NCJ Number
61196
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE FEASIBILITY OF A COMPUTER SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT CAN EVALUATE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A PARENT ABUSING HIS OR HER CHILD IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, TWO COMPUTER PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN USED TO IDENTIFY PILOT APPLICANTS WHO ARE LIKELY TO MANIFEST DISORDERS OF THINKING, FEELING, OR BEHAVIOR WHICH WOULD DISQUALIFY THEM FOR MEDICAL CERTIFICATION. THESE COMPUTER SOFTWARES ARE PRIME, WHICH ANALYZES THE INTERACTION OF CERTAIN COGNITIVE AND PERSONALITY FACTORS TO PROVIDE A DECISION POINT IN RECOMMENDING PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION; AND PDX, WHICH PREDICTS CERTAIN DIAGNOSTIC CLASSIFICATIONS IN ACCORD WITH THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE 'DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS.' EYSENCK HOLDS THAT IMPULSE BEHAVIOR IS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL UNDERCONDITIONING. PDX USES A SOCIAL VALUE SCALE TO ASSESS IDENTIFICATION WITH, OR ALIENATION FROM, COMMONLY ACCEPTED VALUES. GROSS OVERESTIMATION OF EXPECTED PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN OBSERVED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH LACK OF JUDGMENT AND INABILITY TO REACH REALITY-BASED CONCLUSIONS. PDX QUANTIFIES THE SEVERAL LEVELS OF ASPIRATION. EYSENCK REPORTS INDIVIDUALS WHO DEMONSTRATE MARKEDLY ELEVATED LEVELS OF AFFECTIVE AROUSAL AND EXTRAVERSION OFTEN DEVELOP IMPULSE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS. PDX USES A MODIFICATION OF EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY SCALE TO COMPARE LEVELS OF EXTRAVERSION AND AFFECTIVE AROUSAL. PRIME AND PDX ALSO ASSESS COGNITIVE FUNCTION CONTROL (CORTICAL CONTROL) AS INFLUENCED BY THALMIC OR HYPOTHALMIC CENTERS. SINCE 1973, MORE THAN 1,000 PRIMEPDX EVALUATIONS HAVE BEEN VALIDATED AGAINST SUPERVISORY RATINGS OF ON-THE-JOB PERFORMANCE AND OTHER EXTERNAL CRITERIA. THE STATE-OF-THE-ART, AS EVIDENCED IN PRIME PDX, PERMITS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER SOFTWARE SYSTEM WHICH, WITHIN PROBABILITY THEORY, WOULD IDENTIFY PERSONS WHO, UNDER CONDITIONS OF PHYSICAL OR NONPHYSICAL STRESS WOULD BE LIKELY TO DEMONSTRATE OVERT ACTS OF CHILD ABUSE. SINCE 1968, ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS, INC. HAS BEEN DEVELOPING HEALTH CARE-DELIVERY SYSTEMS WHICH ASSESS COGNITIVE AND PERSONALITY FUNCTIONS UNDER CONDITIONS OF PHYSICAL AND NONPHYSICAL STRESS. SUCH A SYSTEM, CALLED 'ICP,' COULD BE USED TO PROVIDE A DECISION POINT IN EXPLORING CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD. A PROTOTYPE REPORT OF ICP IS PROVIDED, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)