RESUMO
A convenience sample of 209 participants completed the Grief Pattern Inventory (GPI) together with the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC), the Integration of Stressful Life Events Scale (ISLES), and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Alpha coefficients of the GPI's intuitive and instrumental subscales were improved by eliminating low-performing items and empirically reassigning items from the GPI dissonant subscale. The two modified scales showed a near zero intercorrelation indicating they were independent constructs in this sample, a conclusion further verified by factor analysis. Both styles correlated with distress measures from the HGRC and correlated negatively with adaptation indicators from the ISLES, though the findings were stronger for intuitive grievers. MBTI findings revealed that intuitive grievers endorsed significantly more "feeling" in how processing occurs while grievers who preferred sensing/thinking functions more often identified with the instrumental grief pattern. Implications of these findings for scholars and clinicians are discussed.
Assuntos
Pesar , Psicometria , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Inventário de Personalidade , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estados Unidos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Despite high levels of exposure to stress, questions remain regarding how social interactions and beliefs about emotion interact to influence posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in firefighters. United States urban firefighters (N = 225) completed the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, the Unsupportive Social Interactions Inventory, the Affective Control Scale, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. Each independent variable predicted PTSD beyond variance accounted for by demographic variables. Additionally, fear of emotion emerged as the strongest individual predictor of PTSD and a moderator of the relation between social interactions and PTSD symptoms. These findings emphasize the importance of beliefs about emotion both in how these beliefs might influence the expression of PTSD symptoms, and in how the social networks of trauma survivors might buffer distress.
Assuntos
Emoções , Medo/psicologia , Bombeiros/psicologia , Relações Interpessoais , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos , Adulto , Atitude , Feminino , Humanos , Entrevistas como Assunto , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Sudeste dos Estados Unidos , Sobreviventes/psicologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Miranda vocabulary forms the essential foundation for Miranda comprehension and subsequent decisions to exercise or waive Miranda rights. The purpose of the current study is the development of the Miranda Vocabulary Scale (MVS), designed to evaluate key vocabulary words found in Miranda warnings and waivers across American jurisdictions. A preliminary list of MVS words was refined by expert ratings and by each word's discriminability between failed and good Miranda comprehension. Miranda and other measures were collected at multiple sites on 376 pretrial defendants. With further refinements, the MVS is composed of 36 words with excellent scale homogeneity and interrater reliability (r = .99). It also demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity for cognitive abilities and psychological impairment.
Assuntos
Direitos Civis/legislação & jurisprudência , Compreensão , Crime/legislação & jurisprudência , Culpa , Aplicação da Lei/métodos , Prisioneiros/legislação & jurisprudência , Vocabulário , Adulto , Humanos , Defesa por Insanidade , Competência Mental/legislação & jurisprudência , Oklahoma , Prisioneiros/psicologia , Medidas de Segurança/legislação & jurisprudência , TexasRESUMO
A taxometric analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995) was performed on a group of 2,250 male and female forensic/psychiatric patients and jail/prison inmates. The 4 PCL:SV facet scores (Interpersonal, Affective, Impulsive Lifestyle, Antisocial Behavior) served as indicators in this study, and the data were analyzed with 3 principal taxometric procedures--mean above minus below a cut, maximum eigenvalue, and latent mode factor analysis. The results show evidence of dimensional structure on the PCL:SV in the full sample as well as in all 8 subsamples (men, women, Whites, Blacks, hospital patients, jail/prison inmates, file review with an interview, file review without an interview). These findings corroborate recent taxometric research on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (R. D. Hare, 1991, 2003) in which results have been largely dimensional in nature. It is concluded that scores on the PCL:SV differ quantitatively as points on a dimension (high vs. low psychopathy) rather than partitioning into qualitatively distinct categories of behavior (psychopath vs. nonpsychopath).
Assuntos
Transtorno da Personalidade Antissocial/diagnóstico , Transtorno da Personalidade Antissocial/epidemiologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalência , Prisioneiros/psicologia , Prisioneiros/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Psychologists have standardized competency-to-stand-trial (CST) assessments through the development of specialized CST measures. However, their research has largely neglected the possibility that CST measures may be stymied by feigning mental disorders and concomitant impairment. The current study is the first systematic examination of (a) how feigned mental disorders may affect CST measures and (b) which scales are effective at identifying feigned cases. Bona fide patients (n = 65) were compared with suspected malingerers (n = 22) on 3 CST measures: the Georgia Court Competency Test (GCCT), the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool--Criminal Adjudication, and the Evaluation of Competency to Stand Trial--Revised (ECST-R). Results indicated that these CST measures are vulnerable to feigning. The development of specialized GCCT and ECST-R scales yielded moderately effective screens for feigned mental disorders in the context of CST evaluations.
