Interpersonal problems: self-therapist agreement and therapist consensus.

This study investigated patient-therapist agreement and therapist consensus of patients' interpersonal problems. The sample comprised 199 patients, who answered a questionnaire addressing interpersonal problems. At the same time, each patient was rated by two therapists on an observer version of the same questionnaire. The participants came from 10 different treatment units within the Norwegian Network of Personality-Focused Treatment Programs. Interpersonal problems were measured by a short version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex (IIP-C). The results of both patient-therapist agreements and therapist consensus of patients' interpersonal problems was low to moderate. The therapists perceived the patients to have somewhat higher levels of interpersonal problems than the patients reported, although the profile similarity between self-reports and observer reports was high. Some gender differences were revealed, but in terms of self-therapist agreement, no interaction with the therapists' length of clinical experience or acquaintance with the patient was found.

The dimensionality of the 12-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test. Confirmatory factor analyses.

The assumed three-dimensional structure of the 12-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test was examined by confirmatory factor analysis in a non-clinical sample of 224 female and 261 male adolescents in grade 8 aged 14-15 years. Alternative models were examined. Data did neither support a three-dimensional structure, nor a one-dimensional structure using twelve items. Three dimensions were supported when one and three items were omitted from the girls' and boys' analyses, respectively. A second order factor structure was supported in both genders. Conceptual and psychometric issues are discussed. A discussion of the measurement domain of the eating problem construct in non-clinicals is warranted.

A generalizability study of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-12) in non-clinical adolescents.

One of the most frequently used measures of eating and weight problems is the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). The paper discusses conceptual heterogeneity in the EAT in the light of eating disorder continuum theory. Psychometric qualities of the Norwegian 12-item version of the EAT was based on a sample of 224 female and 261 male adolescents aged 14-15 years. Generalizability theory enabled us to study the impact of multiple sources of measurement errors of the EAT-12. The analyses suggest that acceptable generalizability is achieved by the present design on applying 4 items within 3 categories of the EAT. Alternative designs are suggested, and the utility of G-theory is discussed. The results also provide evidence of a gender difference in the structure of the universe score variance. Non-clinical adolescents' ways of organizing information about food and eating are discussed in the light of gender differences.

Assessing therapeutic problem solving skills: empirical analysis of a measuring operation.

Employment of caregivers as trainers is an imperative in the training and treatment of mentally retarded persons. Besides being taught specific behavior modification skills, these paraprofessional trainers have to obtain a set of general skills in order to adjust their specific skills to new clients, situations, and behaviors across time. Empirical research on the characteristics of therapeutic problem-solving skills are scarce. This may be due to a reluctance of behavior researchers against including cognitive factors in the analysis of behaviour influence. However, the development of basic knowledge on the existence of therapeutic problem-solving and skills should be one of the primary research goals. This article describes the development and application of four scales assumed to be representative of an important set of general skills--therapeutic problem-solving skills. By means of these four scales 21 caregivers were evaluated before and after extensive training. A multifaceted measuring operation is employed with the main objective of empirically testing the dimensionality of problem-solving skills. Rater consistency and individual differences in change from pre- to post-training level are also uncovered. It is concluded that the four scales of therapeutic skills, largely reflect the same underlying concept of a rather general therapeutic problem-solving skill. Discussion of the findings also pointed to future research.

Anxiety-item intensity-specificity hypothesis in a relaxed situation.

A test of the item intensity-specificity hypothesis is reported. The hypothesis was supported and may be extended to anxiety-trait measures as well. Other interpretations of the findings are also inspired.