Effects of positive impression management on the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised in a clinical population.

Sixty adults in outpatient psychotherapy completed the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised (NEO PI–R, P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992a). Half were instructed to fake good and half were given standard instructions. All completed the Interpersonal Adjective Scale–Revised, Big Five (J. S. Wiggins & P. D. Trapnell, 1997) under standard instructions, and their therapists completed the observer rating form of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. A comparison group of 30 students completed the NEO PI–R under standard instructions. Standard and fake-good participants obtained significantly different NEO PI–R domain scores. Correlations between the NEO PI–R and criterion measures were significantly lower for faking than for standard patients. Validity scales for the NEO PI–R (J. A. Schinka, B. N. Kinder, & T. Kremer, 1997) were moderately accurate in discriminating faking from standard patients, but were only marginally accurate in discriminating faking patients from students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Normal personality assessment in clinical practice: The NEO Personality Inventory.

Personality psychologists from a variety of theoretical perspectives have recently concluded that personality traits can be summarized in terms of a 5-factor model. This article describes the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO–PI), a measure of these 5 factors and some of the traits that define them, and its use in clinical practice. Recent studies suggest that NEO–PI scales are reliable and valid in clinical samples as in normal samples. The use of self-report personality measures in clinical samples is discussed, and data from 117 "normal" adult men and women are presented to show links between the NEO–PI scales and psychopathology as measured by D. N. Jackson's (1989) Basic Personality Inventory and L. Morey's (1991) Personality Assessment Inventory. The authors argue that the NEO–PI may be useful to clinicians in understanding the patient, formulating a diagnosis, establishing rapport, developing insight, anticipating the course of therapy, and selecting the optimal form of treatment for the patient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Normal" personality inventories in clinical assessment: General requirements and the potential for using the NEO Personality Inventory.

Issues pertaining to the use of "normal" personality inventories in clinical assessment are discussed. The basic tasks of a clinical evaluation are outlined, and the ability of normal measures of personality such as the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO–PI) to contribute to clinical assessment is considered. The authors conclude that normal personality tests should not be used as stand-alone measures in a clinical evaluation and that currently there is insufficient evidence to support the use of the NEO–PI for the differential diagnosis of psychopathology. The authors note that normal measures of personality show the greatest potential for contribution to clinical assessment in identifying stable personality characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing Personality With a Structured Employment Interview: Construct-Related Validity and Susceptibility to Response Inflation.

The authors evaluated the extent to which a personality-based structured interview was susceptible to response inflation. Interview questions were developed to measure facets of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability. Interviewers administered mock interviews to participants instructed to respond honestly or like a job applicant. Interviewees completed scales of the same 3 facets from the NEO Personality Inventory, under the same honest and applicant-like instructions. Interviewers also evaluated interviewee personality with the NEO. Multitrait-multimethod analysis and confirmatory factor analysis provided some evidence for the construct-related validity of the personality interviews. As for response inflation, analyses revealed that the scores from the applicant-like condition were significantly more elevated (relative to honest condition scores) for self-report personality ratings than for interviewer personality ratings. In addition, instructions to respond like an applicant appeared to have a detrimental effect on the structure of the self-report and interview ratings, but not interviewer NEO ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Updating Norman's "adequacy taxonomy": Intelligence and personality dimensions in natural language and in questionnaires.

Examined the correspondence between 2 systems for personality trait classification—W. T. Norman's (1963) 5-factor model and P. T. Costa and R. R. McCrae's (1980) NEO (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness) inventory—to evaluate their comprehensiveness as models of personality. 498 24–86 yr old participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging completed an instrument containing 80 adjective pairs, which included 40 pairs proposed to measure the 5 dimensions. Neuroticism and extraversion factors from these items showed substantial correlations with corresponding NEO inventory scales; however, analyses that included psychometric measures of intelligence suggested that the 5th factor in the Norman structure should be reconceptualized as openness to experience. Convergent correlations above .50 with spouse ratings on the NEO inventory that were made 3 yrs earlier confirmed these relations across time, instrument, and source of data. The relations among culture, conscientiousness, openness, and intelligence are discussed, and it is concluded that mental ability is a separate factor, though related to openness to experience. (49 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and behavioral treatments of agoraphobia: Clinical, behavioral, and psychophysiological outcomes.

