive enhancement ability and suppression ability. In Study 1, we also compared the FREE Scale to other commonly used emotion regulation measures, which revealed that suppression ability is conceptually distinct from suppression frequency. In Study 3, we compared the FREE Scale with a composite of traditional frequency-based indices of expressive regulation to predict performance in a previously validated emotional modulation paradigm. Participants’ enhancement and suppression ability scores on the FREE Scale predicted their corresponding performance on the laboratory task, even when controlling for baseline expressiveness. These studies suggest that the FREE Scale is a valid and flexible measure of expressive regulation ability.

Scheiber, Caroline

doi: 10.1037/pas0000236pmid: 26502203

As the demographic profile in the United States continues to change and becomes ethnically more diverse, the need for culturally appropriate test instruments has become a national concern among educators, clinicians, and researchers. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children–2nd Edition (KABC-II) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement–2nd Edition (KTEA-II) are 2 popular tests of intelligence and achievement, known to appeal to an ethnically diverse client population. The present study investigated test bias in terms of the test scores’ construct validity across a nationally representative sample of Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic (N = 2,001) children in Grades 1–12. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess whether increasing sets of equality constraints fit the test scores’ underlying theoretical model equally well for all 3 ethnic groups. Results showed that factorial invariance of the factor structure, based on 7 Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model broad abilities, was met for all 3 groups. Outcomes contribute to a scarce body of literature on ethnic test bias that goes beyond the simple comparison of mean score differences. Results of this study provide the evidence needed to justify continuous use of the KABC-II and KTEA-II in the assessment of minority group children and adolescents. Furthermore, findings are generalizable beyond the Kaufman tests to other popular tests of intelligence and achievement; this is because this study is based on the CHC factor structure, a universal theory of cognition that is used as the theoretical underpinning by many well-known tests of intelligence and achievement, including the most recent versions of the Wechsler scales.

Flens, Gerard; Smits, Niels; Carlier, Ingrid; van Hemert, Albert M.; de Beurs, Edwin

doi: 10.1037/pas0000240pmid: 26691506

In a post hoc simulation study (N = 3,597 psychiatric outpatients), we investigated whether the efficiency of the 90-item Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ) could be improved for assessing clinical subjects with computerized adaptive testing (CAT). A CAT simulation was performed on each of the 3 MASQ subscales (Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Somatic Anxiety). With the CAT simulation’s stopping rule set at a high level of measurement precision, the results showed that patients’ test administration can be shortened substantially; the mean decrease in items used for the subscales ranged from 56% up to 74%. Furthermore, the predictive utility of the CAT simulations was sufficient for all MASQ scales. The findings reveal that developing a MASQ CAT for clinical subjects is useful as it leads to more efficient measurement without compromising the reliability of the test outcomes.

Podlogar, Matthew C.; Rogers, Megan L.; Chiurliza, Bruno; Hom, Melanie A.; Tzoneva, Mirela; Joiner, Thomas

doi: 10.1037/pas0000242pmid: 26619094

The use of self-report surveys for suicide risk screening is a key first step in identifying currently suicidal individuals and connecting them with appropriate follow-up assessment and care. Online methods for suicide risk screening are becoming more common, yet they present a number of complexities compared with traditional methods. This study aimed to assess whether forcing item responses may unintentionally hide or misrepresent otherwise useful missing suicide risk data. We investigated in secondary analyses of 3 independent samples of undergraduates (ns = 1,306; 694; 172) whether participants who chose not to respond specifically to current suicide risk screening items (i.e., Nondisclosers) scored significantly different from other risk response groups (i.e., Deniers, Lower-Risk Endorsers, and Higher-Risk Endorsers) on auxiliary measures related to suicidality. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) tests for each sample revealed that Nondisclosers were rare (ns = 7, 6, 7) and scored significantly higher than Deniers and similarly to Endorsers on suicide risk related measures. In 1 sample, Nondisclosers tended to score higher than all groups on suicide risk related measures. These findings suggest that nondisclosure for suicide risk screening questions is a preferred option for a distinct group of respondents who are likely at elevated suicide risk. Allowing for and flagging Nondisclosers for follow-up suicide risk assessment may be an ethical and feasible way to enhance the sensitivity of online suicide risk screenings for weary respondents, who if forced, may choose to underreport their suicide risk and misrepresent data.