Effects of induced social roles on the High School Personality Questionnaire.

A one-way multivariate analysis of variance design with a control group (regular directions) and three treatment groups using induced social roles (Faking Good, Teacher, and Ideal Teacher) as independent variables and the High School Personality Questionnaire primary scores as dependent variables was used. Subjects were 384 male high school students from Grades 9 through 12. Within each classroom, students were randomly assigned to the four groups noted above. A broad pattern of differences in scores on primary and secondary personality dimensions were obtained. Significant differences between the control (standard directions) and the Faking Good, Teacher, and Ideal Teacher roles were obtained on three secondary and most of the primary personality dimensions. In several cases the ideal social role and neutral social role showed distinct differences from the more pervasive favorable impression role.

Reconsidering response sets, test-taking attitudes, dissimulation, self-deception, and social desirability.

This paper provides a summary of an examination of three lines of personality research involving response sets, empirical keying, and social desirability. The roots of these respective constructs are traced from their origins in Wundt's laboratory through the classic works of Meehl and Hathaway and Edwards up to Cattell's current reconstructions which take the form of trait-view theory and perturbation theory. After a careful analysis of the research and theoretical formulations from these three areas, it is concluded that Cattell's (1986) perturbation theory not only provides the most comprehensive system for understanding how respondents systematically distort their responses on personality questionnaires but also provides a solid framework for multivariate studies designed to test and refine his formulations.

Further evidence concerning motivational distortion on the Sixteen Personality Factor primaries by male felons.

A multiple regression analysis was used to determine the susceptibility of the 16 Personality Factor Test (16PF) to faking for a sample of male felons. The study is a replication of an earlier study of a similar sample. Motivational distortion (MD) correlated significantly with the 16PF primary scores. The relationship was most evident when the structure coefficients rather than the beta weights were analyzed. The findings were consistent with the previous results which indicated a fairly high degree of support for the MD corrections provided in the manual. An important exception was that Dominance (E) was suppressed by individuals from both samples when MD was present.

A combined factor analysis of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory and the MMPI in an offender population.

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is a recently introduced instrument designed to measure both symptomatology and long-standing patterns of personality disorder in clinical populations. Because it is designed to assess clients who are similar to those with whom the MMPI is often used (e.g., adjudicated offenders), a question may arise as to whether the two instruments measure the same aspects of clients' function. This study investigated this question by conducting a combined factor analysis of the two instruments in a criminal offender population (N = 2,245). Results indicated that although there are important areas of overlap between the two instruments, each also contains unique sources of variance. The results are interpreted as supporting the use of both instruments as part of an objective assessment battery, as has been suggested by several authors.

Comparing 16 PF scores for two groups of offenders.

The 16 PF scores for 678 male offenders in a diagnostic and receiving center were compared with scores for 891 male offenders in penal institutions by t tests for independent means. Significant differences were obtained for 13 of the 16 primaries included in the 16 PF. The Penitentiary group scored significantly higher than the Reception Center group on the primaries, A, I, L, M, O, Q1, and Q4. Conversely, the Reception Center group scored significantly higher than the Penitentiary group on the primaries, B, C, F, G, N, and Q3.

Factor structure of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) with an offender sample.

One thousand two hundred inmates were given the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) in a midwestern reception and diagnostic center. Two groups of 600 were randomly divided, and their test results were subjected to a principal components factor analysis. Four factors were derived in both groups and were similar, indicating successful cross-validation. Three of the four factors bore similarity to factors found in other samples (drug abusers, psychiatric population, Viet Nam veterans), and the fourth was unique to the offender population.

A five-step procedure for the clinical use of the MPD in neuropsychological assessment of children.

Described a five-step procedure that can be used to detect organicity on the basis of children's performance on the Minnesota Percepto Diagnostic Test (MPD). The first step consists of examining the T score for rotations to determine whether it is below the cut-off score, which has been established empirically as an indicator of organicity. The second step consists of matching the examinee's configuration of error scores, separation of circle-diamond (SpCD), distortion of circle-diamond (DCD), and distortion of dots (DD), with empirically derived tables. The third step consists of considering the T score for rotations and error configuration jointly. The fourth step consists of using empirically established discriminant equations, and the fifth step involves using data from limits testing and other data sources. The clinical and empirical bases for the five-step procedure also are discussed.

Comparison of the Minnesota Percepto-Diagnostic Test and Bender-Gestalt: relationship with achievement criteria.

