Clayton T. Shorkey

Development of the Rational Behavior Inventory: Initial Validity and Reliability:

The purpose of the study was to develop a brief and efficient instrument for assessment, treatment planning, and evaluation of clients by counselors who use Rational Emotive Therapy (RET). Subjects were 235 undergraduate students. Eleven Guttman scales were developed following factor analysis. Each factor is measured by a Guttman scale with a coefficient of reproducibility of 0.90 or greater and with a coefficient of scalability of 0.60. Pre- and posttest scores were obtained for 40 mental health professionals attending an all-day workshop on RET. Over-all test scores were significantly different at the 0.025 level in the predicted direction. There was also a significant difference in the predicted direction between pretest scores of the professionals and the college students. In another study, 87 professionals attending a two day workshop on RET were tested before and after the workshop. There were significant differences in the predicted direction at the 0.025 level or beyond for the overall test scores and for scores on 10 of the 11 subfactors. Data on sex differences for the three groups tested are also presented.

Validation Testing of the Rational Behavior Inventory

Two hundred twenty-two students at Michigan State University completed a questionnaire including the Rational Behavior Inventory (RBI), the Srole Anomia scale, Lanes Authoritarianism scale, a ten-item Dogmatism scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale— each of the last four scales having been described by Robinson and Shaver (1969). Students in this stratified sample were randomly selected from the student telephone directory. The validity of the RBI was examined by testing hypothesized relationships between scores on the RBI and scores on each of the other four personality measures, class standing, and age. Support for the validity of the RBI was indicated by significant associations in the predicted direction between the RBI index and each of the four personality measures. Ten of the eleven factors of the RBI were correlated significantly in the predicted direction with two or more of these personality measures. The correlations between the RBI index and age and between the RBI index and class standing of the respondents were in the predicted direction, but not statistically significant.

Assessing Culturally Competent Chemical Dependence Treatment Services for Mexican Americans

Mexican Americans struggling with chemical dependence are greatly underserved. Barriers to treatment include language, lack of culturally relevant services, lack of trust in programs, uninviting environments, and limited use and linkage with cultural resources in the community. This project aimed to develop a tool for assessing and planning culturally competent/relevant chemical dependence treatment services for Mexican Americans. Focus groups were conducted with experts in Mexican-American culture and chemical dependence from six substance abuse programs serving adult and adolescent Mexican Americans and their families. Sixty-two statements were developed describing characteristics of culturally competent/relevant organizations. Concept mapping was used to produce a conceptual map displaying dimensions of culturally competent/relevant organizations and Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to assess the internal consistency of each dimension. Analysis resulted in seven reliable subscales: Spanish language (α = 0.84), counselor characteristics (α = 0.82), environment (α = 0.88), family (α = 0.84), linkage (α = 0.92), community (α = 0.86), and culture (α = 0.89). The resulting instrument based on these items and dimensions enable agencies to evaluate culturally competent/relevant services, set goals, and identify resources needed to implement desired services for both individual organizations and networks of regional services.

Systematic desensitization treatment of a recurring nightmare and related insomia

Abstract A case of a recurring nightmare and related insomia was treated by systematic desensitization using Brevital as the relaxing agent. A portion of the nightmare was treated as a simple phobia. The nightmare and insomnia disappeared after 11 treatment sessions. Four weekly interviews following the termination of treatment and subsequent 6-month and 2-yr assessment interviews revealed no evidence of the recurrence of the nightmare or insomnia.

Measuring Dimensions of Spirituality in Chemical Dependence Treatment and Recovery: Research and Practice

Spirituality and religiousness have long been associated with physical and mental health. The scientific treatment of religiosity as a multi-dimensional phenomenon is well established, especially in relation to chemical dependence treatment. Indeed, over 100 instruments are available for measuring various dimensions of religiosity. The more recent emergence of spirituality as an accepted construct in research has seen the development of a growing number of instruments to measure aspects of spirituality. The authors selected ten spirituality scales for review and discussion, and provided information relating to the scales’ development, psychometrics, format, scoring, and availability. The scales are then conceptualized in terms of their aggregate and overlapping usefulness for research and practice, and suggestions are made concerning the salient dimensions of spirituality measured by each scale. The scales are presented as defining an increased sense of internalized spirituality that contributes to positive psychological and emotional outcomes underpinning recovery from chemical dependence.

Reliability and validity of the rational behavior inventory with a clinical population

Administered to mental health outpatients (N = 75) who were receiving Psychotherapy the Rational Behavior Inventory as well as several other scales of psychological adjustment prior to their first therapy session. Their therapists also completed several of these scales on their clients. This procedure was repeated for a subsample upon termination of treatment. Correlations were computed among measures, and t-tests were conducted between pre- and posttreatment scores. Significant correlations were found between all measures in the expected directions, and significant pre- to post-scale differences were identified consistent with the expected effects of treatment. These results are interpreted as initial evidence for the Rational Behavior Inventorys reliability and validity with a clinical group. Future research is suggested to examine the Rational Behavior Inventorys relationship to other measures of cognitive dysfunction.

Personal worth, Self‐Esteem, Anomia, Hostility and irrational thinking of abusing mothers: A multivariate approach

Eighteen mothers identified as the perpetrator of physical abuse of their children were matched with respect to race, income and educational level with control mothers of children in daycare centers. Tests included: The Sense of Personal Worth Scale of the California Test of Personality, the Srole Anomia Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, three scales from the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory and the Rational Behavior Inventory (RBI). An overall MANOVA was performed on scores of the seven personality measures. Stepdown F-tests were conducted on scores of the seven test measures. With the RBI entered first, none of the subsequent variables was significant. Three variables (RBI, Negativism and Anomia) significantly discriminated between the abuse and control groups. Examination of the discriminant function coefficients revealed that the RBI was the most important contributing variable.

History and Development of Instructional Technology and Media in Social Work Education

Since the mid-20th century, instructional technologies and educational media in social work education have undergone significant development with the goals of improving learning and performance and enhancing access. This growth has been marked by technical advances in hardware and by innovations in media, or so-called soft formats. Current distance education and Web-based instructional programs allow for the enrichment of onsite instructional activities as well as open possibilities for the ever-expanding outreach of social work educational programs. The article describes the evolution of instructional technology and media in social work and reviews the historical contributions of 8 pioneering schools.

Reliability and validity of the Rational Behavior Inventory with alcoholics.

The Rational Behavior Inventory, the IPAT Anxiety Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory were given to 69 chronic alcoholics. The test scores, significantly correlated in the predicted direction, were low to moderate for rational thinking and anxiety (r = −.53), hopelessness (r = −.30), and hostility (r = −.65). The Rational Behavior Inventory had a reliability of .85 as measured by Cronbachs alpha and coefficients of reproducibility from .81 to .95 for the 11 factors that make up the inventory.

A Review of Methods Used in the Treatment of Abusing Parents

Individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, transactional analysis, behavior therapy, humanistic-behavioral group therapy, and multiple family therapy can all be used in the treatment of child-abusing parents. A review of these approaches, their similarities and differences, provides treatment guidelines.