Criterion-related validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory in a prison sample.

The Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; S. 0. Lilienfeld & B. P. Andrews, 1996), a self-report measure of psychopathic personality features, and R. D. Hare's (1991) Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL–R) were administered to adult youthful offender prison inmates (N?=?50). As hypothesized, PPI scores were significantly correlated with scores on the PCL–R, providing evidence of concurrent validity for the PPI. Moreover, unlike existing self-report psychopathy measures, the PPI showed a moderate and positive correlation with PCL–R Factor 1 (i.e., the core personality traits of psychopathy). Discriminant function analysis using the optimal PPI total score value to predict PCL–R classifications of psychopath (n?=?10) and nonpsychopath (n?=?40) resulted in accurate classification of 86% of the cases (sensitivity?=?.50, specificity?=?.95). Results are discussed in terms of the relative merits of these 2 measures of psychopathy and the validation of the PPI for clinical use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The social psychology of Rorschach validity research.

An analysis of the research extant in the literature on the validity of the Rorschach, revealed that there was a relationship between where the research was done (academic, nonacademic settings) and type of validity study (construct, criterion, i.e., theoretical or practical validity). Ramifications of these findings with regard to formulation and interpretation of studies on the Rorschach were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparative meta-analysis of Rorschach and MMPI validity.

Two previous meta-analyses concluded that average validity coefficients for the Rorschach and the MMPI have similar magnitudes (L. Atkinson, 1986; K. C. H. Parker et al, see record 1989-14153-001), but methodological problems in both meta-analyses may have impeded acceptance of these results (H. N. Garb et al, see record 1998-11225-011). We conducted a new meta-analysis comparing criterion-related validity evidence for the Rorschach and the MMPI. The unweighted mean validity coefficients (r?s) were .30 for MMPI and .29 for Rorschach, and they were not reliably different (p = .76 under fixed-effects model, p = .89 under random-effects model). The MMPI had larger validity coefficients than the Rorschach for studies using psychiatric diagnoses and self-report measures as criterion variables, whereas the Rorschach had larger validity coefficients than the MMPI for studies using objective criterion variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criterion-related validation for small sample contexts: An integrated approach to synthetic validity.

The criterion-related validation strategy is not well suited for small businesses because it requires sample sizes larger than those that are available. On the basis of an integration and extension of three past synthetic validity models, we developed an alternative criterion-related model that requires smaller sample sizes. The method we developed borrows substantially from these former models by (a) deriving worker-oriented job elements via the Position Analysis Questionnaire, (b) assessing test–job element relationships in a direct, empirical fashion that is feasible in a local setting, and (c) providing an overall summary statistic in the form of a Pearson correlation that expresses the degree of relation between a battery of tests and a system of performance evaluations. This integrated approach to synthetic validation deviates from these former models, however, by altering the order of validation and aggregation. Sampling theory and matrix algebra are used to show that the order of validation and aggregation need not be fixed, and field data taken from 83 employees of a small chemical company are used to illustrate how the process can be applied in an actual setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some observations on the validity of the Rorschach Inkblot Method.

Current literature reflects a persistent inclination in some quarters to denigrate the Rorschach Inkblot Method as an invalid and useless instrument for assessing personality functioning. Although perhaps warranted to some extent in years past, such harsh criticism of the Rorschach runs counter to abundant contemporary data demonstrating its psychometric soundness and practical utility. This article offers some observations concerning the kinds of information that are necessary to validate assessment instruments and provides examples of lines of research that document Rorschach validity and utility for various purposes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two methods for studying the incremental validity of a Rorschach variable.

The MMPI can be scored by a clerk. Also, both the number and form level of Rorschach responses can be easily assessed. Other Rorschach variables should be examined for their incremental validity beyond number of responses and form level, or from these variables plus simple MMPI variables. This study applied multiple regression analyses to 2 data sets with reasonable criteria of pathology that were predicted by W. Perry and D. J. Viglione's (see record 1991-26233-001) Ego Impairment Index considered alone. The index had only slight incremental validity over and above the number of responses and form quality, and even less when the average MMPI elevation and L. R. Goldberg's (see record 2011-19214-001) formula for predicting psychosis versus neurosis were entered before these Rorschach variables. Another way of assessing incremental validity is through the use of unit weights, that is, adding standardized variables weighted equally rather than optimally. The unit-weighted incremental validity analysis resulted in the same conclusions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the external validity of two psychotherapy analogues.

Investigated the similarity between 2 live psychotherapy analogs and real psychotherapeutic interviews. 23 therapists participated in 2 different types of analog situations and in initial intake sessions with real clients. In both of the analogs, a recruited S presented a real personal problem to the therapists in helping interactions. Audiotapes of the real and analog interviews were rated on 10 dependent variables, which were different dimensions of therapist and client behaviors. Different results were obtained for each analog. The major findings concern mean differences between the analog and real interviews and the linear relationships between the real and analog interviews. Additional findings, including significant interactions between the type of interview and the experience level of the therapist, are also discussed. Results indicate that the generalizability of the analogs is contingent on the dependent variables in question, the type of relationship to be predicted, and the experience level of the therapists. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity of the Rorschach Oral Dependency Scale: 1967–1995.

