Robert L. Durham

Psychometric Properties of a Hurricane Coping Self-Efficacy Measure

This brief report describes the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure Hurricane Coping Self-Efficacy (HCSE). Survivors of Hurricane Andrew (n = 165) and Hurricane Opal (n = 63) completed the HCSE and assessments of optimism, social support, distress, and resource loss. Principal components factor analyses revealed a unidimensional structure for the HCSE. Internal consistency of the HCSE was strong. In both samples, HCSE was positively associated with optimism and social support, but negatively associated with general psychological distress, trauma related distress, and resource loss. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that the HCSE explained a significant amount of experimental variance for intrusive thoughts and avoidance after controlling for social support, lost resources, and optimism.

On the Relationship of the Five-Factor Personality Model to Personality Disorders: Four Reservations

McCrae and Costa since 1986 have proferred a five-factor personality model as a lingua franca among different psychometric test users, and they suggest that their operationalization of the five-factor model, the NEO Personality Inventory, may also be useful in the clinical assessment of the abnormal personality. The present study examined the inventory and its relationship to the 11 personality disorders of Axis II of DSM-III—R in a sample of 180 adults. Correlational multivariate analyses appear to indicate a limited usefulness of the five-factor model in the understanding of personality disorders, and four major objections are offered. Further research with clinical samples, other models of personality, and other measures of personality disorders are encouraged.

The Child Sexual Abuser: Perceptions of College Students and Professionals

College students and members of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) were compared as to their beliefs and attitudes concerning perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Analyses of a 44-item inventory (assessing beliefs about an abusers demographics and attitudes concerning an abusers cognitions and behaviors) indicated that the groups differed on perceived demographic descriptors (e.g., students believed perpetrators to be older when they first begin offending, more educated, and more likely to be gay than the professionals) and behaviors (e.g., students believed that the perpetrator was more likely to use force to gain the childs compliance). In addition, 2 subscales (Cognitive Distortions and Perceived Social Functioning) were identified. Compared to professionals, students were less likely to believe perpetrators use cognitive distortions and were more likely to believe perpetrators function at a lower interpersonal level. Results are discussed in terms of the efforts to educate the public about the characteristics of child sexual abusers.

The development and initial psychometric validation of the eHealth readiness scale

Participant attrition and non-adherence are common issues within eHealth interventions. There is need for a better understanding of who has interest in using these technologies. The current study developed and psychometrically evaluated the eHealth Readiness scale, which assesses user preparedness to engage in eHealth interventions. Construction of scale items was informed by the theory of self-efficacy, as well as the eHealth and eLearning literature. An initial validation was conducted with an undergraduate sample (N=195, Aged 1851, M=21.53, SD=5.16). Continued validation of the scale was done with a sample of military mental health providers (N=64, Aged 2980, M=49.30, SD=11.97) in a randomized controlled trial for an eHealth intervention. Results illustrated that scale items demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbachs =. 81 and 0.83), and a stable one-factor solution. Results also established construct validity for the scale. Results of an independent samples t-test indicated no significant difference in eHealth readiness scores between those who did and did not engage with the eHealth intervention, but scores for those who engaged were marginally higher. Current findings provide preliminary support for the psychometric properties of the eHealth readiness scale. Scale was developed to assess preparedness to engage with eHealth interventions.Results provide initial support for our scale as a brief, reliable and valid tool.Future study should substantiate the scale as a screening tool and factor structure.

Teaching Recreational Skills to Handicapped Youths with Video Modeling and Peer Tutoring.

A video-tape modeling and peer counseling program was utilized to teach recreational skills to younger handicapped youths and employment skills to adolescent handicapped youths. Twelve video tapes were developed to teach the adolescent youths (trainer) job skills relevant to both the specific job and general skills relevant to generic jobs. The trainers then used 29 recreational video tapes to teach the younger children (trainees) specific recreational skills. Resuts indicated that, as a function of video tape modeling and peer tuspring, trainees spent approximately 80% of their time engaged in talk specific (i.e., tape-modeled) behavior. Trainers evidenced significant increases in rated behavioral scales over the 12 week course of the study. Additionally, trainers scored significantly higher than randomly matched controls on a Job Skills Inventory (JSI) over the course of the study. Predicted similar differences in self-concept, as measured by the Piers-Harris Self Concept Scale for Children, were not obtained. Results were discussed in terms of the practicality of using video tape as a means to teach recreational and job skills to handicapped youths.