Assuntos
Enganação , Simulação de Doença/diagnóstico , Simulação de Doença/psicologia , Competência Mental/psicologia , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/psicologia , Adulto , Psicologia Criminal , Humanos , Entrevista Psicológica , MasculinoRESUMO
Psychological assessments of competency-to-stand-trial (CST) referrals must consider whether the defendants' impairment is genuine or feigned. This study addressed feigning on the Evaluation of Competency to Stand Trial--Revised (ECST-R), a standardized interview designed for assessing dimensions of CST and screening for feigned CST. In particular, this study examined the effectiveness of the ECST-R's Atypical Presentation (ATP) scales as screens for feigned incompetency. It examined ATP scales for (a) jail detainees (n=96) in simulation and control conditions and (b) inpatient competency cases (n=56) in clinical comparison and probable malingering groups. Comparisons of ATP scales yielded very large effect sizes for feigners when compared with jail controls (mean d=2.50) and genuine inpatient competency cases (mean d=1.83). Several cut scores were established with very few false negatives and robust sensitivity estimates. In summary, the ECST-R ATP scales appear to be homogenous scales with established clinical use as feigning screens in CST evaluations.
Assuntos
Crime/legislação & jurisprudência , Competência Mental/legislação & jurisprudência , Inquéritos e Questionários , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Projetos de PesquisaRESUMO
The validity of test data from multiscale inventories is dependent on self-reports that may be easily distorted by malingering. In examining the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2's (MMPI-2) role in the assessment of feigning, this review provides a conceptual analysis of the detection strategies underlying the MMPI-2 validity scales. The conceptual analysis is augmented by comprehensive meta-analysis of 65 MMPI-2 feigning studies plus 11 MMPI-2 diagnostic studies. For the rare-symptoms strategy, Fp (Cohen's d = 2.02) appears especially effective across diagnostic groups; its cut scores evidence greater consistency than most validity indicators. The data supported the F as an effective scale but questioned the routine use of Fb. Among the specialized scales, Ds appeared especially useful because of its sophisticated strategy, consistent cut score, and minimalfalse-positives. General guidelines are offeredfor specific MMPI-2 validity scales in the assessment of malingering with specific diagnoses.
Assuntos
Transtornos Autoinduzidos/diagnóstico , MMPI , Simulação de Doença/diagnóstico , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
Psychopathic youth pose special challenges to clinicians in providing effective treatment and safe management. Because comprehensive assessments of psychopathy are time intensive and require specialized training, programmatic research is needed to develop time-efficient and useful screens that eliminate from further consideration acting-out adolescents who are unlikely to be psychopathic. The clinical utility of the Survey of Attitudes and Life Erperiences as a psychopathy screen was investigated by combining three samples of adolescent offenders (total N = 223). Its primary purpose was the identification of nonpsychopaths who were distinguished from adolescents in either the mixed or psychopathic ranges. A Psychopathy Screen (PS) Scale was developed with 24-item (PS-24) and 11-item (PS-11) versions. Both appeared moderately effective in excluding nonpsychopaths from further evaluation. Preliminary data on response styles suggest that these scales are not susceptible to social desirability.
Assuntos
Transtorno da Personalidade Antissocial/diagnóstico , Atitude , Delinquência Juvenil/psicologia , Acontecimentos que Mudam a Vida , Testes Psicológicos , Adolescente , Transtorno da Personalidade Antissocial/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Conformidade Social , Desejabilidade SocialRESUMO
Four decades of forensic research have left unanswered a fundamental issue regarding the best conceptualization of competency to stand trial vis-à-vis the Dusky standard. The current study investigated three competing models (discrete abilities, domains, and cognitive complexity) on combined data (N = 411) from six forensic and correctional samples. Using the Evaluation of Competency to Stand Trial-Revised (ECST-R), items representative of the Dusky prongs were used to test the three models via maximum-likelihood confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Of the three, only the discrete abilities model evidenced a good fit, indicating that competency to stand trial should consider separately each defendant's factual understanding of the proceedings, rational understanding of the proceedings, and ability to consult with counsel. ECST-R competency scales, based on the current CFA, have excellent alphas (.83 to .89) and interrater reliabilities (.97 to .98).
Assuntos
Psiquiatria Legal/métodos , Entrevista Psicológica/métodos , Competência Mental/classificação , Modelos Psicológicos , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Jurisprudência , Masculino , Competência Mental/legislação & jurisprudência , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Psicometria , Decisões da Suprema Corte , Estados UnidosRESUMO
This is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of a structured group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in incarcerated male juveniles. Ten groups of juveniles (n = 45) completed a 12-session intervention with pre- and postassessments composed of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (C. Frederick, 1985) and supplementary measures of anxiety, anger, and depression. Overall, group participants experienced significant reductions in self-reported PTSD symptoms. Supplemental analyses suggest that this treatment was most beneficial for youth with trauma related to gang and community violence.