39 severe and chronic agoraphobics with panic attacks, diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) criteria, were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 cognitive-behavioral treatments: paradoxical intention (PI), graduated exposure (GE), or progressive deep muscle relaxation training (RT). Treatment consisted of 12 2-hr weekly sessions conducted by experienced therapists whose treatment integrity was objectively monitored. All 31 23–63 yr old Ss who completed the program received an extensive rationale emphasizing self-directed exposure and programmed practice in addition to their primary treatment. A comprehensive assessment battery consisting of clinical ratings of severity, phobia, anxiety, depression, and panic, as well as direct measures of behavioral, psychophysiological, and cognitive response systems was administered at pre-, mid- (6 wks), and posttreatment (12 wks) and at 3-mo follow-up. Analyses revealed significant improvement for all Ss. GE and RT tended to evoke more rapid effects. At follow-up, GE and RT evidenced the greatest potency and stability, as compared with PI. The GE condition experienced twice the drop-out rate of PI and RT. The phenomenon of synchrony appeared to be associated with overall improvement at 12 wks and follow-up. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Short-term stability of NEO–PI–R personality trait scores in opioid-dependent outpatients.

The present study examined the short-term stability of personality trait scores from the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO–PI-R) among 230 opioid-dependent outpatients. The NEO–PI-R is a 240-item empirically developed measure of the five-factor model of personality (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness). Participants completed the NEO–Pl-R at admission and again approximately 19 weeks later. Results indicated fair to good stability for all NEO–PI-R factor domain scores, with coefficients ranging from .68 to .74. Stability of NEO–PI-R scores was decreased among potentially invalid response patterns but was not significantly affected by drug-positive versus drug-negative status at follow-up. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Document-based peer review in a psychology training clinic: A preliminary report of a statewide program.

14 licensed psychologists evaluated 20 5-session treatment reports completed by graduate students at a psychology training clinic. The review report ratings indicate that psychologists were impressed with the services provided and proposed at the training clinic. The review program is seen as supplementing the clinic's educational and quality assurance activities. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-cultural personality assessment in psychiatric populations: The NEO-PI—R in the People's Republic of China.

The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI—R) is a measure of the 5-factor model developed on volunteer samples in the United States. To examine its validity in a non-Western, psychiatric sample, an existing Chinese translation was modified for use in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The instrument was administered to 2,000 psychiatric in- and outpatients at 13 sites throughout the PRC. Internal consistency was low for some facet scales, but retest reliability was adequate and the hypothesized factor structure was clearly recovered. Correlations with age, California Psychological Inventory scales, and spouse ratings supported the validity of NEO-PI—R scales, and diagnostic subgroups showed meaningful personality profiles. The 5-factor model appears to be useful for the assessment of personality among Chinese psychiatric patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the invalidity of validity scales: Evidence from self-reports and observer ratings in volunteer samples.

Because of the potential for bias and error in questionnaire responding, many personality inventories include validity scales intended to correct biased scores or identify invalid protocols. The authors evaluated the utility of several types of validity scales in a volunteer sample of 72 men and 106 women who completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R; P. T. Costa and R. R. McCrae, 1992) and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; A. Tellegen, 1978/1982) and were rated by 2 acquaintances on the observer form of the NEO-PI-R. Analyses indicated that the validity indexes lacked utility in this sample. A partial replication (N?=?1,728) also failed to find consistent support for the use of validity scales. The authors illustrate the use of informant ratings in assessing protocol validity and argue that psychological assessors should limit their use of validity scales and seek instead to improve the quality of personality assessments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pilot test results comparing the All Stars program with seventh grade D.A.R.E.: program integrity and mediating variable analysis

A pilot test of a new program, All Stars, was completed. Four variables known from prior research to mediate high-risk behaviors were measured: 1) personal commitment to avoid participating in high-risk behaviors, 2) ideals incongruent with high-risk behaviors, 3) bonding with prosocial institutions, and 4) conventional beliefs about social norms regarding high-risk behaviors. Compared to students who received the seventh grade D.A.R.E. program, students' who received the All Stars program had significantly better outcomes on each mediator. All Stars students also gave superior ratings to the program and their involvement in it.     

