Revised Validity Scales for the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS)

• NCJ Number: 187389
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: 2001 Pages: 1-13
• Author(s): Glenn D. Walters
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Measurement/Evaluation Device
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article evaluates revised validity scales for the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS).

Abstract

The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) was developed to assess the eight styles presumed to play a leading role in maintaining criminal patterns of interaction. In order to identify response styles and sets capable of altering a person's responses on the thinking style portion of the PICTS, two validity scales -- one to measure confusion and the other defensiveness -- were constructed and incorporated into the PICTS. However, the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and preliminary validity of these two scales were well below the levels attained by the eight thinking style scales. The two validity scales have therefore been revised by omitting several items from each scale and replacing them with items from the thinking style item pool. These revised scales demonstrate improved internal consistency, test-retest stability, and criterion validity on a par with results recorded previously with the eight thinking style scales. Tables, references, appendix