Psychometric meta-analyses and reviews were provided for four commonly used suicidal ideation instruments: the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Suicide Probability Scale, and Columbia--Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Practical and technical issues and best use recommendations for screening and outcome…

There are few evaluated economic tools to assess change in autism. This study examined the inter-rater reliability of the Developmental Disabilities Children's Global Assessment Scale (DD-CGAS), and the OSU Autism Clinical Global Impression (OSU Autism CGI) in a European setting. Using these scales, 16 clinicians with multidisciplinary…

Although reliability is essential to validity, most research on violence risk assessment tools has paid little attention to strategies for improving rater agreement. The authors evaluated the degree to which perceived subjectivity in scoring guidelines for items from two measures--the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Historical,…

In the support of individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), assessing the level of alertness is a recurring issue for parents and other direct support persons. Although observations show clear advantages above and beyond other assessment methods, there are problems related to this method as well. Subjectivity of…

This study examined the psychometric equivalence of paper-and-pencil and Internet formats of key questionnaires used in couple research. Self-report questionnaires assessing interpersonal constructs (relationship satisfaction, communication/conflict management, partner support, emotional intimacy) and intrapersonal constructs (individual traits,…

Background: Negative trauma-related cognitions have been found to be a significant factor in the maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Initial studies of such appraisals in trauma-exposed children and adolescents suggest that this is an important line of research in youth, yet empirically validated measures for use with…

This study investigated the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Scales of Psychological Well-being (Ryff, 1989a). The sample of the study consists of 1214 university students. Results of language equivalency showed that correlations between the Turkish and English forms were 0.94 for autonomy, 0.97 for environmental mastery,…

This paper reports data on the psychometric relationship between personality traits (Big Five), and preference for particular assessment methods in an Australian sample of University students (N=125). Reliability analysis showed that participants tended to have consistent attitudes toward assessment methods, across disciplines (e.g., History,…

This article discusses issues related to the development and dissemination of evidence-based assessment strategies for anxiety disorders and associated problems. It begins with a review of the criteria that should be considered when determining whether particular assessment procedures are evidence-based. These include such factors as reliability,…

The current study examines the understanding of the DSM-IV-MR-J items to assess pathological gambling among adolescents aged 12 to 15, and explores its accuracy. The DSM-IV-MR-J was first administered in the classroom. Participants were assigned to either an experimental or a control group. Participants in the first group were asked to explain the…

Background: This study explored "loneliness" as experienced by adults with intellectual disability, with "intermittent" to "limited" support needs. Method: A measure of loneliness was piloted, and qualitative techniques used to develop a greater understanding of the participants' experience. Results: The Loneliness Scale proved valid and reliable…

Intraindividual variability in positive and negative affect was assessed by the positive affect (Contentment, Joy, Vigor, Love, and Excitement) and negative affect (Depression, Hostility, Anxiety, Agitation, and Social Anxiety) subscales of the state version of the Comprehensive Personality and Affect Scales (COPAS) during a 3-week period. Using…

Despite anecdotal evidence suggesting that air travel is personally demanding, little research has examined air travel stress. To address these issues, the author developed and evaluated the 1st known measure of air travel stress-the Air Travel Stress Scale-in 3 studies. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated 3 components: (a)…

Reliability and validity of the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) was investigated to determine if this instrument is appropriate for use with Hispanic college students. The sample (28 males, 177 females) consisted of 101 participants who identified as Anglo and 104 who identified as Hispanic (6 did not identify their ethnicity).…

The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) is a functional assessment used in approximately 27 states to evaluate youth service outcomes. The CANS purports to measure both the youth's risk and protective factors, but its validity is largely un-researched. This study compares ratings of 304 delinquent youth on the CANS and ratings on a…