Katz Adjustment Scale – Form R2

Abstract

The Katz Adjustment Scale–Form R2 (KAS-R2), developed by Katz and Lyerly in 1963, is a specialized Rating Scale designed for the assessment of patient adjustment, particularly concerning their reintegration into the community following hospitalization. This inventory assesses the patient’s engagement in socially expected activities across 16 items. The instrument relies on a relative or caregiver to rate the patient’s behavior using a three-point frequency scale (“is not doing it,” “is doing it some,” or “is doing it regularly”). The resulting total score provides a quantitative measure of the patient’s involvement in family, social, and community responsibilities during the preceding weeks.

Keywords

Katz Adjustment Scale–Form R2, Social Behavior, Psychosocial Readjustment, Community Readjustment, Rating Scales, Discriminative Validity, Social Adjustment, Test Development, Internal Consistency, Concurrent Validity.

Authors

Katz, Martin M., Lyerly, Samuel B.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the KAS-R2 is to provide an objective and quantifiable measure of patient adjustment outside of a clinical setting. By focusing on involvement in socially expected activities, the scale facilitates the evaluation of a patient’s functional capacity and successful reintegration into familial and community life.

This assessment is crucial for monitoring progress in rehabilitation programs and evaluating the efficacy of treatments, especially in patients transitioning from institutional care back into the community setting. The scale utilizes the perspective of a close relative, offering an ecological assessment of real-world functioning.

Construct

The central construct measured by the KAS-R2 is Adjustment, specifically defined as the degree to which an individual successfully engages in activities typically expected of them within their social and community environment. This construct encompasses various domains, including self-care, home management, social interactions, and fulfilling family responsibilities.

The scale operationalizes adjustment by observing and quantifying observable behaviors rather than relying solely on subjective internal states, making it a valuable tool for assessing functional recovery following periods of significant psychopathology or hospitalization.

Validity

The validity of the Katz Adjustment Scale–Form R2 was robustly established primarily through examination of its Concurrent Validity. Researchers demonstrated strong agreement between the scores derived from the relative’s report and independent clinical judgments of the patient’s status. High confidence was observed in the point-biserial correlation between psychopathology scales and clinical assessments, confirming that the KAS-R2 effectively captures the functional aspects of adjustment.

Furthermore, the scale exhibits strong Discriminative Validity. The research indicated that relatives were able to effectively differentiate between patients exhibiting varying levels of psychopathology. Patients classified as “well” consistently demonstrated significantly higher engagement in socially expected activities compared to those with more severe symptoms. The original study reported high correlations (.79 and .67) with the criterion measure, underscoring the strong capacity of the relative’s report to align with expert clinical evaluation.

Reliability

The reliability of the KAS-R2 focuses on its Internal Consistency. Reliability estimates were calculated using the Kuder-Richardson reliability method. The resulting estimates showed a broad range, varying from .41 to .87 across different subdomains of the scale. While some subscales demonstrated excellent internal consistency (approaching .87), others indicated lower levels of homogeneity, suggesting that the items within certain specific areas of adjustment might measure somewhat disparate aspects of the overall construct.

Factor Analysis

At the time of its initial development and subsequent documentation (1963), no formal Factor Analysis was specifically indicated or reported for the 16-item Katz Adjustment Scale–Form R2. The scale appears to have been developed based on a rational approach to item selection covering key areas of social functioning, rather than relying on empirical factor derivation to define subscales.

Instrument

Test Type: Rating Scale / Inventory

Format: Paper (Relative-administered)

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: Human

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older)

Population Details: Sample primarily consisted of hospital patients who were in the process of readjusting to community life. The original research was conducted in the United States.

Test Methodology: Test Validity; Concurrent Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Discriminative Validity.

Keywords

Adjustment, Social Functioning, Patient Assessment, Relative Reporting, Hospital Readjustment, Social Activities, Kuder-Richardson reliability, Psychopathology, Clinical Judgment, 16-item scale.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Martin M. Katz was affiliated with the National Institute of Mental Health, Psychopharmacology Service Center. Samuel B. Lyerly was affiliated with the Human Ecology Fund.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was originally developed in 1963. Information regarding current permissions and associated fees is not available in the source documentation. Access to the specific test items requires contacting the original publisher or authorized distributors, as the items are not publicly provided in the referenced academic paper.

Reference’s

• Katz, M. M., & Lyerly, S. B. (1963). Methods for measuring adjustment and social behavior in the community: I. Rationale, description, discriminative validity and scale development. Psychological Reports, 13(2), 503–535. The DOI link is https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1963.13.2.503.

Items of the Katz Adjustment Scale–Form R2

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Test Items Available: No (To access the test items, contact the publisher.)