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Abstract. Identity difficulties have been associated with various psychiatric conditions and are considered a central issue in personality pathology. Following the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders, measures of self- and interpersonal functioning have been developed. Although these measures were intended to be separate ratings of self-other deficits, only a global rating was obtained. Moreover, these measures fall short in bridging the gap between developmental and clinical identity work. To capture both adaptive and disturbed identity dimensions, Kaufman et al. (2015) developed the Self-Concept and Identity Measure (SCIM) that assesses consolidated identity, disturbed identity, and lack of identity. Using two-wave longitudinal data (2,150 adolescents; 54.2% girls; age range = 12–19), this study investigated the factor structure and reliability of the Dutch SCIM, its measurement invariance across time, its longitudinal measurement invariance across gender and age groups, and associations of the SCIM with identity synthesis and confusion, Big-Five personality traits, and borderline personality disorder features. Consolidated identity scores were positively related to identity synthesis and adaptive Big-Five traits, whereas negatively related to identity confusion, neuroticism, and borderline features. Opposite associations were obtained for disturbed identity and lack of identity scores. The Dutch SCIM appeared to produce valid and reliable scores and seemed suited to assess longitudinal identity functioning in Belgian adolescents.

ispartof: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT vol:37 issue:2 pages:81-85 status: published

ispartof: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT vol:34 issue:5 pages:291-294 status: Published online

In the present study we investigated the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS; Nock, Wedig, Holmberg, & Hooley, 2008 ). A sample of 615 high school students completed the ERS, together with the Adult Temperament Questionnaire, the Utrecht Coping List, the Self-Injury Questionnaire, and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the one- and the three factor structure of the ERS. Both solutions showed stability across sex. However, given the high correlations between the three ERS subscales (ranging from r = .87 to r = .94), the more parsimonious 1-factor solution was preferred. The resulting ERS total scale had an internal consistency coefficient of .95 and was positively related to the temperament trait Negative Affectivity and negatively to Effortful Control. Additionally, it correlated significantly and positively with less adequate coping skills (such as Passive Depressive Reaction Patterns and Avoidance) and negatively with adequate coping skills (such as Active Problem Solving). Finally, the ERS scale discriminated between high school students with and without nonsuicidal self-injurious and eating-disorder related behaviors. The ERS is a reliable and valid questionnaire to measure emotion reactivity.

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the German version of the 21-item Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS-G), which was administered in a large representative German sample (N = 1,611). In order to examine convergent validity, we also asked participants to answer the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). To investigate the discriminant validity, clients of fitness centers (N = 129), sport students (N = 85), and medical students (N = 129) filled out the EDS-G. In this German population-based sample, the seven-factor structure suggested by the original authors as well as a higher-order model (7 + 1 factor model) were supported. The total EDS-G scale showed an excellent internal reliability and was positively related to the EDE-Q total and subscale scores. The EDS-G scores differentiated between samples with varying degrees of exercise. In summary, the results indicate that the EDS-G is a psychometrically sound and potentially valid brief measure for the assessment of exercise dependence symptoms.

The Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO, Kernberg & Clarkin, 1995 ; Lenzenweger, Clarkin, Kernberg, & Foelsch, 2001 ) is a self-report instrument intended to measure a patient’s level of personality organization. This manuscript describes the development of a shortened version of the IPO (the IPO-R). Construct validity of the IPO-R is determined by investigating (a) its latent structure, (b) the equivalence of this latent structure in a normal and a clinical sample (structural validity), and (c) differences between mean scores of the IPO-R scales for a normal population, axis-I disordered and axis-II disordered patients (concurrent validity). The IPO-R showed adequate construct validity in a normal and a clinical sample.

In this study, we investigated the reliability and validity of the Perceived Modes of Processing Inventory (PMPI) by Burns and D’Zurilla, which measures two types of information processing, experiential and rational. We administered the dispositional and situation-specific format of the PMPI to a sample of 64 eating-disorder (ED) patients. In the situation-specific format we manipulated the nature of the situation and the degree of emotional involvement. Results show a good reliability and validity of the dispositional and situation-specific format of the PMPI. The situation-specific format of the PMPI showed that ED patients show more rational than experiential processing in practical situations, and more experiential processing in interpersonal situations. These differences were more pronounced in situations with high emotional involvement. Finally, assessed situation-specific processing styles predicted particular ED-related behaviors and coping styles. The implications of the findings for therapeutic interventions are discussed.

Summary: Assessment of dysfunctional cognitive processes that guide maladaptive behavioral functioning is a sine qua non for cognitive behavioral treatment. Such an assessment, however, is cursed with at least three problems. Firstly, people may not always have access to their cognitive processes, which may hamper the retrieval of them by means of direct questioning procedures. Secondly, the contents of dysfunctional cognitions can be highly idiographic, which may limit their assessment by means of nomothetic instruments. Thirdly, one may wish to go beyond the assessment of the contents of the cognitive beliefs and chart the links with the situational conditions under which these dysfunctional beliefs are applicable, their interrelations and their links with the ultimate maladaptive behaviors. This article describes a novel method that may be helpful in this respect. After outlining its major principles, we illustrate them with a case study of an impulse control disordered patient.