NCJ Number
56752
Journal
Journal of Personality Assessment Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: (1977) Pages: 353-357
Date Published
1977
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE RELIABILITIES AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF HABGT SCALES THAT MEASURE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND PERCEPTUAL APPROACH-AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR ARE TESTED IN A POPULATION OF 120 DELINQUENTS IN OAKLAND COUNTY, MICH.
Abstract
THE HABGT IS A PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT. ITS PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SCALE MEASURES DEGREE OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY ON THE BASIS OF NONVERBAL, PERCEPTUAL MOTORIC PERFORMANCE. ITS ADIENCE-ABIENCE SCALE MEASURES DEGREE OF PERCEPTUAL APPROACH/AVOIDANCE. STUDY SUBJECTS, ADJUDICATED MALE DELINQUENTS AGED 13 TO 15, WERE ASSIGNED TO THREE TREATMENT CONDITIONS: GROUP TUTORING AND COUNSELING, INDIVIDUAL TUTORING AND COUNSELING, AND NO INTERVENTION (CONTROLS). EACH SUBJECT COMPLETED THE HABGT AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A 40-WEEK TREATMENT PERIOD. THREE JUDGES SCORED THE TESTS. BOTH SCALES HAD HIGH TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY. INTERSCORER RELIABILITY WAS ALSO HIGH. AS EXPECTED, TREATMENT HAD A DIFFERENTIAL EFFECT ON PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND ADIENCE-ABIENCE. THE FORMER WAS MODIFIABLE, WHILE THE LATTER WAS RESISTANT TO CHANGE. ALSO AS EXPECTED, THE TWO SCALES HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DEGREE OF COMMONALITY BEFORE TREATMENT INTERVENTION THAN AFTER INTERVENTION, WHILE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SCALES REMAINED STABLE FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. THE FINDINGS CONFIRM THOSE OF STUDIES IN WHICH THE SCALES WERE USED TO COMPARE HOSPITALIZED SCHIZOPHRENICS WITH PERSONS RECEIVING OUTPATIENT THERAPY. THE FINDINGS ALSO SHOW THAT, IN GENERAL, DELINQUENTS ATTAINED POORER ADIENCE STANDING (PERCEPTUAL APPROACH BEHAVIOR) AND MORE SEVERE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SCORES THAN HAS BEEN THE CASE WITH NORMAL OR EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TEST. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)