Assuntos
Delinquência Juvenil/psicologia , Delinquência Juvenil/estatística & dados numéricos , Prisioneiros/psicologia , Prisioneiros/estatística & dados numéricos , Psicoterapia de Grupo/métodos , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/epidemiologia , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/psicologia , Adolescente , Humanos , Masculino , Distribuição Aleatória , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/diagnósticoRESUMO
Cluster analysis was performed on a diverse group of 69 non-clinical grievers whose loved ones died between 12-40 months prior to the study. Based on psychometric measures of both bereavement distress and growth, three distinct clusters emerged: High Grief (high distress-low growth; n = 16); High Growth (low distress-high growth; n = 32); and Low Impact (low distress-low growth; n = 21). Discriminant function analyses showed that the High Grief cluster differed robustly from the other two groups on several measures of grief adaptation and coping; the differences between the High Growth and Low Impact clusters were less pronounced. High Grief participants sought grief counseling significantly more often whereas the Low Impact grievers preferred medicinal help for symptoms if they sought any professional assistance at all. When High Growth participants sought counseling, they seemed to focus on growth-oriented dimensions rather than mere symptom relief. Of the 11 participants who sought grief counseling for their loss, 10 (91%) found the experience to be helpful. Findings are discussed in the context of meta-analytic studies of the effectiveness of grief counseling.
Assuntos
Adaptação Psicológica , Atitude Frente a Morte , Aconselhamento/métodos , Pesar , Apoio Social , Adulto , Idoso , Ansiedade/prevenção & controle , Depressão/prevenção & controle , Feminino , Humanos , Relações Interpessoais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Psicológicos , Ajustamento Social , Estresse Psicológico/prevenção & controle , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Miranda warnings are remarkably heterogeneous in their language, length, and content. Past research has focused mostly on individual Miranda warnings. Lacking in generalizability, these studies have limited applicability to both public policy and professional practice. A large-scale survey by R. Rogers et al. [2007b, Law and Human Behavior, 31, 177-192] examined Miranda warnings from across the United States and documented striking differences in the length, content, and reading comprehension. In moving from single jurisdiction studies to nationally representative research, the replication of the Rogers et al. survey is essential. With an additional 385 general Miranda warnings, most of the original findings were confirmed; this replication allows Miranda researchers to use findings based upon nationally-representative warnings for their subsequent research. Beyond reading comprehension, the study makes an original contribution to the understanding of Miranda vocabulary that is often infused with abstruse words and legalistic terms. It provides the first analysis of sentence complexity, which affects both Miranda comprehension and retention. As a result of these analyses, preliminary guidelines are provided for increasing the comprehension and understanding of Miranda warnings.
Assuntos
Idioma , Vocabulário , Humanos , Jurisprudência , Política Pública , Inquéritos e Questionários , Estados UnidosRESUMO
A conservative estimate is that 695,000 mentally disordered offenders are arrested and Mirandized annually in the United States. Past research has focused almost exclusively on cognitive factors affecting the comprehension of Miranda rights. The current study broadens the scope by including diagnostic variables and by extending the investigation to basic elements of Miranda reasoning. A sample of 107 mentally disordered defendants was administered two research measures, the Miranda Statements Scale (MSS) and Miranda Rights Scale (MRS), in addition to standardized tests. Most defendants lacked good comprehension of all but the simplest (Flesch-Kincaid<6th grade) Miranda warnings. Defendants with the poorest understanding (i.e., comprehending about 25% of the warnings) had marked deficits in multiple domains including cognitive abilities (intelligence and comprehension) and general adjustment. Different background and clinical variables predicted defendants' abilities to generate reasons either to exercise or waive their Miranda rights.
Assuntos
Direitos Humanos/legislação & jurisprudência , Transtornos Mentais , Prisioneiros/legislação & jurisprudência , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Determinação da Personalidade , TexasRESUMO
Miranda warnings enshrine the constitutional rights of custodial suspects against self-incrimination. However, the wording and sentence complexity of Miranda warnings and waivers vary dramatically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. This study is the first extensive investigation of Miranda warning variations examining 560 Miranda warnings from across the United States. With Flesch-Kincaid reading comprehension as a useful metric, Miranda warnings varied from very simple comprehension (i.e., grade 2.8) to requiring postgraduate education. Miranda warnings are composed of five components (e.g., silence and evidence against you); marked variations were also observed in the comprehensibility of individual components. On average, the Miranda warning component on "continuing rights" requires a reading comprehension level six grades higher than the comparatively simple expression of the right to silence. Similar analyses were conducted on Miranda waivers. The content of these warnings differed on such issues as communicating (a) when access to an attorney would be granted (e.g., 45.9% specified only "during questioning") and (b) explicitly that indigent legal services were free (e.g., 31.8% directly informed suspects). Finally, the study identified representative Miranda components at different levels of reading comprehension as a template for further research.
