Development and validation of the Delinquency Reduction Outcome Profile (DROP) in a sample of incarcerated juveniles: a multiconstruct/multisituational scoring approach

Psychol Assess. 2012 Dec;24(4):901-12. doi: 10.1037/a0028193. Epub 2012 Apr 30.

Abstract

The Delinquency Reduction Outcome Profile (DROP) is a novel situational-judgment test (SJT) designed to measure social decision making in delinquent youth. The DROP includes both a typical SJT scoring method, which captures the deviation of an individual response from an "ideal" expert-based response pattern, as well as a novel "Multiconstruct-Multisituational" (MCMS) factor-scoring method, enabling the assessment "in context" of latent dimensions reflecting stable decision-making tendencies. The authors present the development and validation of the DROP across 2 studies establishing its reliability and internal and concurrent validity using a sample of 1,922 young detainees and a sample of juveniles from the community. The authors also discuss the potential usefulness of the DROP as a prognostic tool to predict recidivism for delinquent youth and to monitor changes in intervention programs designed to improve social decision-making skills. Benefits of the MCMS scoring approach for SJT literature and psychological measurement are also discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Decision Making / physiology*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Juvenile Delinquency / psychology*
  • Male
  • Prisoners / psychology*
  • Psychometrics / instrumentation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards*
  • Young Adult