The Hood Mysticism Scale: does the presence of a neutral response-item affect response style.

The widely used Hood Mysticism Scale (1975) was administered to one of two groups of college students in its original version and a modified version without the option of responding with "?" to an item. Scoring of the scale assigns an intermediate value to the "?" response, suggesting this response implies a meaning on the item somewhere between "probably true" and "probably not true." Omitting this response option requires respondents to make a forced-choice answer, either to agree or to disagree with a statement and eliminates the middle ground. It was hypothesized that, if the response reflects a neutral attitude, then randomly selected groups administered the scale with or without the option should show no difference in overall means. An intact group of 23 advanced psychology students achieved a mean of 114.4 (SD = 20.4) on the original mysticism scale, while 25 advanced psychology students in a second intact group had a mean of 113.3 (SD = 17.1) on the modified version. This difference was not significant and supported the hypothesis that the scales were equivalent. Advantages of the modification and implications for interpretation of the "?" response are discussed.

The clinical utility of the MMPI-2 Antisocial Practices Content Scale.

This study explored the ability of the MMPI-2 Antisocial Practices Content Scale (ASP) to correctly classify DSM-IV Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). ASP scores and scores on the MMPI-2 Psychopathic Deviate (Pd) scale were compared in an APD group (n = 10), a Borderline Personality Disorder group (n = 16), a Narcissistic Personality Disorder group (n = 9), an Other Personality Disorder group (representing personality disorders from Clusters A and C; n = 14), and a nonclinical population (NC; n = 67). The ASP exhibited an ability to differentiate APD from other personality disorders and was significantly correlated to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for APD while the Pd was not. Diagnostic efficiency statistics (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, negative predictive power, overall correct classification rate, and kappa) were calculated under four different conditions in a clinically relevant manner (Kessel & Zimmerman, 1993. Psychological Assessment, 53, 395-399). The results of this study illustrate the usefulness of the ASP as a tool for the assessment of antisocial attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in individuals suspected of having APD. This information may be valuable to clinicians who are planning treatment or assessing treatment outcome for clients with APD.

The MMPI-2 GM and GF Scales as measures of psychological well-being.

The MMPI-2, Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R), and Tennessee Self-Concept Scales (TSCS) scores were analyzed for 117 male and 139 female college students. A median split on the MMPI-2 GM and GF scores by gender divided subjects into high and low groupings on the MMPI-2 gender variables. Multivariate analyses revealed that scores on the MMPI-2, TSCS, and SCL-90-R consistently differed by GM and GF status with differences most pronounced for the GM scale. Higher scores on the GM variable were associated with scores on the MMPI-2, TSCS, and SCL-90-R that reflected less psychopathology. Similar trends were noted for higher scorers on the GF variable, but fewer significant differences across the scales were found. The results are consistent with an interpretation of GM and GF as correlates of psychological wellbeing.

A brief screening instrument for assessing parental alcoholism in college student populations.

The Children of Alcoholics Short Screening Instrument (CASSI), a four-item Likert-type scale, was developed to fulfill the need for a screening instrument to identify children of alcoholics (COAs) in college student populations. A sample of 369 college students was surveyed to assess the psychometric properties of the CASSI; the scale had a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of .94 and a 4-week test-retest reliability of .81. The CASSI correlated significantly with the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST), which supported its concurrent validity. The CASSI appears to be a promising research tool for identifying COAs, particularly among college student populations.

Relation of performance on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised among preschool children.

58 children enrolled in a university preschool or kindergarten program were administered the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised (PPVT--R). The PPVT--R correlated .75 with the K-BIT composite IQ, .69 with the K-BIT Vocabulary standard score, and .57 with the K-BIT Matrices score. The instruments also showed significant agreement (83%) in classifying children into average versus above average categories based upon a 110 standard score on either instrument. Analysis of K-BIT Vocabulary-Matrices differences showed a mean difference of 6 points favoring Vocabulary. Differences ranged from -32 points to 43 points. 64% of the subjects scored higher on the Vocabulary than on the Matrices subtest of the K-BIT. 48% of the sample showed differences between scores on Vocabulary and Matrices of 10 points or more disregarding the direction of the difference. Implications for the concurrent validity of the instrument and interpretation of subscale differences for preschool children were discussed.

Breastfeeders versus bottlefeeders: differences in femininity perceptions.

Fifty-eight primiparous women were studied to explore perceived differences in femininity between women who chose to breastfeed and women who chose to bottlefeed. A demographic questionnaire and a sex role inventory were administered to the sample. Although breast and bottlefeeders did not differ significantly in their perceived levels of femininity, analysis of the data revealed that women who had no clear cut sense of identity were more likely to bottlefeed.

Staff turnover as a function of performance in a public residential facility.

The relationship between employee turnover and performance was measured for 144 leavers and 144 stayers across 32 positions in a large institution for mentally retarded people. Performance ratings for employees leaving the organization were significantly lower than for those who stayed. These performance differences occurred most significantly with involuntary dismissals and among direct-care technicians who comprise a major part of the institution's work force. The overall results suggest that the organization is not ejecting its best workers and that a substantial portion of the turnover is functional.

The psychological impact of disaster on rescue personnel.

Seventy-nine rescue, fire, and medical personnel and police officers who treated victims of an apartment building explosion completed a questionnaire describing their emotional and coping responses to the disaster. Eighty percent had at least one symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eight of 21 PTSD symptoms were present in at least 10% of respondents. The most frequently reported symptom, intrusive thoughts about the disaster, occurred in 74% of those working with or searching for victims at the disaster site. On-the-scene rescue workers had significantly more (P less than .02) PTSD symptoms than did inhospital staff. Fifty-two percent of the respondents reported that family members and coworkers were supportive or very supportive in meeting their emotional needs following the disaster; 36% noted that support networks were not helpful. The coping behaviors most frequently used were to remind oneself that things could be worse (57%) and to try to keep a realistic perspective on the situation (53%). Eleven percent reported seeking emotional support from others or looking to others for direction. Emergency workers responding to a contained, small-scale disaster are likely to experience mild stress responses. Planning for the emotional aspects of these events is needed.

Norms, reliability, and item analysis of the Hopelessness Scale in general psychiatric, forensic psychiatric, and college populations.

Administered the Hopelessness Scale to 99 criminal psychiatric inpatients, 118 general psychiatric inpatients, and 197 upper-level college students. Normative data were reported for each group. Both of the psychiatric groups endorsed significantly more items in the hopeless direction than did the college student sample. The scale was found to be more reliable with the psychiatric patients than with the college students. The difference in reliability may reflect the restriction of range of hopelessness scores among college students. An item analysis of the Hopelessness Scale for each of the three groups was presented. These data suggest that three items (4, 5, 13) were not measuring hopelessness as reflected in the other items. Suggestions for further research with the Hopelessness Scale to clarify the components of hopelessness in nonpsychiatric populations were presented.