A Psychodynamic Child Rating Scale.

Research showing psychodynamic child therapy to be less effective than other forms of child treatment have used outcome measures focusing on symptomatic and behavioral change rather than on psychodynamic processes. A child therapy assessment procedure than measures the psychological functioning of the child in a psychodynamically meaningful way is needed to make a fair evaluation of psychodynamic child therapy. The Psychodynamic Child Rating Scale (PCRS) involves the administration of an abbreviated standardized psychological battery consisting of five subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, nine designs of the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, the House-Person-Tree Test, the Kinetic Family Drawing, the Kinetic Peer Drawing, four cards of the Thematic Apperception Test, additional child interview items, and a parent interview. The examiner uses the information obtained from this battery to determine the child's position in relation to eight dimensions or item-scales relevant for psychodynamic functioning: (1) Intellectual Functioning; (2) Ego Functioning; (3) Self-Concept; (4) Aggression Control; (5) Emotional Adjustment; (6) Family Relations; (7) Peer Relations; and (8) Psychosexual Development. Ratings are sunned to obtain a Total Psychodynamic Functioning score as well as scores on two factors: interpersonal and intrapersonal. This document describes the PCRS, discussing each of the eight item-scales and identifying various anchor points for each item-scale. It presents evidence for inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, and validity obtained from a study of 69 latency-aged boys who were assessed with the PCRS, as well as other measures, before and after therapy. (NB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS Ore the best that can be made from the original document.