The T1/35kDa family of poxvirus-secreted proteins bind chemokines and modulate leukocyte influx into virus-infected tissues

This article presents the development of a new 82-item rating scale of therapist adherence and competence for supportive-expressive (SE) dynamic psychotherapy for the treatment of cocaine dependence. Sixty-four items are rated for adherence, appropriateness, and quality of prescribed interventions. As part of the pilot/training phase of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study, two independent expert judges rated 32 audiotapes of SE therapy sessions with cocaine-dependent patients, 10 tapes of cognitive therapy (CT) sessions, and 10 tapes of individual drug counseling (IDC) sessions. Reliability was acceptable for adherence but poor for quality and appropriateness. SE therapists used more expressive (interpretative) techniques than did either CT therapists or IDC counselors, and they used more supportive techniques than did IDC counselors.     

An examination of the psychometric properties and nomological validity of some revised and reduced substitutes for leadership scales.

Confirmatory factor analysis in 2 large samples (N?=?411 and N?=?1,235) was conducted to examine the convergent and discriminant validity of the 74-item (revised) and 41-item (reduced) versions of the substitutes for leadership scales recently developed by P. M. Podsakoff et al (see PA, Vols 80:27703 and 81:3713). Following this, the liabilities and subscale intercorrelations of the 2 versions of the scale were compared in order to determine how faithfully the 41-item version represents the 74-item scale. Next, the reliabilities of both versions were compared with the reliability of S. Kerr and J. M. Jermier's (see record 1980-10792-001) original scale, and their nomological validity was evaluated. The overall pattern of results indicated that both versions were reasonably reliable and valid, and both were better than Kerr and Jermier's original scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological inflexibility in childhood and adolescence: Development and evaluation of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth.

The authors describe the development and validation of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y), a child-report measure of psychological inflexibility engendered by high levels of cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance. Consistent with the theory underlying acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), items converged into a 17-item scale (AFQ-Y) and an 8-item short form (AFQ-Y8). A multimethod psychometric approach provides preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the AFQ-Y and AFQ-Y8. In 5 substudies, 3 samples (total N = 1369) were used to establish (a) item comprehension (n = 181), (b) initial item selection (n = 513), (c) final item reduction and development of a short form for research (n = 346), (d) comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the AFQ-Y and AFQ-Y8 (n = 329), and (e) convergent and construct validity for both versions of the AFQ-Y. Overall, results suggest that the AFQ-Y and AFQ-Y8 may be useful child-report measures of core ACT processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the validity of social skills assessments: An analysis of role-play and ward staff ratings of social behavior in a maximum security setting.

Assessed the social skill of 64 male patients in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. Assertion and conversational role-plays were videotaped and rated on a variety of social skill dimensions. Ward staff rated the S's social behavior on a socialization scale and on the Social Contact and Communication subscales of the MACC Behavioral Adjustment Scale. Social skill and a number of relatively complex social skill dimensions in both assertion and conversation role-plays correlated significantly with the in vivo measures. Results support the external validity of role-played interactions in the assessment of social skill as well as the suggestion that social skills training should emphasize the more complex interpersonal behaviors. (French abstract) (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expression of Hex mRNA in early murine postimplantation embryo development

Photographs frequently are used to document change in the management of hypertrophic scars. The purpose of this study was to design a scale for the analysis of photographs of hypertrophic scars and to test its reliability. The subjects were four occupational and physical therapists, (two novices and two experts), in scar management. Existing scales were modified to produce a new scale. The subjects twice rated four slides from each of ten patients' scars, in random order. They used a Latin Square design. Interrater and test-retest reliabilities were calculated using a weighted kappa statistic. The newly developed scale demonstrated interrater reliability, which ranged between 0.66 and 0.90 for all items. The test-retest reliability ranged between 0.73 and 0.89 for all items. The new scale had substantial reliability (using a single rater) and was at least as reliable when used by novice therapists. This indicated that training had no effect.     

A component analysis of cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression.

The purpose of this study was to provide an experimental test of the theory of change put forth by A. T. Beck, A. J. Rush, B. E Shaw, and G. Emery ( 1979 ) to explain the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CT) for depression. The comparison involved randomly assigning 150 outpatients with major depression to a treatment focused exclusively on the behavioral activation (BA) component of CT, a treatment that included both BA and the teaching of skills to modify automatic thoughts (AT), but excluding the components of CT focused on core schema, or the full CT treatment. Four experienced cognitive therapists conducted all treatments. Despite excellent adherence to treatment protocols by the therapists, a clear bias favoring CT, and the competent performance of CT, there was no evidence that the complete treatment produced better outcomes, at either the termination of acute treatment or the 6-month follow-up, than either component treatment. Furthermore, both BA and AT treatments were just as effective as CT at altering negative thinking as well as dysfunctional attributional styles. Finally, attributional style was highly predictive of both short- and long-term outcomes in the BA condition, but not in the CT condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirical validation of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory: An actuarial approach.

