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Selected AbstractsDoes self-control account for the relationship between binge drinking and alcohol-related behaviours?CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2002Alex R. Piquero Introduction Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory that there is an underlying factor accounting for all sorts of antisocial behaviour has attracted widespread theoretical and empirical attention. One of their most controversial statements is a ,generality' hypothesis, a notion that criminal, deviant and reckless acts are highly correlated because they are caused by individual differences in self-control. In this paper, we examine the extent to which self-control accounts for the relationship between two behaviours: binge drinking and involvement in alcohol-related behaviours, including criminal behaviour. Method Questionnaires were given to students at a southern US university. A final sample of 241 students (35% males, 91% whites, aged 17,40). One question concerned binge-drinking, 11 others related to other alcohol-related behaviour; a 24-item scale measured self-control and sex was recorded. A probit model was used to test the effect of low self-control on binge drinking and on other alcohol-related behaviours. It was found that self-control exhibits a positive effect on both. But binge drinking and other alcohol-related behaviours are correlated, so a further analysis using a bivariate probit model was undertaken using a naïve model (no covariates), an unconstrained model (allowing self-control to exert a unique effect on both outcomes), and a constrained model forcing self-control to be the same for both outcomes. Results Our results suggest that while low self-control is a significant predictor of both binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, it does not fully account for the relationship between the two outcomes. In addition, separate estimation for each sex reveal a substantively different pattern of results. Discussion Further research is needed to disentangle the differences between the sexes. Situational factors, especially in males, may account for adverse alcohol-related behaviours. Other measures of self-control are also needed. Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Beliefs about worry in community-dwelling older adults,DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 8 2006Ignacio Montorio Ph.D. Abstract This study examines the association between several kinds of beliefs about worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) severity in a sample of older individuals recruited from a community setting (N=142, mean age=71.0 years, SD=6.0, range=55,88). Beliefs about worry were assessed with a 17-item scale designed for older adults, including three dimensions: Positive Beliefs, Negative Beliefs, and Responsibility. All three dimensions distinguished between people endorsing GAD symptoms and those without GAD symptoms, and only Negative Beliefs had a significant independent weight when regressed on GAD severity, even after controlling for level of trait worry. Results of this study suggest that negative beliefs appear to be strongly related to pathological worry in older adults. These results are consistent with empirical findings in younger adults and potentially support the use of particular interventions in clinical work with older adults with GAD. Depression and Anxiety 23:466,473, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Development and responsiveness of a scale to measure clinicians' attitudes to people with mental illness (medical student version)ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2010A. Kassam Kassam A, Glozier N, Leese M, Henderson C, Thornicroft G. Development and responsiveness of a scale to measure clinicians' attitudes to people with mental illness (medical student version). Objective:, We report the rationale, reliability, validity and responsiveness studies of the Mental Illness: Clinicians' Attitudes (MICA) Scale, a 16-item scale designed to measure attitudes of health care professionals towards people with mental illness. Method:, Items were generated through focus groups with service users, carers, medical students and trainee psychiatrists. Psychometric testing was completed in a number of student samples. The responsiveness of the scale was tested after a 1.5 h mental illness stigma related intervention with medical students. Results:, The MICA scale showed good internal consistency, , = 0.79. The test,retest reliability (concordance) was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68,0.91). The standardised response mean for the scale was 0.4 (95% CI 0.02,0.8) after a mental illness related stigma intervention. Conclusion:, The MICA scale is a responsive, reliable and valid tool, which can be used in medical education and mental health promotion settings and studies. [source] Development of a Scale to Measure Patients' Trust in Health InsurersHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002Article first published online: 18 MAR 200 Objective.,To develop a scale to measure patients' trust in health insurers, including public and private insurers and both indemnity and managed care. A scale was developed based on our conceptual model of insurer trust. The scale was analyzed for its factor structure, internal consistency, construct validity, and other psychometric properties. Data Sources/Study Setting.,The scale was developed and validated on a random national sample (n=410) of subjects with any type of insurance and further validated and used in a regional random sample of members of an HMO in North Carolina (n=1152). Study Design.,Factor analysis was used to uncover the underlying dimensions of the scale. