Multivariate Experimental Clinical Research, v.11 no.1

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    Multivariate structure of eye movement dysfunction distinguishing schizophrenia
    (Wichita State University, Department of Psychology, 1995) Neufeld, Richard W. J.; Mather, Jennifer A.; Merskey, Harold; Russell, Nicholas C.
    The study examined processes associated with eye-movement dysfunction (EMD) maximally discriminating paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenic subjects from psychiatric and normal controls. Measures included the linear slope of saccade number over velocities of a ramp visual target (a measure shown effectively to distinguish schizophrenia-related EMD), along with several other measures of perceptual/cognitive processes potentially contributing to oculomotor tracking. The first significant dimension, of a multiple discriminant function analysis, was one of 'EMD as related to spatial memory'. Measures of the latter reflected efficiency in encoding properties of a visual stimulus array into a task-facilitative format. The paranoid schizophrenic subgroup had the highest scores on this dimension, normals, the lowest, and depressed psychiatric controls and nonparanoid schizophrenic patients, intermediate. A second significant dimension was one of 'manual motor speed in following a ramp visual target'. Depressives were slowest, and nonparanoid schizophrenic patients fastest. Speed of the nonparanoid patients was ascribed to extrapyramidal effects, especially tremor and akathisia. The results were discussed with respect to information processing involved in oculomotor tracking, and the effects of meditation, or dyskinesia, on manual motor tracking.
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    Measurement of intelligence and personality within the Cattellian psychometric model
    (Wichita State University, Department of Psychology, 1995) Boyle, Gregory J.
    Cattellian research has been prodigious in systematically investigating the structure of personality traits alongside important cognitive/ability dimensions. Source traits delineated factor analytically in both intrapersonal psychological domains have been incorporated into multidimensional measurement instruments such as the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ), Objective-Analytic (O-A) Battery, Culture Fair Intelligence Tests (CFIT), and Comprehensive Ability Battery (CAB). Several downward extensions of these instruments have been developed such as the High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ), Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ), and Early School Personality Questionnaire (ESPQ). Boyle (1983) has shown under non- emotive conditions that intellectual abilities tend to overshadow personality traits, in cognitive information processing. Nevertheless, under stressful emotional conditions, involvement of personality traits is enhanced such that cognitive factors may play only a minor role in influencing performance outcomes. The Cattellian psychometric model is one of the few approaches which attempts to index intelligence along with temperament. The present paper provides an overview of the Cattellian integration of intelligence and personality measurement, and discusses some of its benefits and problems.
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    Measuring anger or an amorphous construct?
    (Wichita State University, Department of Psychology, 1995) Alumbaugh, Richard
    Construct validity of anger or anger-related measures is essential to research on links of anger to illness or to treatment effectiveness of anger management techniques. The purpose of the paper is to examine construct validity of anger measures considering theoretical issues and applications of factor-analytic methods. I have concluded that test developers have used improper strategies to demonstrate construct validity. Recommendations are offered to improve construct validity studies including proper application of factor-analytic methods.
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    Dimensions of family dynamics in child abusing families
    (Wichita State University, Department of Psychology, 1995) Barton, Keith; Wood, Sally
    Parents in families of abused children were given the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES II). They completed the questionnaire under two sets of instructions: how their family currently functioned and how they would like it to function in the future. Factor analyses showed (a) that five factors seemed stable in structure for both sets of instructions; (b) Olson's concepts of Adaptability and Cohesion were useful in this 'atypical' sample; (c) others using 'atypical' samples might profit by checking the factor structure when using the FACES II; and (d) five scales instead of two should be used in subsequent analyses of family dynamics. Tentative titles for the new scales are suggested based on Olson's original titles.