The reliability, validity, and unique contributions of self-report by adolescents receiving treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Participants were 36 adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who completed a summer treatment program. Self-report measures included the IOWA Conners Inattention/Overactivity and Oppositional/Defiant subscales, peer and staff interaction ratings, and a daily guess if the placebo or methylphenidate was given during a double-blind medication trial. Self-reports were reliable, and some of the self-report measures distinguished between placebo and methylphenidate conditions. However, the self-report measures exhibited weak correlations with observed frequencies of negative behavior and did not make a unique contribution beyond what was reported by adults. This study replicates previous findings that adolescents may be poor sources of information about ADHD symptoms, but adolescents receiving treatment for ADHD may be able to provide valid self-reports about negative social behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Five big issues in clinical personality assessment: A rejoinder to Costa and McCrae.

Responds to P. T. Costa and R. R. McCrae's reply (see record 1992-25762-001) to the Y. S. Ben-Porath and N. G. Waller article (see record 1992-25755-001) by clarifying the following points: (1) "Normal" personality instruments such as the NEO Personality Inventory should not be used in place of clinical measures, but may serve to provide useful supplemental information; (2) evaluation of the clinical validity of individual test protocols is a vital component of clinical assessment; (3) ordering of scales on a profile implies configural interpretation of test scores, which is common practice in clinical assessment; (4) anxiety, depression, and impulsiveness are viewed by some clinicians as being related to different higher order domains; and (5) clinical correlates thought to be associated with conscientiousness are readily assessable by clinical inventories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Reputation, halo, and ratings of counseling programs": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by R. W. Thoreson et al (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1975[Sep], Vol 22[5], 446-450). On page 448, an error appears in Table 1. George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tennessee, is incorrectly listed as George Peabody University. It should also have an asterisk to indicate that the program was an APA-approved program in counseling psychology at the time the data for the study were collected. Peabody continues to have an accredited program under a new category called "Programs in Combined Scientific-Professional Psychology," which is characterized by a combination of "clinical, counseling, and school psychology." (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1975-31894-001.) Tested the hypothesis that previous ratings of programs in psychology reflect both an experimental psychology and general institutional halo bias. A questionnaire similar to one used in an earlier study of graduate programs by H. D. Roose and C. J. Andersen (1970) was used to survey the responses of 598 professionals in the field of counseling psychology. Respondents were furnished with a listing of 70 doctoral programs in counseling psychology and other closely related programs and were asked to rate each of the programs. It was found that applied programs in counseling psychology received ratings that differed from overall ratings of psychology in general. Programs ranked as strong, good, and adequate are listed. Ratings were related to institutional halo, program age, rater knowledge of program, geographic location, and approved status by the American Psychological Association. Implications for program evaluation are discussed, and users of reputational ratings are cautioned about the need for supplemental information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of belief on acupuncture analgesia.

24 undergraduates who had indicated either a high or low level of belief in acupuncture-induced analgesia received either acupuncture or a pseudo-acupuncture treatment prior to a 60-sec cold-pressor test. Ss also completed the State scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory at the beginning of the experiment and provided ratings of pain intensity during the cold-pressor test. Ss who held positive beliefs about the effectiveness of acupuncture and who received actual acupuncture treatment reported lower pain than did Ss with negative beliefs and those who received pseudo-acupuncture. Anxiety ratings did not differ between groups. The ratings of belief in acupuncture shown by the 2 groups tended to converge after treatment. Results suggest that differences in the analgesic effects of acupuncture are influenced by expectancy effects and the degree to which expectations are confirmed during the treatment procedure. (French abstract) (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability of personality disorder symptoms and personality traits in substance-dependent inpatients.

