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Biomedical subjects

R G Malgady

Publications and source records attributed to R G Malgady.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

The Vocational Adaptation Rating Scales.

The Vocational Adaptation Rating Scales (VARS) were developed to provide a comprehensive assessment of maladaptive social behavior related to vocational success, but not directly measuring job performance of mentally retarded workers. Psychometric information derived from the VARS is useful for developing individualized educational plans (IEPs) for compliance with Public Law 94-142; for program, worker or curriculum evaluations; and for predicting placement of workers in vocational training. Research indicates that VARS scores are internally consistent, moderately correlated with other vocational measures, unbiased with respect to sex and age differences, and independent of IQ. Inter-rater reliability is acceptable, and VARS profiles are accurate predictors of level of sheltered workshop placement of mentally retarded workers, independent of IQ, sex and age. Unlike other instruments, the VARS offers a profile of social behavior in a vocational context.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Validity of the Vocational Adaptation Rating Scale: prediction of mentally retarded workers' placement in sheltered workshops.

The validity of the Vocational Adaptation Rating Scale (VARS) for predicting placement of mentally retarded workers in sheltered-workshop settings was investigated. The VARS was administered by workshop supervisors to noninstitutionalized adolescents and adults, ranging from severely to mildly retarded. Frequency and severity of maladaptive behavior in six domains predicted the concurrent placement of retarded workers in workshops and their placement one year later. Results indicated low to moderate significant partial correlations with concurrent placement and one-year follow-up placement (controlling IQ, age, and sex). Multiple-correlation analyses indicated that the VARS provided significant increments in predictable variance in workshop placements (13.8 to 16.1 percent) relative to predictions based on IQ, age, and sex. Results support the instrument's incremental validity as a measure of maladaptive behavior in vocational settings.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

Language factors in vocational evaluation of mentally retarded workers.

Vocational teachers described maladaptive social behavior of retarded workers in vocational training classrooms and sheltered workshops. A rating scale was developed from 28 items measuring unacceptable language behavior. Twenty-seven teachers rated (a) 196 retarded workers with respect to the frequency of maladaptive behavior and (b) the 28 items with respect to the probability that a given behavior would result in termination of employment. Patterns of language behavior of retarded workers were factor analyzed, yielding two primary dimensions: verbal manners and communication skills. Irritating verbal manners were rated as more likely to result in termination of a worker than were poor communication skills. Both factors correlated significantly with the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, and communication skills correlated significantly with the San Francisco Vocational Competency Scale. Results suggested the need to remediate maladaptive verbal behavior in sheltered or educational settings and to assign workers to jobs in accordance with their communication skills.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Scaling of disfigurement and dysfunction in postoperative head and neck patients.

The primary purpose of this investigation was to construct a quantitative scale to measure the perception of severity of visible disfigurement and dysfunction following ablative head and neck cancer surgery. Facial disfigurement and disruption of physical function induced by head and neck surgery pose formidable obstacles to the medical and psychosocial adaptation of cancer patients. Although this problem is widely acknowledged, virtually no research has attempted reliable and valid measurement of such concepts. Consequently, the present study investigated the psychological perceptions of 100 registered nurses regarding 11 disfiguring surgical procedures and loss of associated functions. Results indicated that the nurses' judgments of disfigurement and dysfunction were highly consistent and not a function of patient gender. Judgments of the severity of disfigurement, moreover, were independent of the perceived severity of associated dysfunction. It was concluded that this is a reliable method for measuring the relative degree of disfigurement and dysfunction and represents a critical precursor to prediction of a patient's psychological rehabilitation and compliance with medical care after surgery.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alcohol and marijuana use among rural youth: interaction of social and intrapersonal influences.

Epidemiological research indicates that the prevalence rate of drug use among adolescents has risen steadily during this decade, and although alcohol use has stabilized it is still highly prevalent. Psychosocial etiological models have typically examined main effects of risk and protective factors. This study examined moderating effects of intrapersonal skills on social (peer and parental) risks associated with alcohol and marijuana use among eighth-grade rural adolescents, an understudied population. Results indicated that the relationships of peer and parental attitudes, and peer usage to alcohol and marijuana use, are moderated by adolescents' decision-making and self-reinforcement skills. Social risk factors were strongly associated with increased alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents with poor intrapersonal skills. However, good decision-making and self-reinforcement skills diminished the influence of social risk factors on substance use. Results are discussed in terms of implications for psychosocial models of alcohol and drug use, and for designing effective school-based universal prevention interventions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