Monica Martinussen

Identity status change during adolescence and young adulthood: A meta-analysis

The present study was designed to examine developmental patterns of identity status change during adolescence and young adulthood through meta-analysis. Some 124 studies appearing in PsycINFO, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, and Dissertation Abstracts International between 1966 and 2005 provided data. All calculations were performed using the software program, Comprehensive Meta-analysis. Results from longitudinal studies showed the mean proportion of adolescents making progressive identity status changes was .36, compared with .15 who made regressive changes and .49 who remained stable. Cross-sectional studies showed the mean proportion of moratoriums rising steadily to age 19 years and declining thereafter, while the mean proportion of the identity achieved rose over late adolescence and young adulthood; foreclosure and diffusion statuses declined over the high school years, but fluctuated throughout late adolescence and young adulthood. Meta-analyses showed that large mean proportions of samples were not identity achieved by young adulthood. Possible reasons for this phenomenon are explored.

A New Scale for Adolescent Resilience: Grasping the Central Protective Resources Behind Healthy Development

Abstract In this study, the Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READJ was developed with confirmatory factor analysis and cross-validated factor model. The results show that the READ has sound psychometric qualities and that it measures all the central aspects of the psychological construct of resiliency.

The comorbidity of eating disorders and personality disorders: A metaanalytic review of studies published between 1983 and 1998

Comorbid personality disorders in eating disordered patients may seriously affect the treatment and course of their illness. Several studies show such a comorbidity, though with inconsistent findings. Qualitative reviews attribute this to methodological shortcomings, but the qualitative method may itself create new shortcomings. To circumvent this, the present, more extensive review applies a meta-analytic approach. Using the databases MEDLINE and PSYCHLIT, the 28 articles published between 1983 and 1998 that presented empirical evidence for an eating disorder and personality disorder comorbidity suitable for meta-analysis were included. We found a higher proportion of eating disordered patients with any personality disorder (average proportion =0.58) related to comparison groups (average proportion =0.28). Compared with anorexia nervosa patients, a higher proportion of patients with bulimia nervosa had a concurrent cluster B personality (average proportion =0.44 ) and a borderline personality disorder (average proportion =0.31). However, no differences between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa patients in proportions of cluster C were found (average proportion =0.45 and 0.44 respectively). Patients with eating disorders and patients with bulimia nervosa in particular, should be routinely assessed for a concurrent personality disorder using structured clinical interviews. In future research, more stringent assessment procedures are highly recommended to address the question of causality between eating disorders and personality disorders, and how eating disorder symptoms and personality disorder symptoms are related to treatment effects.

Survey Response Rates and Survey Administration in Counseling and Clinical Psychology A Meta-Analysis

This article reports results of a meta-analysis of survey response rates in published research in counseling and clinical psychology over a 20-year span and describes reported survey administration procedures in those fields. Results of 308 survey administrations showed a weighted average response rate of 49.6%. Among possible moderators, response rates differed only by population sampled, journal in which articles were published, sampling source and method, and use of follow-up. Researchers whose studies were included in this meta-analysis used follow-up but rarely used incentives, prenotification, or other response-facilitation methods to maximize response rates. Although the future of survey research in general may rely more heavily on Internet data collection, mail surveys dominate in this field.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory: Factorial validity and consistency across occupational groups in Norway

The present study tested the factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory among 1590 human service workers. Confirmatory factor analyses of the total sample as well as multi-group analyses and analyses of each of seven professional groups separately, indicated that the original three-factor model of the MBI provided a reasonable fit to the data. However, a factorial model with items 12 and 16 removed provided a superior fit, with two of the fit indices over .90 and an RMSEA value of .06. The results of a multi-group analyses for the seven occupational groups showed a slightly poorer fit to the data than in the total sample. With a few exceptions, the fit indices of the models tested for each subsample separately indicated similar results, and the proposed 20-item model also provided the best fit for the subsamples. Internal consistencies of the subscales of the MBI were acceptable, and test-retest reliability indicated stability of scores over a 6-month interval. These results indicated that the proposed three-factor structure of the MBI based on 20 items can be replicated in the total sample as well as across occupations within human services in Norway.

