Harrison G. Gough

THE ADJECTIVE CHECK LIST AS A PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT RESEARCH TECHNIQUE

One of the research needs of any psychological enterprise which is concerned with the study and description of human behavior, especially in its interpersonal and interactional aspects, is for a set of descriptive terms which is ( a ) meaningful, (.b) sufficiently complex in scope to cover the ordinary range of behavior observed, and (c ) susceptible of systematic analysis. A conceptual system for the description of personality may easily fall short of meeting one or another of these three criteria. In some instances, neologistic terms have been introduced which run counter to usual language habits, and which require special definitions and rules of transformation (from words previously understood) before they can be utilized. The establishment of new terms and phrases for a small number of central concepts in a theory of behavior may be quite useful, but for the description of first-order events a more immediately meaningful language would seem better. Other conceptual models have been too narrow and delimited in scope to deal with a broad range of human behavior. One of the commonplace criticisms of diagnostic psychiatry, for example, is the assertion that the descriptive variables employed have little applicability except to behavior observed in the hospital and clinic. There are even a few instances on record of a reduction to twoor three-category synopses of behavior. Certain kinds of either-or (or dimensional) distinctions may certainly be worth making (e.g., male-female, integrate-disintegrate, internalizer-externalizer), but a descriptive system which is limited to such points of reference is too restricted to be used as a general tool in personality assessment. It is relatively easy to tell when a descriptive language fails to meet the first two criteria (immediate meaningfulness and adequate scope), but deficienties under the third criterion are less readily ascertained. The problem here is that even remote and nebulous observational reactions to behavior can be ordered and systematized to some degree by means of scaling and sorting techniques. It is probably true, in fact, that any mode of response to psychological

Identifying Psychological Femininity

The initial stage of this project involved the sifting of some 500 items, most of which had been written for another study,! in order to determine empirically which would show promise in differentiating males from females. The nature of the items examined was such that any survivals could be presumed to be fairly subtle; that is, they would not immediately be thought of as correlates of femininity. As an example of an item which was

Performance of residents in anesthesiology as related to measures of personality and interests

79 male and 16 female residents in anesthesiology at six training centers took the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and Strong Interest Inventory (Sil) in Year 1 and were rated for performance two years later. Descriptively, the total sample scored highest on CPI scales for Dominance, Social Presence, and Achievement via Independence, and on Sil scales for investigative, mathematical, and medical science interests. Scores from a four-scale CPI cluster of Empathy, Socialization, Achievement via Conformance, and Achievement via Independence correlated 39 with ratings for men and 31 with ratings for women. In another sample of 20 residents, the cluster score correlated 30 with ratings gathered three years after testing. These findings, consonant with prior research, suggest that attributes such as empathy, strong internalization of pronormative values, and the ability to work well within either structured or open settings are conducive to superior performance in the specialty.

The prediction of academic and clinical performance in medical school

Prior studies have suggested the importance of distinguishing between performance in the earlier and later years of medical education. Factor analysis of grades by year and faculty ratings of clinical and general medical competence for 661 medical students identified two uncorrelated factors clearly reflecting this distinction. The clinical performance factor, accounting for 48% of the communality of the matrix, was more or less unpredictable from aptitude and premedical academic achievement indices; it was marginally predictable from scales on the Adjective Check List. The academic performance factor, accounting for 31% of the variance among criteria, was forecast with acceptable accuracy (cross-validated R=0.43) by equations based on the Medical College Admission Test and premedical grade point average. Future study should stress the clinical performance factor; this criterion appears to be more important than academic attainment, and it is also less accurately predicted by current measures.

Cross-cultural validation of a measure of asocial behavior

The California Psychological Inventory (CPI) seeks to measure dispositions having universal status, of value in forecasting and conceptualizing interpersonal behavior anywhere. Under this rationale, cross-cultural study is imperative. The Socialization scale of the inventory was administered in 8 languages in 10 countries, to totals of 21,772 non-delinquent and 5,052 delinquent males and females. Significant and appropriate differences were observed in all comparisons. Assuming base rates of 20% for females and 30% for males, the optimum cutting score for the delinquent vs non-delinquent dichotomy was 28; using this score, 78% of the males and 85% of the females were correctly classified. Dichotomous classification is therefore possible, but interpretation of scores should nonetheless pay attention to the full continuum of variation.

