The Personality Research Form as a therapy outcome measure of social behavior

Reported two studies that examined the efficacy of the Personality Research Form (PRF) as an outcome measure for interventions designed to increase social competence. In the first study (N = 83), the degree to which PRF scales can predict criteria frequently used in social skills training outcome research was examined, and the PRF was shown to be sensitive to such criteria. The second study (N = 24) assessed the relative degree to which the PRF scales and more frequently used outcome measures, including the above criteria, are affected by factors non-specific to social skills training interventions (suggestion for improvement). While three PRF scales were affected significantly, demand effects were much more pervasive on the other measures, which suggests that those measures can be used to obtain valid estimates of treatment effects only when experimental control of non-specific effects is possible. Two PRF scales, Affiliation and Exhibition, were shown to be both sensitive to criteria and resistant to demand effects, and as such may be useful as outcome measures in non-controlled clinical settings.