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was established by Pearson or Spearman correlations and t tests. Data Collection.,Data were collected via telephone interviews. Principal Findings.,The 11-item scale has good internal consistency (alpha=0.92/0.89) and response variability (range=11,55, M=36.5/37.0, SD=7.8/7.0). Insurer trust is a unidimensional construct and is related to trust in physicians, satisfaction with care and with insurer, having enough choice in selecting health insurer, no prior disputes with health insurer, type of insurer, and desire to remain with insurer. Conclusions.,Trust in health insurers can be validly and reliably measured. Additional studies are required to learn more about what factors affect insurer trust and whether differences and changes in insurer trust affect actual behaviors and other outcomes of interest. [source] An assessment of the proximity of clothing to self scale for older personsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2010Young-A Lee Abstract Sontag and Lee developed the Proximity of Clothing to Self (PCS) Scale, an objective measure of the psychological closeness of clothing to the self, and validated a 4-factor, 24-item scale with adolescents. The research reported here extends their work by validating a 3-factor, 19-item PCS Scale for use with older persons, age 65 and over. A mail survey was sent to a national random sample of 1700 older persons in the United States resulting in 250 respondents in the final sample. Three analytical rounds of confirmatory factor analysis to test the construct validity of the PCS Scale were conducted by using a structural equation modelling programme. The validated three PCS dimensions (i.e. factors) are clothing in relation to: (1) self as structure , process; (2) self-esteem , evaluative and affective processes; and (3) body image and body cathexis. The researchers recommend using this 19-item PCS Scale for future consumer behaviour research on older persons when investigating the importance of dress, clothing needs or clothing involvement to meet basic human needs, self-esteem, life satisfaction and successful aging. [source] Psychometric properties of the Brief Life Satisfaction ScalesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Bernard Lubin The development, psychometric characteristics, and clinical utility of a brief measure of life satisfaction, the Brief Life Satisfaction Scales (BLSS), are presented. Factor analysis of the 10-item scale yielded three factors: self-satisfaction, interpersonal satisfaction, and social role satisfaction. Reliability (internal consistency and retest) and validity (concurrent, construct, discriminant, known group, predictive, and incremental) were adequate to good. Clinical uses of the BLSS and additional studies are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol. [source] Covenantal and contractual values in marriage: Marital Values Orientation toward Wedlock or Self-actualization (Marital VOWS) ScalePERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 3 2005JENNIFER S. RIPLEY Cultural constructions of marriage have developed to form 2 marital values orientations. These marital values can be understood along a continuum from covenantal at 1 pole to contractual at the other pole. Covenantal marital values prioritize individual sacrifice for the marriage to promote marital health, commitment, and vow taking to resolve conflict, the collective dyad as the primary unit of the marriage, and often spiritual intervention as a primary means of restoring order. Contractual marital values prioritize individual self-actualization to promote marital health, negotiation, and mutual agreement to resolve conflict, the individual as the primary unit of the marriage, and clinical and psychological interventions as a primary means of restoring order. The authors developed a 26-item scale to measure contractual and covenantal marital values. In 3 studies examining a total of 786 student and community participants, the factor structure of the scale was evaluated, and convergent and discriminant construct validity, item internal consistency, and 4-week test,retest reliability were examined. [source] Suspicious minds: The motive to acquire relationship-threatening informationPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 2 2003William Ickes In four studies, we obtained evidence for the reliability and validity of a 21-item scale designed to measure a new theoretical construct: individual differences in the motivation to acquire relationship-threatening information (hereafter, MARTI). Study 1 provided evidence for the MARTI scale's reliability and discriminant validity, revealing that it was reliable and not significantly correlated with measures of the Big Five personality traits, adult attachment styles, or more general social orientations. Studies 2 and 3 provided evidence for the scale's convergent and discriminant validity, showing that dating partners with higher MARTI scores (i.e., those who were more motivated to acquire relationship-threatening information) scored lower in relational trust and reported engaging in more "suspicion behaviors." Study 4 provided behavioral evidence for the scale's predictive validity, revealing that (a) dating partners with higher MARTI scores were more likely to break up within 5 months, and (b) the breakup rate was most pronounced for dating partners who scored higher on the scale and who also reported being less close. We discuss how this new construct and measure can be used to study important relationship dynamics. We can't go on together With suspicious minds. - Lines from the 1969 Elvis Presley hit [source] Development and validation of the psychosomatic scale for atopic dermatitis in adultsTHE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2006Tetsuya ANDO ABSTRACT Psychosocial factors play an important role in the course of adult atopic dermatitis (AD). Nevertheless, AD patients are rarely treated for their psychosomatic concerns. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a brief self-rating scale for adult AD in order to aid dermatologists in evaluating psychosocial factors during the course of AD. A preliminary scale assessing stress-induced exacerbation, the secondary psychosocial burden, and attitude toward treatment was developed and administered to 187 AD patients (82 male, 105 female, aged 28.4 ± 7.8, 13,61). Severity of skin lesions and improvement with standard dermatological treatment were assessed by both the dermatologist and the participant. Measures of anxiety and depression were also determined. In addition, psychosomatic evaluations were made according to the Psychosomatic Diagnostic Criteria for AD. Factor analysis resulted in the development of a 12-item scale (The Psychosomatic Scale for Atopic Dermatitis; PSS-AD) consisting of three factors: (i) exacerbation triggered by stress; (ii) disturbances due to AD; and (iii) ineffective control. Internal consistency indicated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.86 for the entire measure, 0.82 for (i), 0.81 for (ii), and 0.77 for (iii), verifying the acceptable reliability of PSS-AD. Patients with psychosomatic problems had higher PSS-AD scores than those without. PSS-AD scores were positively associated with the severity of the skin lesions, anxiety and depression. The scores were negatively associated with improvement during dermatological treatments. In conclusion, PSS-AD is a simple and reliable measure of the psychosomatic pathology of adult AD patients. It may be useful in dermatological practice for screening patients who would benefit from psychological or psychiatric interventions. [source] The Conners' 10-item scale: findings in a total population of Swedish 10,11-year-old childrenACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2009Joakim Westerlund Abstract Aim: To present normative data for the Swedish version of the Conners' 10-item scale, to validate the scale by comparing children with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to explore the factor structure of this scale and to investigate behavioural characteristics and gender differences among 10- to 11-year-old children, as rated by parents and teachers respectively. Methods: Parents and teachers rated 509 10- to 11-year-old children (261 boys and 248 girls) from a population-based cohort in a Swedish municipality. Results: The Conners' 10-item scale discriminated very well between children with and without ADHD. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a two-dimensional structure of the scale with items measuring restless/impulsive behaviour in one factor and items measuring emotional lability in another. An ANOVA revealed that parents and teachers reported different behavioural characteristics in boys as compared to girls. Conclusion: The Conners' 10-item scale is a valid screening instrument for identification of ADHD. The two subscales can be used separately, in addition to the total score, to get a more detailed picture of the child's behaviour. Parents and teachers pay attention to different aspects of problem behaviour in boys and girls. The less disruptive behaviour of girls needs to be highlighted. [source] The adult sense of coherence scale is applicable to 12-year-old schoolchildren,an additional tool in health promotionACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2006Päivi-Leena Honkinen Abstract Background: Two principal operationalizations of sense of coherence (SOC) for the study of adults have been developed, one consisting of 29 and another consisting of 13 items. According to these studies, SOC is associated with various aspects of perceived health. Also, a 16-item scale for determining SOC in young children (,10 y) is available. It is unclear from which age on SOC can be studied by using any of the scales for adults. Aim: To determine whether the 13-item SOC scale for adults is applicable to children 12 y of age. Methods: Comparable data of SOC had been collected by a mail survey directed to adults (mean age 36 y, n=706) in 1985. Twelve-year-old children filled in questionnaires in school class in 1997 (n=994). Results: SOC score range, mean, median and standard deviation (SD), and Cronbach alpha coefficients of the total SOC scale were almost identical in children and adults. Conclusion: The 13-item SOC scale aimed at adults is applicable to children of 12 y of age or older. The SOC scale could be a useful additional tool for identifying children with perceived health deficits potentially in need of supportive interventions. [source] Perceived criticism, marital interaction and relapse in unipolar depression,findings from a Korean sampleCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 5 2006Jung-Hye Kwon Perceived criticism by partner (PC) has been demonstrated to be a powerful predictor of depressive relapse. The purpose of this prospective 11-month study was to replicate this finding in an outpatient series of married women in Korea, but also to further explore the nature of PC in terms of qualities of the marital relationship and dysfunctional attitudes. The subjects consisted of 27 married female outpatients who had all been treated for major depression, but were in recovery at time of first contact or shortly after. All were interviewed at time 1 and then again after 11 months at time 2 to ascertain major depressive episode using the Korean version of SADS as well as completing the BDI. At first contact, questionnaire and interview assessments were used for marital quality and dysfunctional attitudes denoting dependency. There was a significant relationship between the single-item PC and depressive relapse at follow-up as predicted. This relationship was not enhanced by using the expanded item scale. PC and/or PC-E were significantly correlated with marital quality variables, specifically lack of emotional support from partner, negative interaction and dependence on partner. The study shows that perceived criticism by spouse is a predictor of depressive relapse in Korean outpatients and that this appears to reflect actual negative characteristics of the marital relationship as well as the depressed person's high dependence on the relationship. These results support the importance of improving marital interactions in preventing relapse in depression.,Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of the cognitive processing of trauma scaleCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 5 2002Rhonda M. Williams We developed a 17-item scale to measure cognitive processing of traumatic experiences in two samples of college students. The Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale (CPOTS) measures five aspects of cognitive processing: (1) Positive Cognitive Restructuring, (2) Downward comparison, (3) Resolution, (4) Denial and (5) Regrets. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the factor structure of the scale, and reliability was further established by computing the internal consistency and test,retest reliability of each subscale. Discriminant and convergent validity for the CPOTS were demonstrated by correlating the subscales with two existing measures, the Impact of Event Scale and the Stress Related Growth Scale. The scale is recommended for use in empirical studies incorporating written or spoken disclosure about a trauma as an intervention, and should also be considered for clinical use in populations who have experienced a major stressor or trauma. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] |