The authors compared the internal consistency, 1-year temporal stability and self-informant agreement of ratings of personality trait (NEO Five-Factor Inventory; NEO-FFI; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and personality disorder symptom severity (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R personality Disorders Questionnaire; SCID-II-Q ; R. L. Spitzer, J. B. W. Williams, M. Gibbon, & M. First, 1990) in 131 substance-dependent inpatients. Internal consistency coefficients were acceptable to very good for most NEO-FFI and SCID-II-Q scales, and temporal stability correlations were significant for all measures. Agreement between patient and informant ratings was more modest. Substance abuse and depression symptom severity moderated the temporal stability and self-informant agreement of several personality trait and disorder ratings. The authors did not find that the five factors were more reliable than the Axis II symptoms. Issues related to the reliability of personality assessment in multiply diagnosed patients are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward an empirical definition of relevance in undergraduate instruction.

Investigated the meaning of course relevance by determining the factor structure underlying 153 students' ratings of concepts commonly taught in psychology courses. Ss completed scales marking C. E. Osgood's (1957) 3 basic factors: evaluation (good–bad), potency (strong–weak), and activity (active–passive). Ss also completed useful–useless, interesting–uninteresting, easy–difficult, and relevant–irrelevant scales. Data suggest that there is a shared meaning of relevance among students that is related to personal needs and/or social applicability, both of which are indicated by the useful–useless scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and vocational interests in an adult sample.

Examined the relations between vocational typology developed by the 3rd author (1966, 1973) and the neuroticism–extraversion–openness (NEO) model of personality presented by the 1st 2 authors (1980) among 217 males and 144 females, aged 21–89 yrs. Young and old adult groups were similar to college students in most vocational interests, and the same pattern of sex differences was found. Correlations between Self-Directed Search and NEO inventory scores showed strong associations of investigative and artistic interests with openness to experience, and of social and enterprising interests with extraversion. Ss interested primarily in conventional occupations tended to be closed to experience. These associations were generally confirmed when spouse ratings were used as a non-self-report measure of personality traits in a subset of the Ss. The NEO Inventory complements the Holland typology, primarily in providing measures of neuroticsm. Research on the possible utility of supplementing vocational interest data with personality measures is suggested, and some implications for vocational counseling among older adults are discussed. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Students' evaluations of instruction: A longitudinal study of their stability.

Investigated the long-term stability of students' evaluations of instructional effectiveness. Ss were 1,374 undergraduate and graduate business administration majors from 100 classes who completed their programs at a comprehensive state university between 1974 and 1977. Each S provided course and instructor evaluations at the end of each class and again at least 1 yr after program completion. Results show large and significant correlations (median r?=?.83) between end-of-term and retrospective ratings (relative agreement). Differences between the 2 sets of ratings (absolute agreement) were small; the median rating was 6.63 for retrospective ratings and 6.61 for end-of-term ratings. Separate analyses showed relative and absolute agreement to be consistent in quantitative and nonquantitative courses taught at both graduate and undergraduate levels. These findings demonstrate that students' evaluations collected at the end of a course are remarkably similar to the retrospective ratings provided by the same students several years later. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of interpersonal traits: Wiggins's circumplex and the five-factor model.

Using a sample of 315 adult men and women, self-reports on Wiggins's revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales were jointly factored with self-reports, peer ratings, and spouse ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory to examine the relations between the two models. Results suggest that the interpersonal circumplex is defined by the two dimensions of Extraversion and Agreeableness, and that the circular ordering of variables is not an artifact of response biases or cognitive schemata. Circumplex and dimensional models appear to complement each other in describing the structure of personality, and both may be useful to social psychologists in understanding interpersonal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)