ch. 12 personality testing

objective methods of personality assessment

• typically administered by paper-and-pencil or by computer and contain short-answer items for which the assessee's task is to select one response from those provided

• the term "objective" in relation to personality measures must be considered cautiously:

• objective personality tests do not contain one correct answer;

• a distinct lack of objectivity is associated with self-report

criterion-keyed inventories

• 1943 (MMPI)

• 1989 (MMPI-2)

• Starke Hathaway

• Jovian McKinely

• University of Minnesota Hospitals - to be used "locally"

MMPI

eight original scales:

• hypochrondriasis

• depression

• hysteria

• psychopathic deviant

• paranoia

• psychasthenia

• schizophrenia

• hypomania

MMPI-2 scales

• 1* Hypochondriasis (Hs)

• 2 Depression (D)

• 3 Hysteria (Hy)

• 4* Psychopathic deviant (Pd)

• 5 Masculinity-Femininity (Mf)

• Paranoia (Pa)

• 7* Psychasthenia (Pt)

• 8* Schizophrenia (Sc)

• 9* Hypomania (Ma)

• 0 Social Introversion (Si)

MMPI-2 scale 1 (hypochondriasis)

• tends to assess: poor physical health, gastrointestinal difficulties

• indicator of pessimism, lack of psychological sophistication, resist psychological interventions, seek concrete explanations

• T>80: extreme somatic concerns

• T 65-80: excessive concern about vague somatic complaints, demand attention

MMPI-2 scale 2 (depression)

• tends to assess: depression, lack of hope, general dissatisfaction with one's life, physical symptoms, excessive sensitivity

• elevations on scale 2 (as well as 7) a good prognostic sign

MMPI-2 scale 3 (hysteria)

• assesses: a denial of problems or vulnerabilities, complaints of reasonably specific somatic problems

• an excellent scale that measures somatization, conversion reactions, denial, naiveté, and manipulativeness

MMPI-2 scale 4 (psychopathic deviate)

assesses the following:

1. Angry rebelliousness against rules

2. Hostile interpersonal relationships

3. Inability to profit from experience

4. Anger at family, belief that one has been victimized as a child

• Angry, dissatisfied, impulsive and lack social poise

MMPI-2 scale 6 (paranoia)

• measures: interpersonal sensitivity, more self-righteousness, feelings of persecution, and suspiciousness

• prognosis in therapy is poor because of difficulties in expressing emotional problems

• tend to externalize-- "who did this to me?" or "how could I have done that?"

MMPI-2 scale 7 (psychasthenia)

• obsessive-compulsive behaviour

• measures both trait and state anxiety

• tends to assess: general discontent with the world, obsessional concerns, anxiety, indecision, poor concentration and self-devaluation

MMPI-2 scale 8 (schizophrenia)

tends to assess: confused thought processes, hallucinations and other indicators of a thought disorder, social and interpersonal alienation, depression and dissatisfaction

MMPI-2 scale 9 (hypomania)

tends to assess the following:

• high energy output

• distractibility and lack of persistence

• extroversion and stimulation seeking

• grandiosity

• amorality not inclined to view themselves as vulnerable or responsible; control becomes an issue in therapy

MMPI-2 scale 0 (social introversion)

• measures social introversion-extraversion

• items are scored in the introversion direction--high scores indicate introversion and low scores indicate extraversion

steps in interpretation

1. completion time

2. score and plot the profile

3. organize the scales and identify the Code Type

4. determine profile validity

5. determine overall level of adjustment

6. describe symptoms, behaviours, and personality characteristics

7. provide diagnostic impressions

8. provide treatment implications and recommendations

the MMPI-2 RF was devised in response to 2 basic problems with the MMPI-2:

1. overlapping item: There was an average of more than six overlapping items per pair of clinical scales in MMPI-2

2. a pervasive factor (referred to as anxiety, despair, malaise, and maladjustment) that was common to most forms of psychopathology but unique to none

MMPI-A-RF

developed in response to skepticism about the applicability of the MMPI to adolescents

• evaluates aspects of internalizing, externalizing, and somatic symptoms of distress

MCMI-IV

• measures level of personality functioning in adults

• helps clinicians identify deeper pervasive clinical issues to assist with making reliable diagnostic treatment decisions

severe personality psychopathology (3 of them)

• schizotypal (scale S)

• borderline (scale C)

• paranoid (Scale P)

severe clinical syndromes (3 of them)

• schizophrenic spectrum (scale SS)

• major depression (scale CC)

• delusional (scale PP)

screening instruments

• Beck Depression Inventory-2 (BDI-2)

• Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)

• Beck Youth Inventory-2 (BYI-2)

Beck Depression Inventory

• most widely used instrument for assessing the intensity of depressive symptoms

• assesses the intensity of depression in clinical and normal examinees

• instructions involve asking how one has felt over the last two weeks

• each item includes a list of four statements arranged in increasing severity about a particular symptom of depression

projective test

individuals respond to vague, ambitious stimuli

projective testing

aims to decipher underlying personality processes

Thematic-Apperception Test

• 30 black-and-white drawings and photographs

• mostly people in ambiguous activities

• examinee makes up dramatic story for each picture

word association tests

semi structured, individually administered, projective technique of personality assessment that involves the presentation of a list of stimulus words

House-Tree-Person test

• examinee makes separate drawings of a house, a tree, a person

• separate pencil and crayon drawings

• post-drawing interrogation phase

emotional intelligence (EI)

• managing emotions to attain specific goals

• understanding emotions

• using emotions to facilitate thinking

• perceiving emotions accurately