Browsing by Author "Ray, James V."
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- Psychometric properties of Basic Empathy Scale among female juvenile delinquents and school youthsPublication . Pechorro, Pedro; Kahn, Rachel E.; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Ray, James V.Research on empathy often distinguishes between affective and cognitive empathy, but there is limited knowledge regarding the application or measurement of these two dimensions of empathy among female youth, especially forensic samples of female youth. The main aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) among a Portuguese sample of female youths (N = 377), composed of incarcerated female juvenile offenders (n = 103) and school youths (n = 274). The two-factor structure of the BES obtained a good fit among the school sample, but the fit among the forensic sample was poor. Both samples demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in terms of Cronbach's alpha, omega coefficient, mean inter item correlations, corrected item-total correlation range, and criterion validity. However, some caution is advised when using the BES with female youth involved in the juvenile justice system, particularly with incarcerated female youth. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- The barratt impulsiveness scale-11 among a school sample of portuguese male and female adolescentsPublication . Pechorro, Pedro; Ayala-Nunes, Lara; Ray, James V.; Nunes, Cristina; Gonçalves, Rui AbrunhosaFew personality traits are as socially relevant as impulsivity, but few self-report measures have been specifically developed for adolescents and children. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11) among a mixed-gender sample of 782 Portuguese youth (M = 15.87 years; SD = 1.72), in a school context. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the expected 6-factor first-order structure, but the 3-factor second-order factorial structure did not present a good fit. Cross-gender measurement invariance was demonstrated only in terms of weak invariance. Nonetheless, the Portuguese adaptation of the BIS-11 demonstrated some generally acceptable psychometric properties of internal consistency, mean inter-item correlation, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity of statistically significant associations with conduct disorder symptoms, alcohol abuse, drug use, and unprotected sex. The use of the BIS-11 among the male and female youth population is psychometrically justified, and it can be a useful measure to identify impulsive adolescents who are at considerable risk of personal injury and present a potential source of injury to others.
- The inventory of callous–unemotional traits: psychometric properties among referred and non-referred portuguese female juvenilesPublication . Pechorro, Pedro; Ray, James V.; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Jesus, SaúlThe presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits delineates a subgroup of male youth with severe conduct disorder and antisocial behavior, but little research has been done among female youth. Drawing on 377 female adolescents (103 selected from forensic settings and 274 selected from school settings) from Portugal, the current study is the first to simultaneously examine the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU) in incarcerated female youth and community youth. The results support the use of the ICU in terms of its factor structure, and internal consistency despite the fact an item had to be removed from the Callousness dimension. Statistically significant positive associations were found with measures of psychopathic traits and aggression, as well as non-significant associations with empathy and social anxiety. Significant associations were also found with several indicators of delinquent careers including age of criminal onset, age of first contact with the law, Conduct Disorder symptoms and diagnosis, crime seriousness, previous violent offending, number of criminal charges, alcohol use, and drug use. Findings are discussed in terms of the use of the ICU among female juvenile offenders and community youths.