Despite the proliferation of self-report measures of marital satisfaction, few satisfy even minimal criteria of reliability and validity. The current study presents data demonstrating the actuarial validity of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, a multidimensional self-report measure of marital interaction. 50 couples (mean age 35 yrs) entering marital therapy were interviewed conjointly, and spouses were rated separately on a 61-item checklist of relevant clinical criteria. Subsequent analyses identified 95 significant Scale?×?Criterion correlations, with an average of 9 correlates for each scale. In addition to providing substantial support for the basic interpretive intent of individual scales, findings demonstrate their convergent and discriminant validity as well. Implications for both the clinical and research utility of this instrument are discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some sources of variance in "accurate empathy" ratings.

Recorded the initial therapy interviews of 8 psychotherapists with 54 inpatients. Interviews were rated on the accurate empathy scale by 2 raters. Estimates of the consistency of therapists from 1 segment to another within the same session and from one patient to the next suggest that accurate empathy may not be a stable quality of the therapist, as is usually assumed, but instead may reflect a dyadic or relationship variable. Thus, the usual method of assessing the interrater reliability of the scale using the number of patient-therapist combinations rather than the number of therapists alone may be defensible in spite of recent criticisms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of therapeutic skills and techniques: Empirical identification, therapist correlates, and predictive utility.

Administered a 99-item questionnaire to 319 practicing psychotherapists (mean age 43.9 yrs) from 3 professional associations to assess their use of therapeutic techniques and skills as related to the variables of orientation, experience, sex, and personal psychotherapy. The predictive utility of reported interventions in classifying psychotherapists according to orientation was also examined. Principal component analyses yielded 13 scales. Reported therapy interventions varied as a function of the therapist's orientation and, to a lesser extent, as a function of experience, sex, and personal therapy. Eclectics had either the highest or 2nd-highest mean scores on each of the 13 scales, indicating a varied therapeutic arsenal. Across therapist variables, relationship-enhancing behaviors were reportedly most frequently used; flooding and frustration procedures least frequently used. On the basis of 11 scale scores, 90% of behavior therapists and 88% of psychodynamic therapists were correctly classified, but fewer than half of the eclectics were correctly classified. (62 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal complementarity and the therapeutic alliance: A study of relationship in psychotherapy.

Examined the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and interpersonal complementarity during the early stage of psychotherapy. 36 pairs of patients (aged 18–57 yrs) and therapists from 14 outpatient settings recorded their perceptions of their therapeutic alliance, using a working alliance inventory, and rated each other's therapy behaviors on the Checklist of Interpersonal Transactions. There were positive associations between patient–therapist interpersonal complementarity and both patients' and therapists' perceptions of the alliance. The more extreme/abnormal the patient's interpersonal behavior, the more both patient and therapist perceived a less positive working alliance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric properties of the rehabilitation therapy engagement scale when used among individuals with acquired brain injury.

Objective: To examine the properties of the Rehabilitation Therapy Engagement Scale (RTES), a new scale developed to assess patient engagement in physical and occupational therapies in the acute rehabilitation setting quantitatively. Design: Psychometric analysis to test the reliability and validity of the RTES in a Midwestern acute rehabilitation facility. Participants: 75 individuals with acquired brain injury admitted to an acute rehabilitation program in a Midwestern urban setting. Main Outcome Measures: Physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) completed a rating scale designed to measure each patient's level of engagement, or involvement, in therapy. Functional status at admission and discharge was measured with the Motor and Cognition scales of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM; J. M. Linacre, A. W. Heinemann, B. D. Wright, C. V. Granger, B. B. Hamilton, 1994). Results: The RTES showed high internal consistency in both physical therapy and occupational therapy settings, as well as significant correlation across those settings (r = .56, p = .001). Conclusions: The RTES appears to be a reliable and relatively unidimensional measure to identify and describe issues affecting patient engagement in rehabilitation therapies. Additional research is suggested to better understand and define the construct of engagement and to provide additional evidence of convergent and discriminant validity in the RTES. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The pediatric cancer quality of life inventory-32 (PCQL-32): I. Reliability and validity

BACKGROUND: Multidimensional measurement of pediatric cancer patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Phase III randomized controlled clinical trials is being recognized increasingly as an essential component in evaluating the comprehensive health outcomes of modern antineoplastic treatment protocols. The Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life Inventory-32 (PCQL-32) is a standardized patient self-report and parent proxy-report assessment instrument designed to assess systematically pediatric cancer patients' HRQOL outcomes. METHODS: To validate a patient-report form and a parent-report form, the PCQL-32 was administered to 291 pediatric cancer patients and to their parents. Both forms yield a total score and five a priori multidimensional scales. Clinical validity was determined by the known-groups approach by comparing patients classified as either on or off treatment. To determine construct validity, a battery of standardized psychosocial measures was administered and a multitrait-multimethod matrix was constructed. RESULTS: For both patient and parent forms, internal consistency reliability of the PCQL-32 total scale was high (0.91 and 0.92, respectively). The internal consistency reliabilities of the five component scales for both patient and parent forms were in the acceptable range for group comparisons. With regard to clinical validity, the PCQL-32 total scale and the disease/treatment and physical functioning scales of the PCQL-32 distinguished between patients on and off treatment for both patient- and parent-report. The results of the multitrait-multimethod matrix approach were consistent with hypotheses and lent evidence for the construct validity of the patient and parent forms of the PCQL-32 total scale and the psychological functioning, social functioning, cognitive functioning, physical functioning, and disease/treatment scales. CONCLUSIONS: The PCQL-32 has demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability, clinical validity, and construct validity for both patient-report and parent-report forms. Further field testing of the PCQL-32 will determine its practicality and utility in multisite pediatric cancer randomized controlled clinical trials.     

