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Rates of change in behaviors in relation to community adjustment were examined for 292 participants in the 7-year longitudinal National Adolescent and Child Treatment Study (NACTS) as they transitioned to the adult world. Participants with initially higher social-adaptive behavior and whose behavior improved over time attained higher adjustment scores. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the two-factor second-order structure of the Child Behavior Checklist (T. Achenbach, 1991) in a sample of 577 children with serious emotional disturbance. Results support Achenbach's proposed structure model and indicate that an overall score would be an appropriate measure of global problem behavior. (SLD)

Describes the development and initial validation of the Encouragement Scale. Results from three studies support the internal consistency, test-retest stability, and validity of the scores. Use of the scale as a research tool to measure attitudes necessary for effective personal relationships is supported. (RJM)

This paper explores the use of Rasch analysis and linear confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the dimensionality of an early childhood test, the Gesell School Readiness Screening Test (F. Ilg and others, 1978). Discusses empirical analyses of results from 523 kindergarten students using both methods. (SLD)

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.05.001 Byline: Tony Xing Tan, Kofi Marfo, Robert F. Dedrick Keywords: Special needs adoption; Adopted Chinese children; Behavioral adjustment Abstract: Since 1994, China has been a leading source of international adoptions in the US, and since 2000, an increasing number of these children have entered the country under the special needs classification. While there is a large body of research on domestic special needs adoptions, very little is known about special needs adoptions from China. This study took advantage of a large survey of 1096 adopted Chinese children to explore a number of questions on special needs adoptions from China. The sample included 124 children adopted under the special needs classification. In addition to parental reports of child behavioral problems on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), data on age at adoption, type of special needs, pre-adoption adversity, developmental delays at adoption, and Initial Adaptation to Adoption were collected retrospectively from the adoptive parents. The analysis revealed no differences between special needs (SN) and non-special needs (NS) children on any of the measures. In addition, the nature of the disabilities associated with the SN classification for many of the children may not pose significant challenges to optimal development. Policy and practice implications are discussed in light of these findings. Author Affiliation: College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL United States Article History: Received 8 February 2006; Revised 27 April 2007; Accepted 16 May 2007

We used multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the five-factor measurement model underlying the 50-item Irrational Beliefs Inventory (IBI) in samples of university students in the United States (n =827) and Iceland (n =720). Global model fit was marginally acceptable in each sample. Further analyses identified several sources of model misfit that included weak factor loadings, several item pairs with correlated errors, and items with loadings on more than one factor. Cronbach's alpha reliability estimates for the five factors were similar for the U.S. and Icelandic samples, and comparable to those reported by the developers of the IBI. Measurement invariance testing supported configural (same form) and metric invariance (equal loadings), but identified only 20 items that had invariant item intercepts across the U.S. and Icelandic groups. Given the finding of partial measurement invariance, we offer caution when using the IBI to make group comparisons for U.S. and Icelandic samples. Recommendations are proposed for ongoing psychometric evaluations of the IBI that would identify strengths of the IBI and items that, if revised or deleted, may improve the quality of the measure for research and clinical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A research study in gerontology examines various recruitment methods for enrolling community-based elders into the Diabetes Care for Older Adults Project. The recruitment process is more rigid compared to previous research due to the strict eligibility criteria, the possible non-participation of subjects because of the required change of treatment and health care providers, and the long duration of the project. The recruitment approaches described can make similar recruitment processes easier.

Use of a multitrait-matrix method, of a study of 489 emotionally disturbed subjects aged between eight and 18; and child, parent and teacher ratings help assess problem behaviors of emotionally disturbed children. This matrix produces large method effects for each of the rating types for the four emotional and behavioral difficulty factors: internalizing, thought, attention and externalizing. Modeling of these method effects indicates good convergent validity of the three ratings and discriminant validity of the four problematic areas.

Trust is widely acknowledged as an essential ingredient in patient-physician relationships. Given a dearth of situation-specific measures designed to quantify patients' trust in their physicians, we set out to develop an instrument to assess a patient's interpersonal trust in his physician. Findings from two studies are reported describing the development and validation of the Trust in Physician scale. Study 1 of 160 participants provided preliminary support for the reliability (Cronbach alpha = .90) and construct validity of the 11-item scale. Study 2, a replication study of 106 participants, supplied further evidence of the reliability and validity of the scale. Cronbach alpha was .85. Trust was significantly related to patients' desires for control in their clinical interactions and subsequent satisfaction with care. Research and clinical applications of the Trust in Physician scale are discussed.