Thomas A. Wrobel

A Personological Examination of Self- and Other-Forgiveness in the Five Factor Model

In a sample composed of 147 undergraduates (age range 18 to 55 years; M = 22), we conducted an examination of the convergent and discriminant validity of self- and other-forgiveness in the Five-factor model of personality (FFM). Using multiple measures of each construct, principal components analysis (PCA) supported a 2-component model of forgiveness. Findings for the PCA and external correlates with the FFM provided evidence for a largely orthogonal relationship between self- and other-forgiveness. Specifically, self-forgiveness was negatively related to Neuroticism and unrelated to Agreeableness, whereas other-forgiveness was unrelated to Neuroticism and positively related to Agreeableness. Overlap between the constructs was found in which both self- and other-forgiveness were negatively related to the hostility facet of Neuroticism and the order facet from Conscientiousness and positively related to the warmth and positive emotions facet scales from the Extraversion domain of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Overall, these findings suggest that self- and other-forgiveness, although seemingly similar, carry very different motivational underpinnings.

Grieving Pet Death: Normative, Gender, and Attachment Issues

Grief over the loss of a pet was investigated to clarify the usual course of symptoms experienced, gender differences in the experience, and the role of attachment to the pet. The sample included 174 adults who had lost a pet dog or cat to death. Participants were administered a modified CENSHARE Pet Attachment Survey (Holcomb, Williams, & Richards, 1985) and a survey of symptoms experienced. Results indicate that initially 85.7% of owners experienced at least one symptom of grief, but the occurrence decreased to 35.1% at six months and to 22.4% at one year. Males and females reported significantly different rates on six of 12 symptoms surveyed. The severity and length of symptoms is significantly correlated with the degree of attachment to the deceased pet. These findings indicate that pet loss can be a potential area of clinical concern, especially if the persons attachment to the pet was strong.

Maladaptive correlates of the failure to forgive self and others : Further evidence for a two-component model of forgiveness

In a sample composed of 162 young adults, we examined the generalizability of an orthogonal, 2-component model of forgiveness previously reported by Ross, Kendall, Matters, Rye, and Wrobel (2004). Furthermore, we examined the relationship of these two components with maladaptive personality characteristics as measured by the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP; Clark, 1993), with an emphasis on Five-factor model markers of personality. Using multiple measures of forgiveness, principal components analysis supported a 2-component model representing self-forgiveness and other forgiveness. Despite the independence of self-forgiveness and other forgiveness, zero order correlations with SNAP scales supported convergent more than discriminant validity. In contrast, hierarchical multiple regression analyses emphasized the discriminant validity of self-forgiveness and other forgiveness. Among indices of Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Agreeableness, Negative Temperament (+) was the sole predictor of self-forgiveness. In contrast, Positive Temperament (+), Aggression (−), and Histrionic PD (−) were most associated with other forgiveness. Overall, these findings support the validity of these factors and highlight the importance of self-forgiveness in clinical assessment.

Performance of the Personality Inventory for Youth Validity Scales

Response sets as well as cognitive and academic deficits compromise the validity of child and adolescent self-report of emotional adjustment. Three studies using clinical and asymptomatic samples of 4th to 12th grade students detail applications of the four validity scales of the Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY), namely, (a) Validity (VAL) a scale of six highly improbable statements, (b) Inconsistency (INC) consisting of pairs of highly correlated statements, (c) Dissimulation (FB) constructed of statements that were infrequent and characteristic of intentional distortion, and (d) Defensiveness (DEF) an extension of the Lie scale of the parent-report Personality Inventory for Children. The effects of minimizing, malingering, and random response sets on the PLY validity scales are reported. The importance of such validity scales derived from child and adolescent response is discussed.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy in Treatment of Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Meta-Analytic Review of Outcome Studies

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relative effectiveness of the broad-based treatments for combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The analysis includes 13 pharmacotherapy studies and 12 psychotherapy studies obtained from a PsychINFO database search and a reference search. Studies of pharmacotherapy treatment efficacy demonstrated a significantly greater decrease in reducing PTSD symptoms, t (22) = -2.74, p = 0.01, d = 0.05. A random coefficient analysis supports this finding with significance determined at p < 0.001 for the fixed effects in the models. A limited examination of depression as a frequently comorbid disorder indicated pharmacotherapy also demonstrated a significantly greater decrease than psychotherapy in depression symptoms, t (15.77) = -2.26, p = 0.04, d = 0.16. Differences between treatments are discussed as potentially reflective of assignment to treatments and assessment techniques as well as therapeutic effects.

Application of the Megargee MMPI Typology to a Forensic Psychiatric Population

Generalizability of a previously established MMPI-based classification system that was developed using a criminal population (Megargee & Bohn, 1979) was investigated using a sample of 151 patients in a forensic psychiatry unit. Comparison of Megargee and Bohns (1977) prisoners and the forensic sample indicated significantly different proportions occurring for three of the ten groups with significantly higher proportion of the forensic sample occurring in the five more elevated profile types. Comparison of the three most common groups revealed a significant difference on the Beck Hopelessness Scale. These findings are taken to support the applicability of the Magargee system to a hospitalized population.

Self-Report Problem Scales and Subscales and Behavioral Ratings Provided by Peers Unique Evidence of Test Validity

The relationship between children’s self-reported problems on the Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY) and peer descriptors derived from the Pupil Evaluation Inventory was examined in a regular education sample of 156 children in fourth through eighth grade. The relative contributions of the PIY scales and subscales to the prediction of peer ratings were compared. Peer ratings of withdrawn, disruptive, and prosocial behaviors were substantially correlated to self-report problem scales made up of logically related content. The addition of more content-specific PIY subscales contributed to the prediction made by PIY scales of peer-reported disruptive behaviors and withdrawal.

Application of the Megargee MMPI Typology to Apopulation of Defendants Referred for Psychiatric Evaluation

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 449 male and 111 female defendants referred for presentence psychiatric evaluation were classified using the system developed by Megargee and Bohn in 1977. The distribution of groups for each sex was compared with the results obtained by Megargee and Bohn and other researchers as well as with each other. The male groups differed on variables of age and type of referral. Female group distribution differed in all cases. Results are discussed in terms of the more prevalent violent groups among the male sample and higher prevalence of more benign types among the females.