Richard S. Wampler

Money Doesn't Buy Happiness, but It Helps: Marital Satisfaction, Psychological Distress, and Demographic Differences Between Low- and Middle-Income Clinic Couples

The characteristics of 51 very low-income and 61 middle-income couples receiving services from a university-based community clinic offering a sliding fee scale were compared on a number of demographic variables. Group differences were significant with the exception of the number of children and wifes ethnicity. Middle-income couples were better educated, more likely to be full-time employed, less likely to be from a minority group, older with longer relationships, and more likely to present with family problems. Middle-income couples also had significantly lower scores on the General Severity Index of the Brief Symptom Inventory and higher scores on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The relevance of these differences for clinicians is discussed.

The Identity Style Inventory: A Revision with a Sixth-Grade Reading Level (ISI-6G).

The Berzonsky (1992b) Identity Style Inventory (ISI) was revised to a sixth-grade reading levelfor use with adolescents and adults with reading limitations. This version of the ISI differs from the original version, which was developed with college students and had a higher than ninth-grade reading level. College students (N = 361) were given both versions of the ISI in a counterbalanced order The revised ISI (ISI-6G) scales (Information, Normative, and Diffuse/Avoidant) were found to be reliable and valid. Construct validity was demonstrated through factor analysis and paired sample t-tests. Correlations between factor scores for each version were high (.79 through .84). Criterion validity was supported by the relations between the ISI-6G scales and predicted alcohol consumption patterns, level of expressed optimism, codependence, and religiosity. Overall, the ISI-6G was comparable to the original ISI and could be used with adolescents and adults.

Ethnic Differences in Grade Trajectories During the Transition to Junior High

Abstract The transition from elementary to junior high school is difficult for some children, as indicated by a drop in grades in the new school setting from the beginning to end of the year. Finer-grain analysis of grade trajectories in the first year of junior high may reflect important differences among groups. In the present study, variables predicting linear and quadratic grade trajectories over the seventh grade were examined using a structural equation model (SEM, AMOS-4) and curve estimation procedures. Participants were 214 boys and 259 girls entering junior high (52% Anglo, 36% Hispanics, primarily of Mexican descent, and 12% Blacks). Three trajectory patterns were observed: “sliders,” students who showed a fairly steady grade decline over the year (characteristic of Anglos), “steadies,” students who varied little over the year (characteristic of Blacks), and “rebounders,” students whose grades dropped to a minimum in the fourth 6-week period, then showed limited recovery (characteristic of Hispanics). In the SEM, a lower intercept (representing the average of sixth grade grades) was associated with minority ethnic/racial status (Hispanic or Black), using more emotional discharge to cope, having a lower percentage of adults in the support network, poorer family functioning, and greater depression. Being Black was associated with a positive path coefficient to the linear slope of the grade trajectory, while a negative path coefficient was associated with using more emotional discharge in coping. The quadratic element (drop in grades with some recovery) was more pronounced for Hispanic participants, less pronounced for Black participants, and more pronounced when poorer family functioning was reported. Curve estimation procedures confirmed these ethnic/racial group differences. Reasons for such differences and their implications for schools and families are discussed.

Differences in Self-Report Measures by Adolescent Sex Offender Risk Group

Differences in self-reports among three groups of juvenile sex offenders (N = 162) were examined. Risk was defined as the sum of the following static variables based on interviews with juveniles and others and from written records: type of offense (violent or predatory =1, not = 0), prior sex offense (any =1, none = 0), history of sexual abuse (self or family= 1, none = 0), history of substance abuse (self or family =1, none = 0), history of behavior problems (yes =1, no = 0), and unstable home life (yes =1, stable = 0). Low-risk (0 to 2 risk factors), medium-risk (3 factors), and high-risk (4 to 6 factors) groups of offenders were formed. Univariate ANCOVAs indicated that the high-risk group reported less family cohesion, more aggression, lower self-esteem, more social discomfort, and more frequent and extreme sexual fantasies. The implications of these findings for differential identification of and interventions with adolescent sex offenders are discussed.

