Welcome to Psychological Assessment .org, an Interactive, Online Professional Community

PsychologicalAssessment.org is a resource for psychological testing professionals (both those in practice and still learning as students) to discuss test interpretation, construction and any other issues involved in psychological evaluations. It is not simply an online journal, but it is also not just another static collection of links or another basic mailing list or discussion forum. While it is important to protect test items and content and uphold APA ethics code standards and priciples, this can be done in the public setting (such as information available in a public library).

Using simple blogging software which allows users to create a community blog, anyone who can read and type on a keyboard can post messages, articles, or respond to "published" opinions in the blog through comments or posts of their own. Keep in mind there are multiple categories so you can read the most recent posts, but also click on the categories you may be interested in to read and comment on posts related to those topics (also choose relevant categories when you post). Feel free to add your link to your website or offer relevant link suggestions, print published article suggestions, book or book chapter suggestions, etc. Though the commenting feature isn't exactly peer review, please try to communicate politely and professionaly when possible- its not generally intended or expected that posts would replace a published journal article such as from the American Psychological Association's "Psychological Assessment," nor should you consider the discussions necessarily peer-reviewed or having cleared any peer review process other than submitting opinions, original "articles," questions, concerns and issues for public comment. Once submitted your blog posts become public domain and this site gives permission to distribute them freely as long as the original source is cited. No copyright material can be posted unless you're clearly the owner with permission to post it. Psychologist Dr. Todd Finnerty will moderate the posts if any get too far in to the crazy spam world, but otherwise please feel free to express yourself. Psychologists, Psychometricians, counselors and anyone else interested in psychologhical testing are welcome to join us.

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Psychological Assessment - Vol 21, Iss 2 Updated : Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:35:07 EST Do balanced scales assess bipolar constructs? The case of the STAI scales. Balanced scales, that is, scales based on items whose content is either negatively or positively polarized, are often used in the hope of measuring a bipolar construct. Research has shown that usually balanced scales do not yield 1-dimensional measurements. This threatens their construct validity. The authors show how to test bipolarity while accounting for method effects. This is demonstrated on a data set of state and trait anxiety measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; C. D. Spielberger, R. L. Gorsuch, R. Lushene, P. R. Vagg, & G. A. Jacobs, 1983) scales. Taking a test–retest perspective, assuming temporally stable method effects, the authors tested the bipolarity of the temporal change through suitable constraints specified in a structural equation model adapted from S. Vautier, R. Steyer, and A. Boomsma (2008). The model fit the data closely, ?²(13, N = 888) = 20.75, p = .07. Thus, the state and trait scales seem to measure bipolar constructs plus temporally stable method effects. Parameter estimates suggest reliable change scores for the state anxiety scale (?^ = .90) and specific method effects for the state and trait scales of the STAI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) Assessing traumatic event exposure: Comparing the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis requires first identifying a traumatic event, but very few studies have evaluated methods of potential traumatic event assessment and their impact on PTSD diagnosis. The authors compared a behaviorally specific comprehensive multiple-item traumatic event measure with a single-item measure to determine their impact on traumatic event identification and subsequent PTSD diagnosis. In a within-subject, counterbalanced design, the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ; E. S. Kubany et al., 2000) was compared with the single-question traumatic event assessment in the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV (SCID; M. B. First, R. L. Spitzer, M. Gibbon, & J. B. W. Williams, 1998) in 129 participants in opioid-dependence treatment. The TLEQ produced a 9-fold higher rate of traumatic events reported by the participants, compared with the SCID. As a result, PTSD diagnoses in the sample increased to 33% after the TLEQ measure from 24% after the SCID. The increase in potential traumatic event identification and PTSD diagnosis was greater in women than in men. This study provides strong support for the use of comprehensive traumatic event assessments to measure traumatic events and PTSD diagnoses, particularly in women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) Prevalence estimation and validation of new instruments in psychiatric research: An application of latent class analysis and sensitivity analysis. Prevalence and validation studies rely on imperfect reference standard (RS) diagnostic instruments that can bias prevalence and test characteristic estimates. The authors illustrate 2 methods to account for RS misclassification. Latent class analysis (LCA) combines information from multiple imperfect measures of an unmeasurable latent condition to estimate sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of each measure. With simple algebraic sensitivity analysis (SA), one uses researcher-specified RS misclassification rates to correct prevalence and test characteristic estimates and can succinctly summarize a range of scenarios with Monte Carlo simulation. The authors applied LCA to a validation study of a new substance use disorder (SUD) screener and a larger prevalence study. With a traditional validation study analysis in which an error-free RS (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV Axis I Disorders [SCID]; M. H. First, R. L. Spitzer, M. Gibbon, & J. Williams, 1990) is assumed, the authors estimated the screener had 86% Se and 75% Sp. Validation study estimates from LCA were 91% Se, 81% Sp (screener), 73% Se, and 98% Sp (SCID). SA in the prevalence study suggested the prevalence of SUD was underestimated by 22% because SCID was assumed to be error-free. LCA and SA can assist investigators in relaxing the unrealistic assumption of perfect RSs in reporting prevalence and validation study results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) Validation of diagnostic measures based on latent class analysis: A step forward in response bias research. The use of criterion group validation is hindered by the difficulty of classifying individuals on latent constructs. Latent class analysis (LCA) is a method that can be used for determining the validity of scales meant to assess latent constructs without such a priori classifications. The authors used this method to examine the ability of the L scale of the MMPI-2 (J. N. Butcher et al., 2001), the Impression Management scale of the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (D. L. Paulhus, 1991), and the Endorsement of Excessive Virtue scale of the Psychological Screening Inventory (R. I. Lanyon, 1970) to identify favorable response bias (misrepresentation) in a situation where no criterion for individual classifications existed. Results suggest that LCA can be used as a method for assessing the validity of scales that measure unobservable conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) Psychometric properties of the Affect Intensity and Reactivity Measure adapted for Youth (AIR–Y). A valid and reliable instrument for measuring affect intensity does not exist for adolescents; such a measure may help to refine understanding of emotion among youths. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical relevance of a measure of affect intensity adapted for youths. Two hundred five community adolescents and 179 adolescents from a residential treatment program were recruited; both samples completed self-report questionnaires, and the community-based sample participated in positive and negative mood-eliciting laboratory tasks. Confirmatory factor analyses comparing multiple models indicated a 3-factor structure was the best fit. This Affect Intensity and Reactivity Scale for Youth (AIR–Y) evidenced good internal consistency and test–retest reliability, and the 3 factors showed incremental predictive validity for mood ratings following emotion-elicitation procedures, even after accounting for the relevant scale on the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children. Evidence for the clinical relevance of the AIR–Y, particularly the Negative Intensity factor, was found. Overall, the AIR–Y appears to be a psychometrically sound measure for the assessment of affect intensity among youths. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) RSS Software Website Traffic Promotion

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Try this site for information on finding a particular psychological test, including New Psychological tests recently introduced or coming out soon like the WAIS-IV, WMS-IV and MMPI-2-RF. There is also a nice selection of books featured including a number focused on the assessment of malingering and somatization (check out the slideshow).

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