In this study the psychometric properties of the PSWQ and the WDQ were investigated in a community sample. The PSWQ proved to be unidimensional although the results indicated that the negatively keyed items contributed less to the general factor. Internal reliability of the PSWQ was satisfactory. Confirmatory analysis of the WDQ indicated that some alternations with regard to the content of the different domains had to be made. Furthermore, an additional health worry domain was included in the scale. This resulted in a revised revision of the WDQ. Internal reliability of the WDQ-R was satisfactory, as well as consistencies of the different domains, with the exception of the Work Incompetence domain. High to moderate correlations were found between the two worry scales and measures of trait anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive behaviour. In studying the relative impact of these constructs on worry it was found that the predictors accounted for 62 and 61% of the variance in the PSWQ and the WDQ-R respectively, providing further evidence for the separate construct of worry.

Considerable emphasis is placed on the importance of building rapport when interviewing witnesses and suspects. Despite the abundant literature on the working alliance in therapeutic settings, however, few studies have addressed the topic of 'rapport' in investigative interviewing. Conceptual analysis revealed a number of similarities between the two constructs. This finding suggests the possible benefits of using the theoretical therapeutic construct and operationalisation of the working alliance in order to gain insight into the dynamics of investigative interviewing in a police context.The present study examines the perceptions of witnesses and suspects regarding the working alliance in actual interviews. It also considers their perceptions of interviewing style, which is another key element in investigative interviewing. In addition, the study investigates the relationship between the working alliance and the interview style. Selfreport questionnaires completed by investigators and interviewees showed significant differences between investigators and suspects and between witnesses and suspects with regard to perceptions of interview style and the working alliance during interviews. The results showed perceived interview style to be a predictor of the working alliance.

The social desirability bias can be considered a two-dimensional construct, consisting of impression management and self-deception. Although social desirability is often considered a threat to the validity of intimate partner violence (IPV) reports, little is known about which dimension is most responsible for this distortion. Furthermore, it is unclear whether social desirability distorts the report of relationship satisfaction. In this study, two instruments that claim to measure social desirability are investigated on their ability to measure impression management and self-deception. Afterward, which dimension (if any) is responsible for a distortion in IPV and relationship satisfaction reports is examined. The survey consisted of the following measures: the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales for IPV, the Couples Satisfaction Index for relationship satisfaction and the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding, the Limited Disclosure Scale, and the Idealistic Distortion Scale for social desirability. The Limited Disclosure Scale was found to predominantly measure impression management. The Idealistic Distortion Scale did not measure social desirability well and appeared to be a bad measure for relationship satisfaction. Both the reports of IPV and relationship satisfaction were influenced by impression management, but not by self-deception. However, impression management and self-deception only accounted for a small portion of the variance in IPV and relationship satisfaction reports. These results indicate that the social desirability bias, when reporting IPV and relationship satisfaction, is a conscious process, but that its influence on IPV and relationship satisfaction reports might be overrated.

This study examined recognition of and attitudes towards abnormal, persistent, unwanted attention, or stalking, in two professional groups closely involved in assisting the victims of this behaviour, i.e. police officers and general practitioners (GPs), in four European countries (Belgium, n = 185; UK, n = 118; Netherlands, n = 113; Italy, n = 100). Responses to standardized questions on systematically developed vignettes depicting various male-on-female stalking scenarios were examined in terms of responses to a questionnaire on stalkingrelated attitudes. Hierarchical stepwise multiple regressions analyses revealed that country of citizenship, profession (GP or police officer), and in particular individual attitudinal variables made independent contributions in explaining stalking recognition and stalking perceptions. Clinical implications are discussed.