Comorbidity of personality disorders in anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis of 30 years of research

BACKGROUND A comprehensive meta-analysis to identify the proportions of comorbid personality disorders (PD) across the major subtypes of anxiety disorders (AD) has not previously been published. METHODS A literature search identified 125 empirical papers from the period 1980-2010 on patients with panic disorders, social phobia, generalised anxiety, obsessive-compulsive (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several moderators were coded. RESULTS The rate of any comorbid PD was high across all ADs, ranging from .35 for PTSD to .52 for OCD. Cluster C PDs occurred more than twice as often as cluster A or B PDs. Within cluster C the avoidant PD occurred most frequently, followed by the obsessive-compulsive and the dependent PD. PTSD showed the most heterogeneous clinical picture and social phobia was highly comorbid with avoidant PD. A range of moderators were examined, but most were non-significant or of small effects, except an early age of onset, which in social phobia increased the risk of an avoidant PD considerably. Gender or duration of an AD was not related to variation in PD comorbidity. LIMITATIONS Blind rating of diagnoses was recorded from the papers as an indication of diagnostic validity. However, as too few studies reported it the validity of the comorbid estimates of PD was less strong. CONCLUSIONS The findings provided support to several of the proposed changes in the forthcoming DSM-5. Further comorbidity studies are needed in view of the substantial changes in how PDs will be diagnosed in the DSM-5.

Age-related differences in performance of phonemic verbal fluency measured by Controlled Oral Word Association Task (COWAT): a meta-analytic study.

Meta-analytical procedures were used to examine the research findings on age-related changes in phonemic verbal fluency measured by the Controlled Oral Word Association Task (COWAT). Data from 26 studies comparing adults from different age ranges were analyzed. An effect of aging was found in almost all age comparisons especially after 40 years of age. Results revealed a decline of this verbal ability after 60 years, which accelerates through the late 80s. Gender may influence COWAT performance after the sixth decade, favoring women over men. These results may be important in clinical situations where COWAT is used to assert pathological changes.

Meta-Analytic Studies of Identity Status and the Relational Issues of Attachment and Intimacy

Marcias ego identity status model has been a popular means of examining various dimensions of the adolescent identity formation process over the past 40 years. The purpose of this investigation was to undertake a meta-analysis of studies addressing the relationship between Marcias identity statuses and attachment (Study 1) and intimacy (Study 2). The following databases were used to identify relevant studies reported between 1966 and 2005: PsycINFO, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, and Dissertation Abstracts International. Some 14 investigations served as the data for Study 1 and 21 investigations for Study 2. Results from Study 1 found weak to moderate correlations between attachment styles and the identity statuses; however, certain predicted patterns in the relationships were found. Furthermore, the mean proportion of secure attachment was far higher among the identity achieved compared to foreclosures and diffusions. Study 2 showed a positive association between identity and intimacy status, although the relationship was stronger for men than women.

Psychological Measures As Predictors of Military Training Performance

The predictive validity of 7 ability tests, the Big Five, and the Rorschach method administered to 71 male applicants at the Naval Special Forces (NSF) of Norway was evaluated based on pass/fail results in training. The findings showed: (a) small correlations between the ability tests, the Big Five scales, and the success criterion; (b) Rorschach variables measuring stress tolerance, reality testing, cognition, and social adjustment correlated significantly (r = .25 to .48) with pass/fail results in training, and (c) logistic regression analysis revealed that 3 of the Rorschach variables accumulated incrementally in the prediction of training completion when entered after the ability tests and the Big Five scales, thus supporting the merit of using Rorschach variables for predicting NSF training performance.

Factorial validity of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) across occupational groups in Norway

The present study investigated the factorial validity of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) among 1266 participants from ten different occupational groups. Confirmatory factor analyses of the total sample, as well as multi-group analyses and analyses of each of the ten occupational groups separately, indicated that a three-dimensional model of both the UWES-17 and the short version, UWES-9, provided a better fit to the data than a one- and two-dimensional model. The results of multi-group analyses and analyses of each of the groups separately, indicated that with a few exceptions, the three-factor model of work engagement provided the best fit. Results indicated factorial invariance and the internal consistencies were acceptable. The fit of the UWES-9 was slightly better than the UWES-17. It is concluded that the Norwegian short version may be recommended over the UWES-17.