A factor analysis of contraceptive preferences.

Summary Factor analysis of acceptability ratings given to 10 contraceptive methods by 178 Ss (78 male, 100 female) identified four groupings: (a) coitusdependent—condom, diaphragm, and foam or jelly; (b) surgical—vasectomy and tubal ligation; (c) coitus-inhibiting—abstinence, rhythm, and withdrawal; and (d) coitus-independent—intrauterine device and pill. Factor scores were computed and correlated with variables from the Adjective Check List, California F Scale, California Psychological Inventory, College Vocabulary Test, Miller-Fisk Sexual Knowledge Questionnaire, and Rotters locus-of-control scale. Although the yield of significant correlations was modest, several heuristic patterns of covariation with the personality and cognitive measures were noted.

Delinquent and criminal behavior as assessed by the revised california psychological inventory

The revised California Psychological Inventory was studied in samples of 272 delinquent or criminal men vs. 1,088 controls, and 400 delinquent or criminal women vs. 2,266 controls, which gave delinquency base rates of 20% for men and 15% for women. Of the 27 scales evaluated, significant (p less than or equal to .01) mean differences were found on 25 for men and 26 for women. The best differentiator was So (Socialization), with point-biserial correlations of .54 for men and .58 for women. The new CPI theoretical model of personality structure also revealed significant differences. Persons in the Gamma and Delta lifestyle categories manifested higher rates of delinquency than did those in the Alpha and Beta. Low levels of ego integration were associated with greater incidence of delinquency in all four lifestyles.

An Attempt to Predict Graduation from Medical School.

Although there is less attrition from medical school now than in prior years, 500 or more students can be expected to withdraw from American medical schools during each academic year. Continuing study of the problem is, therefore, warranted. Personality inventory, cognitive, and application data, all gathered at the time of admission, were examined for 1,014 graduates and 57 dropouts; separate analyses were conducted for the 17 who departed for academic reasons and the 40 whose attrition was attributable to other causes. Correlational analyses were also conducted in which graduates, nonacademic dropouts, and academic dropouts were scaled in a 4-3-1 continuum. The best predictor of this graduation versus dropout hierarchy was given by a six-variable combination, including scores on the Quantitative ability subtest of the Medical College Admission Test and premedical grades for the last two terms, with positive weightings; personality inventory scales for status potential, socialization, and communality, also with positive weightings; and a personality scale for conformist achievement drive, weighted negatively.

The Dimensionality Of The CPI Socialization Scale And An Empirically Derived Typology Among Delinquent And Nondelinquent Boys

The 64 items of the CPI So scale were cluster analyzed in a sample of 318 males into 3 main dimensions: C-1-Stable home and school adjustment versus waywardness and dissatisfaction with family; C-2-Optimism and trust in others versus dysphoria, distrust and alienation; C-3-Observation of convention versus asocial role and attitude. The initial sample was comprised of 84 school disciplinary problems (DP), 75 institutionalized delinquents (D), and 169 nondelinquent (ND) boys. A cross-validational sample included 121 ND versus 121 D boys. Each of the 3 clusters differen- tiated significantly between D and ND subsamples. From an inverse cluster analysis of the initial 318 boys over the 3 cluster dimensions, 11 types were generated. Four of these were diagnostic of delinquency, 6 of nondelinquency, and 1 pertained primarily to the intermediate criterion group of school disciplinary problems.

Predicting Grades in College from the California Psychological Inventory

To forecast four-year, two-year, and single-course grades in college, a California Psychological Inventory (CPI) equation (30.60 - .26Wb + .35Re -. l9Gi + .39Ai + .22Ie + .36Py) was developed. Cross-validational coefficients for scores on the equation were .38 for 326 males and .36 for 570 females.