An investigation of the construct and concurrent validity of variables from the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach in a child psychiatric inpatient population
Abstract
This study attempted to explore the construct and concurrent validity of Exner's Comprehensive System for the Rorschach. Selected variables from six clusters from the Rorschach were correlated with parent ratings and self-report measures for 491 children from an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting. The six categories were Thinking (Formal Thought Disorder and Fantasy), Reality Testing, Impulse Control, Affect Management, Self Perception/Self Esteem, and Interpersonal Orientation with relevant scales selected from the criterion measures. Apriori hypotheses were developed which attempted to relate the six categories of variables to selected scales from criterion measures. Analyses were conducted by comparing Exner's cutoff criteria for the sets of variables with parent ratings (Personality Inventory for Children and Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders) and child self-reports (Children's Depression Inventory). Correlation analyses were carried out between Rorschach cutoff scores and continuous scales as well as Exner cutoff scores and clinical cutoff measures for criterion measures. Correlation analyses supported apriori hypotheses for many Rorschach variables when compared to criterion measures. In the Thinking cluster, the SCZI index most often demonstrated validity. In the Reality Testing cluster of variables, the SCZI index, X-%, and the FQ- were variables which demonstrated validity. In the Impulse Control cluster of variables, the D and Adj D variables demonstrated validity. In the Affect Management cluster of variables, the DEPI index demonstrated validity. In the Self Perception/Self Esteem cluster the Morbid variable demonstrated validity, and in the Interpersonal Orientation cluster no variables supported apriori hypotheses. The correlations obtained revealed low degrees of association between variables. An exploration of this pattern of correlations with a series of binomial tests were carried out on the correlation matrices, in order to estimate whether or not current findings differed from expected probable outcomes. Results of these tests reveled most significant findings for correlations between Thinking variables and PIC scales, Reality Testing variables and PIC scales, and Impulse Control variables and PIC scales.
Subject Area
Quantitative psychology|Mental health|Developmental psychology
Recommended Citation
Grosso, Carolyn Gail, "An investigation of the construct and concurrent validity of variables from the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach in a child psychiatric inpatient population" (1999). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI9940446.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI9940446
Remote User: Click Here to Login (must have Pace University remote login ID and password. Once logged in, click on the View More link above)