Biomedical subjects

T J Kenny

Publications and source records attributed to T J Kenny.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1991

The meaning of measures: pitfalls in behavioral and developmental research.

This article considers a number of issues encountered in the selection and use of measures in research in the area of behavioral and developmental pediatrics. In addition to considering basic psychometric principles, it is argued that problems inherent in the developmental process, the lack of correspondence between study and standardization samples, and methodological factors affecting measurement may threaten the validity of individual measures and bias research outcome. A number of recommendations are made to counter the effects of these common measurement problems that indirectly result from the absence of a "gold standard" for measuring behavior and development.

Child↗

PubMed1987

Developmental screening using parent report.

The need for comprehensive screening of pediatric populations to identify potential development problems is widely accepted. The lack of systematic screening in pediatric practice is due to several factors, including the need for an efficient, reliable instrument and the limited professional time available for screening. The present study compares the effectiveness of a screening instrument, the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, with an individually administered psychological test, the McCarthy Scales of Child Development. Because the former uses a parent report format, little professional time is involved in screening. The Minnesota and McCarthy were administered to 364 children who were within 1 month of their third birthday. Four of five Minnesota scores correlated significantly (p less than 0.0001) with each of the six McCarthy subscores. The Minnesota appears to be an efficient, valid test that would facilitate comprehensive screening in a pediatric population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Visual-motor problems of adolescents who attempt suicide.

Using the Canter Background Interference Procedure with the Bender-Gestalt Test, a group of 18 adolescent suicide attempters earned test scores indicating they had significantly more problems with visual-motor coordination than did a control group of 21 adolescents. There were also a greater number of school failures and behavior problems among these suicide attempters. The findings suggest that learning disabilities may be an unrecognized factor which increases the risk of suicide attempts by adolescents.

Achievement↗

PubMed1977

Adolescents who attempt suicide.

A suicide prevention program for teen-agers was established and at the completion of the first two years a review of the data was undertaken. A group of 65 adolescents who attempted suicide were identified in that time period. The median age group was 16 years, and 75% were girls. Ingestion was the predominant method used in these suicidal attempts. The major characteristics of these youngsters included long-term family disruption, social isolation, and academic difficulties. A subgroup of 25 adolescents received psychologic tests. When compared to a matched control group there was a significantly higher rate of minimal brain dysfunction for those adolescents who attempted suicide.

Achievement↗

PubMed1977