The relationship between the alien cognitive level test and the life skills profile

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the validity of the Alien Cognitive Level Test (ACL-90) as a measure of the construct of "adaptive functioning" and to determine its effectiveness in discriminating between persons who live in the community and persons who are institutionalized. Method. Forty-one persons with schizophrenia living in the community and 17 persons with schizophrenia living in a long-term psychiatric hospital were assessed with the ACL-90 and the Life Skills Profile (LSP). Scores an the two measures were compared as was the effectiveness of the two measures in discriminating between the participant groups. Results. The ACL-90 scares correlated moderately with the LSP total r (56) = .54, p < .01, and Self-Care Sub-scale, r (56) = .53, p < .01. Only the Nonturbulence sub-scale of the LSP discriminated between the community and institutionalized participant groups. The behavior of the participants living in the community was less turbulent than that of the participants who were institutionalized F(1,54)= 15.24, p < .001. Conclusion. Although the moderate correlations between the ACL-90 and the LSP measures support the ACL as a measure of adaptive functioning and reflect its theoretical perspective, additional information is needed to predict the community functioning and support needs of persons with schizophrenia.