A review of research examining the construct validity of J. M. Masling, L. Rabie, and S. H. Blondheim's (1967) Rorschach Oral Dependency (ROD) scale as a measure of interpersonal dependency revealed that this scale has demonstrated good interrater reliability, and that evidence regarding the convergent and discriminant validity of the ROD scale is generally strong. Mixed results have been obtained in studies assessing the internal reliability of ROD scale scores. There have been very few studies examining the predictive validity and retest reliability of the ROD scale, and few studies assessing the relationship of ROD scores to scores on other objective and projective measures of dependency. Implications of these findings for laboratory and clinical research involving the ROD scale are discussed, and suggestions for future studies in this area are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of the Rorschach Prognostic Rating Scale with incarcerated offenders

Previous research has shown that the Rorschach Prognostic Rating Scale reliably predicts the adjustment capacity of various S types to a variety of situations. The present study investigated the efficacy of the RPRS to suggest the adjustment capacity of prisoners to various aspects of their institutional environment. Twenty-five male inmates of the Petersburg Federal Reformatory served as Ss. Group therapy, dormitory behavior, work progress adjustment ratings, and RPRS scores were obtained for each S. Intercorrelations among the adjustment measures and the RPRS total and component scores revealed no significant correlations between the adjustment measures and the RPRS total score. However, in employing a moximum R stepwise multiple correlation procedure with the RPRS compontnts, significant multiple Rs resulted for two of the three criterion measures. These results were discussed in terms of the earlier research with the RPRS, and suggestions for future research were made.     

Criterion-related diagnostic validity and test-retest reliability of the MMPI-168(L) in mentally retarded adolescents and adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of serum antibody levels to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis with age, gender and smoking in an elderly population. The study population comprised all the inhabitants aged 65 years or over in a rural municipality in south-western Finland. Serum samples were obtained from 1,174 out of a total of 1,360 subjects. Bacterial antibodies were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using pneumolysin and whole bacterial cells of H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis (mixture of 10 different strains for both) as antigens. The main findings were as follows: (i) antibody levels generally decreased with increasing age both in men and in women; (ii) antibody titres against H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis were higher in men than in women; and (iii) antibody titres to H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis, but not to S. pneumoniae, were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. These data suggest that antibody-mediated protection against respiratory pathogens may be impaired in the elderly, leading to a higher susceptibility to respiratory tract infections, that the exposure to H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis may be higher in men than in women, and that smokers have more respiratory infections or colonization due to these 2 bacteria than do non-smokers.     

MMPI, Rorschach, and WAIS: A meta-analytic comparison of reliability, stability, and validity.

We estimated the average reliability, stability, and validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Rorschach Inkblot Test, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) from articles published in the Journal of Personality Assessment and the Journal of Clinical Psychology between 1970 and 1981. Following standard psychometric theory, reliability values exceeded stability values, which exceeded validity values. Validity studies based on theory, prior research, or both showed greater effects than did studies lacking a theoretical or empirical rationale. In general, the reliability and stability of all three tests were acceptable and approximately equivalent. The convergent-validity estimates for the Rorschach and MMPI were not significantly different, but both these estimates were lower than the estimate for the WAIS. It appears that both the MMPI and Rorschach can be considered to have adequate psychometric properties if used for the purpose for which they were designed and validated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rorschach correlates of time estimation.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that Rorschach scores which have been suggested as measures of the ability to delay gratification of needs are related to the manner in which the passage of time is perceived. 51 men and women were given individual Rorschachs and then were asked to estimate the lengths of various time intervals. Correlations between the Rorschach scores and time estimations revealed that Ss with low % M and high Sum C overestimated the time intervals to a significantly greater extent than those with high % M and low Sum C. Time estimation scores were not related to % FM or % m. These findings appear to support the hypothesis that M is inversely related to the motivation for the rapid passage of time while C is positively related to the same motive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigating the construct validity of the dissociative taxon: Stability analyses of normal and pathological dissociation.

Research has suggested the existence of a pathological dissociative taxon. However, relatively little is known about this taxon. This study examined the 2-month retest stability of this taxon--together with other measures of dissociation and the Big Five--in a sample of 465 undergraduates. Contrary to expectation, taxon scores were only modestly stable and were substantially less stable than the other measures, including continuous indicators of dissociation. Furthermore, most individuals who were identified as taxon members at one assessment were classified as nonmembers at the other. These results challenge the existence of a pathological dissociative taxon. More generally, these data demonstrate that statistically identified taxa need to be explicated through the normal process of construct validation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancy effects in Rorschach testing.