Therapists' emotional reactions to substance abusers: A new questionnaire and initial findings.

Developed and tested the Ratings of Emotional Attitudes to Clients by Treaters (REACT) scale. The REACT was administered to 52 therapists and 140 cocaine-dependent outpatients, at sessions 2, 5, and 24 of psychotherapy. It was found to have high internal consistency at each time point, moderately high convergent validity with therapists' (but not patients') therapeutic alliance ratings, and a factor structure that appeared to meaningfully derive 4 factors: "therapist in conflict with self," "therapist focused on own needs," "positive connection," and "therapist in conflict with the patient." Therapists' emotional responses were found to become more negative over the course of treatment, and, when compared by theoretical orientation, were found more positive for 12-step drug counselors than for cognitive or supportive-expressive therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relevance of rater-ratee acquaintance in the validity and reliability of ratings.

69 unacquainted undergraduates worked in 3-man groups under relevant (mathematical tasks) and irrelevant (socializing) acquaintance conditions. The Ss rated one another on scales that defined several cognitive skills. They were also rated on these same scales by Os, dependent on visual information, and unacquainted with Ss or the nature of the tasks being performed. As hypothesized, Ss under the relevant acquaintance condition achieved consistently good validity for all 3 cognitive areas with the best validity for ratings of math ability. Validity under the irrelevant acquaintance condition was nil on all scales. Os achieved significant validity (at lower levels than Ss) for ratings under the relevant acquaintance condition. Levels of inter- and intrarater reliability were not associated with levels of validity under the various rating conditions. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences between more and less effective psychotherapists: A study of select therapist variables.

Examined differences between more and less effective trainee psychotherapists. Therapists were assigned to one of two groups depending on whether the preponderance of their patients' changes in symptomatology indicated more or less improvement over the course of therapy. Therapist variables included emotional adjustment, relationship skills, eliciting patient involvement, credibility, directiveness, and theoretical orientation. Less effective therapists were revealed to have lower levels of empathic understanding, to rate their patients as more involved in treatment, and to rate themselves as more supportive than the more effective therapists. Less effective therapists also valued comfort and stimulation significantly more and valued intellectual goals significantly less than did more effective therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The meaning and reliability of accurate empathy ratings: A rejoinder.

Presents counterarguments to J. Chinsky and J. Rappaport's assertion that accurate empathy ratings reflect a quality other than that defined by the scale and to their suggestion that reliability estimates are in general inflated and may be related to the number of therapists being rated in a given study. Research evidence and arguments are presented that demonstrate that (a) the accurate empathy scale tends to measure what theorists and lay people in general think of as understanding vs. not understanding, (b) there is no relationship between the reliability estimates per study and the number of therapists being rated, and (c) the reliability estimates in most of the studies are appropriate and generally accepted as so by competent statisticians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A self-care assessment tool (SCAT) for persons with a spinal cord injury: an expanded abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid tool that assesses the cognitive and functional skills needed for self-care in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). The Self-Care Assessment Tool (SCAT) assesses cognitive and functional skills in eight self-care areas: bathing/grooming, nutritional management, medications, mobility/transfers/safety, skin management, bladder management, bowel management and dressing. The tool was carefully developed and has demonstrated content validity. Using two samples of veterans seen in the SCI clinics of two Southern Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, n = 13 and n = 15, interrater reliabilities computed by Pearson product moment correlations for the cognitive, functional and total scores ranged from .69 to .94. Test-retest reliabilities using Pearson product moment correlations for the cognitive, functional and total scores of two groups (n = 14 and n = 15) ranged from -.06 to .86. Regarding predictive validity, R2 was found to be .61 to .90 for the cognitive, functional and total scores. Although continued reliability and validity studies are needed, the SCAT has potential to measure patient rehabilitation outcomes, to evaluate nursing care approaches and to serve as a quality assurance indicator for nursing care.     

Measuring the self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help.

Self-stigma is an important factor in people's decisions not to engage in therapy. To measure this construct, the authors developed the 10-item Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale. In Study 1 (n = 583), the SSOSH had a unidimensional factor structure and good reliability (.91) among participants. Study 2 (n = 470) confirmed the factor structure. Studies 2, 3 (n = 546), and 4 (n = 217) cross-validated the reliability (.86 to .90; test-retest, .72) and showed evidence of validity (construct, criterion, and predictive) across the study samples. The SSOSH uniquely predicted attitudes toward and intent to seek psychological help. Finally, in Study 5 (n = 655) the SSOSH differentiated those who sought psychological services from those who did not across a 2-month period. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)