Vocational and Aptitude Tests

1. Vocational and Aptitude Tests Strong Interest Inventory, Kuder Occupational Interest Inventory

2. Strong Interest Inventory • Both the Strong Interest Inventory and the Self-Directed Search are based on John Holland’s Hexagonal Model - the idea that people and environments can be categorized in six basic groups called the General Occupational Themes: • Realistic -- Social • Investigative -- Enterprising • Artistic -- Conventional

3. Strong Interest Inventory • The Strong contains 317 items and asks clients to indicate whether they like, dislike, or feel indifferent towards a number of skills and activities associated with the 6 General Occupational Themes to determine which themes the client is most interested in • The 6 GOT are also divided in 25 subscales, which make up the Basic Interest Scales (e.g., athletics and mechanical abilities are both subscales of the Realistic GOT)

4. Strong Interest Inventory • Lastly, the GOTs in which the client had the most skills and interest are compared to occupations, which are coded according to normative samples of people with that occupation on the Occupational Scales • For example, the occupation Engineer is classified as an RI occupation, while Electrician is an RIC occupation • A client whose profile of interest and abilities was RI would be directed to consider Engineer and possibly Electrician, etc.

5. Strong Interest Inventory • The Strong can only be scored by computer (see sample profile) • Test-retest reliability is excellent (~.90 for 3-6 months; ~.80 for 30 years for those > age 25) • In terms of validity, estimates are that 60-70% of employed persons hold jobs compatible with their GOT profile. 40 year follow-up studies support predictive validity as well • The SDS is similar to the Strong, except that with the SDS, the examinee takes, scores, and interprets the test by themselves

6. Kuder Occupational Interest Survey • The KOIS was developed by Frederic Kuder and uses forced choice triads – which of three activities would you like most & least • Generates scores for six (or ten) broad interest areas (Outdoor/Mechanical, Science/Technical Sales/Management, Arts/Communication, Social/Personal Services, Business Operations) and compares your interest in each area to your skill in each area – can also compare to Kuder occupation list • Limited reliability and validity data available

7. Projective Personality Tests Rorschach, TAT, Incomplete Sentences, Projective Drawings

8. Personality • What is personality? • How does it develop? • How is personality different from temperament? How is personality different from psychopathology? • Does personality ever change? • Why is it important to measure personality?

9. Projective Hypothesis • People seek to make meaning out of their world, and the ways in which people construct meaning are due to and convey something about their personality structure • The more ambiguous the stimuli, the more of the person must use of their own personality when interpreting the stimuli • This process is automatic and unconscious - people are not aware that they are revealing information about themselves

10. Rorschach Inkblot Test • 10 cards - 5 grayscale, 5 with some color • Originally, Rorschach believed that the chosen inkblots could discriminate between psychotic and normal individuals • Examinee gives as many responses to the inkblot as they can think of and responses are recorded verbatim • After administration, clinician goes back through the responses asking what in the inkblot made it appear to look like the response

11. Scoring the Rorschach • Location: • Whole or part? • Large or small detail?

12. Scoring the Rorschach • Determinants: • Color • Shape • Shading • Perception of Movement

13. Scoring the Rorschach • Content: • Human? • Animal? • Object? • Plant? • Map? • Sexual? • Symbol? • Blood?

14. Scoring the Rorschach • Popularity: Do you see - • A spacecraft (24%) • A bug (16%) • A person (13%) or • A forest (2%) • A bird (2%)

15. Scoring the Rorschach • At least 5 distinct scoring systems exist - but many clinicians do not use a scoring system and intepret idiosyncratically • The most rigorous system - called the Exner system - uses proportion scores (e.g., proportion of animal figures to human figures) which are then compared to norms • Separate norms for children and adults • Norms are not appropriate for minority groups

16. Scoring Projective Tests • Assume that you are assessing a teenage boy. You ask him what this is a picture of, and he answers: • “Guns… two big guns. They’re being held to the heads of the praying women in the middle.” • What is your assessment?

17. Illusory Correlations • Many people believe that projective tests are scored in relation to the content of the response • E.g. seeing guns denotes a violent person • However, no empirical link exists between the content of responses and particular traits • 20% of respondents saw guns • Most people (even clinicians) find it very difficult to avoid making illusory correlations, even when they are asked to be especially careful not to!!

18. Rorschach: Reliability & Validity • Due to idiosyncratic scoring, the reliability of the Rorschach is generally very low, although rigorous scoring can create adequate reliability • The Rorschach does have ability to identify some psychopathology - e.g. schizophrenia and BPD; however validity is generally low

19. Thematic Apperception Test • 31 pictures - select 8-12 pictures (depending on client’s age, gender, and presenting problem) • Examinee is asked to make up a story • What is happening in the picture? • What led up to what is happening? • What are the characters thinking and feeling? • How will it end?

20. Murray’s Theory of Personality • Murray believed that the TAT could reveal a person’s needs and press • Needs can be primary (physical satisfactions such as water, shelter, warmth) or secondary • Murray stated that: “the press of an object is what it can do to the subject or for the subject - the power that it has to affect the well-being of the subject in one way or another” • Press can be alpha(objective) or beta (subjective)

21. Scoring the TAT • Determine the “hero” of the story • This is who the client identifies with • Determine that hero’s needs • Determine that hero’s press • This will tell you something about how the person approaches interpersonal situations and solves interpersonal conflicts • Examine the TAT story written by another student in terms of needs and press

22. C.J. according to the TAT • Many people see the “ambiguous object” next to the figure as a gun, a hypodermic needle, or keys • Often, people assess the figure as very sad • Remember, assuming a connection between the content of the stories and specific personality traits is an illusory correlation • This card would be analyzed in terms of omissions (e.g. not mentioning sadness or the object), expressed needs (e.g., for affiliation), and how the difficulties are resolved

23. Other Projective Tests • Projective Drawings • Draw-A-Person, Draw-A-Family • House-Tree-Person • Kinetic Family Drawings • Rotter’s Incomplete Sentences Blank • Available for children and adults • In general, reliability and validity of projectives is at about chance levels

24. Uses for Projective Tests • Given the low reliability and validity, under what circumstances would should a projective personality test be used? • In what ways might these measures be useful?