(Prof. Wagner, 7 Sept 2000, by Brian Buschman)
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Validity measures if the test measures what it is supposed to test.
Reliability measures if it can do the same thing every time.
Multiple IQ’s are measured to determine ability of different types of mental works. They are used in diagnosis on Axis II.
Normal is 80-120
Borderline 70-80
Mild retard 50-70
Moderate retard 40-50
Severe retard 20-40
(20-10-20-10-20)
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a test that measures personalities on ten clinical scales and has three scales to see if that sitting of the test is valid. There are also some other scales that other have added that are reliable.
The three validity scales should form an inverted “V” that falls within the normal range. The test looses validity if the three validity scales form an “inversion V” which looks like a normal V. It’s also unreliable if the validity scales are too high.
The clinical scales are interpreted by first looking at which one is the highest and then looking at the top two scores combined. If the results are above the 65 marker the test is saying that they may have the condition or at least you need to keep an eye open for it. The clinical scales include:
1) Hypochondrias
2) Depression
3) Hysteria
4) Psychopathic deviance
5) Masculinity-Feminity – This scale was originally designed to test for homosexuality but it really just tests for characteristics of male or female personalities. Men with high levels of education tend to show feminity on this test.
6) Paranoia
7) Psychasthemia
8) Schizophrenia
9) Hypomania
10) Social introversion
Special scales include anxiety repression, ego strength and the MAC (MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale) which turned out to be a predictor of addictive behavior. Not just alcoholism.
Perservation is the inability to adapt to using a new rule. They learn a rule and stick with it regardless of changing the rules. It is often a result of orbital-frontal lobe legions.
It can be tested for in two ways. First you can do the serial 7’s test where you have them count backwards by 7’s. If they do it they are normal. If they say 93, 83, 73, 63 and so on that is preservation. It can also be tested for by the Wisconsin card sorting test. As the rule changes if they keep reverting back to the original rule then they have preservation.
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