Indicators of Spiritual Development in Recovery from Alcohol and Other Drug Problems

Abstract Participants (183 male, 69 female) from a variety of treatment settings completed the Spiritual Health Inventory (internal and external spiritual well being; Chappell, 1995), the Surrender Scale (Reinert et al., 1995); and the Life Orientation Test (a measure of optimism; Scheier & Carver, 1985). Although all three measures were significant predictors of perceived quality of recovery and the total number of 12 Steps completed, surrender, optimism, and internal spiritual well being (not external spiritual well being) differed significantly by (1) length of recovery (< 1 year vs. 1 year or more), (2) level of recovery behaviors (high vs. low), and (3) whether Steps 1-3 had been completed. The results indicate that spirituality is an important element in recovery and support the concept of including the practice of spirituality as part of recovery programs.

No Soy de Aqui ni Soy de Alla Transgenerational Cultural Identity Formation

The transgenerational cultural identity model offers a detailed understanding of the immigration experience by challenging agendas of assimilation and by expanding on existing theories of cultural identity. Based on this model, immigration is a complex phenomenon influenced by many variables such as sociopsychological dimensions, family, oppression, and quality of reception in the new country. These factors produce different outcomes of cultural identity. Potential applications of the model for educational institutions serving Latina/o students are discussed.

Recovery From Alcohol or Drug Abuse: The Relationship Between Identity Styles and Recovery Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between identity styles and recovery from substance abuse. Consistent findings have established a relationship between identity diffusion and substance misuse, but no research has explored the influence of identity styles on recovery processes. Participants (N = 252) from treatment and recovery- based facilities and groups using a 12-step recovery model were assessed with the Identity Style Inventory (White, Wampler, & Winn, 1998) and self-report measures of pretreatment addiction, length of continuous abstinence, quality of recovery, and recovery progress. Those with a diffuse/avoidant style had shorter lengths of continuous abstinence, fewer recovery-oriented behaviors, lower quality of recovery, and less recovery progress than those with an information style, suggesting an important relationship between identity styles and the process of recovery from substance abuse.

Young adult offspring and their families of origin: Cohesion, adaptability, and addiction

This study examined relationships among measures of family functioning (FACES-II), number of family addictions, and risk of alcoholism (Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, SMAST) in a college sample. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the number of family addictions and the additively combined FACES-II scales each predicted scores on the SMAST. Thus, addictions in the family contribute to offspring alcoholism both directly, through their presence, and indirectly, through family functioning. Information on the history of a wide range of family addictions and on the functioning style of the family of origin can be valuable in assessing and addressing addiction risk.

“Changing for My Kid”: Fatherhood Experiences of Mexican‐Origin Teen Fathers Involved in the Justice System

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted with six adolescent fathers of Mexican origin on juvenile probation for a variety of serious offenses. All participants successfully completed a parenting program designed especially for teen fathers. In a series of consecutive in-depth interviews, teen fathers were asked to discuss their experiences as fathers. Four phenomena were identified from the data: (a) not giving up and deciding to be a dad, (b) figuring out my relationships after becoming a father, (c) wanting to be a good father, and (d) wanting to be Brown and a father. Findings challenge negative stereotypes associated with Mexican-origin teen fathers engaged in delinquent behaviors and describe the ways in which fatherhood became an important positive motivator in the lives of participants.

MMPI Profiles of Female Candidates for Obesity Surgery: A Cluster Analytic Approach.

Background: Early attempts to characterize personality in obese persons led to the conclusion that the severely obese are not homogeneous on personality measures. More recently, cluster analysis procedures have been applied to identify meaningful personality subtypes in populations of persons with severe obesity; some progress has been made in this effort, but researchers have indicated the need for replication in other settings. Methods: In the present study, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was administered to 163 female candidates for intestinal bypass surgery. Results: Eight clusters were identified. Of the MMPI profiles, 71% were in one of four normal limit clusters. The remainder were distributed across four clusters, all beyond normal limits. Conclusions: Present and previous results appear to converge on representative personality subtypes in severe obesity. Identification of such meaningful subgroups of candidates for obesity surgery may enhance the prediction of surgery outcomes, and yield a better understanding of personality in severely obese women.