Tested the hypothesis that M. E. Strauss' (see 42:6) failure to detect bias effects on Experience Balance (EB) may have been the result of his failure to account for E's Productivity (R) expectancies using 38 undergraduate Es and 85 undergraduate Ss expecting either Movement (M) or Color dominated EBs with high or low R. Expectancies were induced in writing and evidence indicated that they were learned. Only the free association portion of the Rorschach was administered. No significant effects were found. This failure to replicate previously reported effects for R led to a 2nd experiment which used 19 Es and 37 Ss, expecting either high or low R, and high or low M to test whether: (a) there had been too much information for naive Es to cope with due to E's being given expectancies for more than 1 variable; and (b) Es and Ss being peers reflected the lack of an E-S status differential thus facilitating bias effects. Again no significant effects were obtained. It is concluded that the discrepancy between these results and findings in previous studies are in keeping with the contention that bias effects are less pervasive than previously assumed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological considerations in Rorschach research.

Research with the Rorschach Inkblot Method should be conducted according to the same general principles of research design that guide other investigative efforts in psychological science. However, the nature of the Rorschach as a relatively unstructured measure of personality functioning calls for special attention to certain aspects of selecting research participants, choosing variables, and collecting and analyzing data. The present article delineates how such methodological considerations can enhance prospects for obtaining statistically significant and substantively meaningful results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criterion-based training for Rorschach scoring.

This study addresses the effects of structured training on the development of Rorschach coding skills of graduate trainees and broadens the empirical base regarding student acquisition of these coding skills. A course outline for criterion based training in Rorschach scoring is reviewed. A training approach will be described that emphasizes a progressive "vertical" or "response segment" sequence to scoring training. The effects of this structured training protocol for graduate students Rorschach coding of Exner Comprehensive System criterion-scored protocols resulted in good to excellent levels of interrater reliability. The implications of these findings for training in Rorschach coding skills are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Test anxiety and Rorschach performance.

"This study was designed to test the validity of certain Rorschach anxiety indices which have been shown to reflect the effects of exposure to a stressful situation, and to examine the generality of certain hypotheses derived from a theoretical framework… . The results provide encouraging evidence as to the validity of certain anxiety indicators and support the theoretical assumptions from which most of them were derived." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rorschach correlates of response to suggestion.

"The purpose of the present study was to discover Rorschach measures associated with change of autokinetic judgments under the influence of planted judgment given by a confederate, and to generalize about personality correlates of response to suggestion." Change of judgment was found to relate highly to the eleven Rorschach measures chosen. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI-A and Rorschach indices related to depression and conduct disorder: an evaluation of the incremental validity hypothesis

This investigation extends the earlier research by Archer and Gordon (1988) by examining the extent to which combining indices from the newly released MMPI-A and the revised Rorschach Comprehensive System furnishes incremental validity in terms of improved diagnostic prediction. The predictive accuracy of selected MMPI-A and Rorschach variables conceptually related to diagnoses of depression and conduct disorder were compared in a clinical sample of 152 adolescents. Results of multivariate analyses of variance revealed some significant differences between diagnostic groups on several MMPI-A scales, and 1 significant difference on the Rorschach involving the Vista variable. Stepwise discriminant function analyses resulted in 2 MMPI-A scales and 2 Rorschach variables that collectively accounted for a small proportion of variance in the diagnosis of depression, and 3 MMPI-A scales that accounted for a significant component of variance in the conduct disorder diagnosis. Classification accuracy results indicated that the hit rate for depression diagnosis did not improve using an optimal linear combination of the 4 variables over the rates produced by the single use of either the MMPI-A Depression content scale (A-DEP) or Scale 2. For the conduct disorder diagnosis, the optimal linear combination of MMPI-A Conduct Problems (A-CON), Cynicism (A-CYN), and Immaturity (IMM) scales served as the best predictor, and no Rorschach variables contributed significantly to classification accuracy. Our results replicated the findings of Archer and Gordon (1988) in indicating that the combined use of MMPI-A and Rorschach variables does not appear to produce incremental increases in accuracy of diagnostic classification.     

Behavioral correlates of the Rorschach shading determinant.

To test Beck's interpretation of the Rorschach Y determinant, 10 Low Y and 10 High Y male psychiatric inpatients were obtained from 4 hospitals. The hypothesis that High Y Ss are more resigned and inhibited than Low Y Ss was tested with 2 kinds of data about the overt behavior of the sample: interviews with the Ss and interviews with 3 staff members having contacts with them. The Patient Interviews confirmed the hypothesis at the .05 level. The Staff Interviews differentiated the Ss in the predicted direction at the .05 level on small psychiatric wards but not on a large ward. 2 hypotheses about this inconsistency are presented for future investigation. Clinical interpretation of the shading determinant is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)