Assuntos
Direito Penal/legislação & jurisprudência , Culpa , Humanos , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Paradigmatic shifts are uncommon in psychological assessment, which is often steeped more in tradition than innovative practices. The introduction of the Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales by Tellegen et al. (2003) represents a radical shift in the development and validation of the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989). In broadening the debate over the merit of the RC Scales, in this article, we examine current challenges to MMPI-2 interpretation including issues with discriminant validity and imprecision (e.g., standard errors of measurement). We evaluate the RC alternative in the context of these interpretive challenges. Although we note several improvements, the incremental validity for MMPI-2 interpretative statements remains to be established. MMPI-2 researchers may wish to test several innovative models for their comparative strengths in establishing scale properties and providing empirically based interpretations.
Assuntos
MMPI/normas , Psicologia Clínica/instrumentação , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Tellegen et al. (2003) proposed fundamental changes in MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) scale development by discarding empirical scale development in favor of construct validation via Jackson's (1970) sequential system of scale development. As a result of their efforts, a general distress factor (Demoralization) was identified and 8 Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales were developed. Using 7,330 clinical cases from Caldwell's (1997) data set, in this study, we sought to cross-validate the MMPI-2 RC Scales. Scale homogeneity was confirmed with high alpha coefficients and interitem correlations in the expected range. We also achieved a major objective of reducing interscale correlations. In replicating Tellegen et al.'s principal components analysis, we achieved a high concordance for 6 of the 8 RC Scales. We critically examine these results in light of Jackson's construct validation. We discuss the clinical usefulness of the MMPI-2 RC Scales within the context of current and future research.
Assuntos
MMPI , Psicologia Clínica/instrumentação , Adulto , Bases de Dados Factuais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , TexasRESUMO
Forensic evaluations must systematically assess malingering and related response styles. In the criminal forensic domain, competency to stand trial evaluations are the most common referrals. Effective screens for feigned incompetency would be valuable assets for forensic evaluations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (MFAST) as a screen for feigned incompetency. Using a simulation design, the MFAST was tested on jail and competency-restoration samples. Most notably, recommended MFAST cut score (> or =6) was useful for the identification of feigning cases in competency evaluations. Recommendations for forensic practice, including the advantages and disadvantages of systematic screens, are discussed.
Assuntos
Enganação , Simulação de Doença/diagnóstico , Competência Mental/legislação & jurisprudência , Determinação da Personalidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Prisioneiros/psicologia , Adulto , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Simulação de Doença/psicologia , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/psicologia , Prisioneiros/legislação & jurisprudência , Psicometria/estatística & dados numéricos , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
This study investigated social beliefs about gender-appropriate reactions to trauma. Ninety-three men and 179 women completed vignette measures of attitudes toward victims, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Trauma History Questionnaire. Participants evaluated male victims less favorably than female victims. Women responded more positively toward all victims than men. Participants regarded female crime victims more positively than their male counterparts, but did not distinguish between male and female natural disaster victims. Feminine-sex-typed women rated victims more favorably than masculine-sex-typed individuals. There was a positive relation between personal trauma exposure and attitudes toward male victims among male participants. These findings contribute to an understanding of factors influencing the social reactions experienced by traumatized men and women, and have implications for clinical practice and psychoeducation.
Assuntos
Atitude , Preconceito , Percepção Social , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/psicologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Análise de Variância , Vítimas de Crime , Desastres , Feminino , Identidade de Gênero , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores Sexuais , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Nine unique meaning constructs were derived from a content analysis of free essays written by 85 mourners in response to the question, "What does the death of your loved one mean to you?" These constructs were then treated as predictor variables in a quantitative analysis of several indices of bereavement adjustment including (a) risk factors of grief pathogenesis and psychometric measures of negative grief affect and (b) indicators and correlates of personal growth. Mourners who expressed one or more constructs connoting positive themes of hope and recovery in their narrative essays fared better on several indicators of bereavement adjustment than those expressing solely themes of pain and suffering. As a single meaning category, Focusing on Negativity carried the strongest statistical relation to outcome measures and correlated with poorer adjustment. Implications for combining qualitative and quantitative data are discussed together with potential applications to clinical practice.
Assuntos
Adaptação Psicológica , Luto , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Teóricos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
In an effort to understand how the bereaved "make sense" of deaths they have experienced, 85 mourners were asked to write a free essay in response to the question, "What does the death of your loved one mean to you?" In a content analysis of the resulting narratives, 9 unique meaning constructs emerged, the most prominent of which spoke to the theme of feeling the absence of the decedent. A distinction was drawn between meaning categories referent to pain and suffering versus recovery and hope and between consequent/instrumental forms of meaning versus philosophical/existential meanings. Implications for additional study of the relationship between meaning constructs and bereavement adaptation were discussed.