An attempt to develop a process-reactive scale for males and females

Describes the development of a self-report process-reactive scale. The scale of L. P. Ullman and J. M. Giovanni and that of M. H. Johnson and H. A. Ries (1966) were reworded to make them appropriate for both sexes and were administered to 80 psychiatric patients. Of the 30 items that discriminated between process and reactive patients as defined by the Phillips Rating Scale of Premorbid Adjustment, 21 did not and 9 did show sex differences. The 30-item scale was readministered to a new sample of 118 males and 86 females. Only 9 items were replicated, showing a process–reactive distinction and no sex difference. While both the 9-item and 30-item scales were useful for classifying males, neither achieved satisfactory rates for females. The concept of process vs reactive in females is questioned for its applicability. (French summary)