An adapted version of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study (PFS-AV) for the measurement of hostility in violent forensic psychiatric patients

• Published in: Criminal behaviour and mental health Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 45 - 56
• Main Authors: Hornsveld, Ruud H.J., Nijman, Henk L.I., Hollin, Clive R., Kraaimaat, Floor W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Adult; Aggression; Antisocial Personality Disorder - diagnosis; Antisocial Personality Disorder - epidemiology; Female; Frustration; Hostility; Humans; Male; Mentally ill people; Middle Aged; Neuroticism; Personality tests; Prisoners - psychology; Psychological Tests; Surveys and Questionnaires; Test-Retest reliability; Violence
• ISSN: 0957-9664; 1471-2857
• DOI: 10.1002/cbm.638

Background The original Rosenzweig Picture‐Frustration Study (PFS), designed to measure reactive aggressive behaviour in adults, contains 24 pictures of ambiguous situations in which someone is making a remark that can be interpreted as provocative. Aim An adapted version of Rosenzweig's PFS (PFS‐AV) was developed to assess the hostile thoughts elicited by interpersonal frustrating situations in forensic psychiatric patients with a conduct disorder or an antisocial personality disorder. Methods Patients were asked to give their responses in a few words on paper, which were then evaluated for hostility using a seven‐point Likert scale. The patients also completed questionnaires on personality and on aggressive and socially competent behaviour. Results Twelve of the 24 pictures that had a good internal consistency, inter‐rater reliability, and test–retest reliability were selected. In support of the instrument's concurrent validity, scores on the PFS‐AV were positively correlated with those on the aggressive behaviour questionnaires but less strongly than the correlations between the aggressive behaviour questionnaires mutually. The validity of the PFS‐AV was demonstrated by the positive correlation between PFS‐AV hostility and neuroticism, and by the negative correlation with extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. A relatively low but positive correlation was found with social anxiety and a negative correlation was found with social skills in situations where approaching behaviour may be exhibited. Conclusion The adapted version of the PFS‐AV appears reliably and validly to measure hostility in violent forensic psychiatric patients. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.