Administered the Bender-Gestalt (BG) and Minnesota Percepto-Diagnostic Test (MPD) to 69 first-grade children prior to administration of the California Achievement Test (CAT). Order of administration for the BG and MPD was counterbalanced to control for practice effects. Correlations (rs) were computed between the 9 CAT subtests and scores from the BG and MPD. The DD score from the MPD correlated significantly with all 9 CAT subtests. The SpCD score from the MPD correlated significantly with 6 of the 9 CAT subtests. The BG Koppitz score correlated significantly with 6 of the 9 CAT subtests. Both the DD and SpCD scores showed a significantly higher negative r with Reading Vocabulary, Total Reading, and Arithmetic Computation than the BG. Furthermore, both types of MPD scores showed a much higher average r with the 9 CAT subtests than was evident for the BG. These findings suggest that DD and SpCD scores from the MPD provide a more sensitive measure of deficits in visual-motor perception than the Koppitz score from the BG.

Special education teachers' perceptions of reports written by school psychologists.

This study reports results of a survey of 63 special education teachers in a 13-county area of Northwestern Ohio. Teachers were asked to describe reports they typically receive as to types of information provided in several sections of the report. Teachers were also asked to rate sections of the report according to how useful these were for several purposes. Teachers receive a standard form of report including background data, test results, and general recommendations. Several areas to be targeted for self-assessment and development by psychologists interested in improving their report-writing are suggested.

Information processing components of Koppitz errors on the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test.

Correlated performance and latencies on the Bender, Matching Familiar Figures Test and Draw-a-Person along with the Slosson Intelligence Test for 39 male and 35 female middle-class black first graders. The results suggest that the Bender may owe much of its clinical validity to loadings across all stages of human information processing. General intelligence accounted for 9% of Bender variance. With the higher order variable intelligence partialed out, the preprocessing and central processing stages accounted for 16% and the response selection and response execution stages accounted for 6% of Bender variance. Kagan's hypothesis with retard to the involvement of conceptual tempo in Bender performance was not supported. However, Kagan's contention that impulsivity is measured only in situations with high response uncertainty did receive some support.

The abilities of retarded students: further evidence concerning the stimulus trace factor.

A Wherry-Wherry hierarchical factor solution was obtained on the correlations among 11 WISC-R subtests for a sample of 79 mentally retarded boys and girls. The findings were not only congruent with Vernon's ability paradigm but also suggest that the ability structure for retardates may well be more complex than the structure for normals. The ability hierarchy for the present sample included a general (g) factor defined by positive loadings from all 11 subtests and factors corresponding to the verbal-educational (v:ed) and spatial-perceptual (k:m) parameters. In addition, a stimulus trace (ST) factor corresponding to the ability dimension described by Baumeister and Bartlett was obtained.

Shedd's formulations concerning the hyperkinetic syndrome--an empirical test of selected features.

According to Shedd's (1968) formulations, one of the distinguishing characteristics of hyperkinetic children is the score pattern which they earn on different types of ability tests. Specifically, Shedd's work suggests that IQs from a picture vocabulary test, the WISC, and a drawing test should show the following order relationship: picture vocabulary greater than WISC greater than drawing. This hypothesis was investigated for 62 overactive children (47 boys and 15 girls) enrolled in classes for learning disabled. The findings support Shedd's since IQs from the Ammons' test were significantly higher than WISC IQs which were significantly higher than IQs from the Goodenough-Harris. The magnitudes of the mean differences in scores for the three tests were within the range indicated by Shedd and 51 of the 62 children showed the order of scores he specified.

The validity of two clinical tests of visual-motor perception.

The study investigated the relative efficiency of the Bender and MPD as assessors of achievement-related errors in visual-motor perception. Clinical experience with these two tests suggests that beyond first grade the MPD is more sensitive than the Bender for purposes of measuring deficits in visual-motor perception that interfere with effective classroom learning. The sample was composed of 153 third-grade children from two upper-middle-class elementary schools in a surburban school system in central Ohio. For three of the four achievement criteria, the results were clearly congruent with the hypothesis stated above. That is, SpCD errors from the MPD not only showed significantly higher negative rs with the criteria (reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics computation) than Koppitz errors from the Bender, but also accounted for a much higher proportion of the variance in these criteria. Thus, the findings suggest that psychologists engaged in the assessment of older children seriously should consider adding the MPD to their assessment battery.