Abstract

The Ego Impairment Index-3 (EII-3), a composite variable of psychopathology that can be computed from a valid Rorschach protocol, is the latest version of the EII found to demonstrate psychometric superiority and sound interrater reliability across studies of child, adolescent, and adult populations (Viglione et al., 2011). Research has documented that one’s EII-3 score reveals information regarding personality functioning that is not otherwise accessible through clinical observation, interview, or self-report measures. Still, guidelines for effective interpretation of EII-3 scores remain essential to yielding clinically relevant inferences and are especially of interest in adolescent populations of psychiatric severity. This study investigated correlations between EII-3 scores, constriction measures on the Rorschach Comprehensive System-Revised, measures of personality psychopathology via self-report measures such as the Personality Assessment Inventory – Adolescent (PAI-A), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – Adolescent (MMPI-A), and cognitive and academic scores as assessed by the Wechsler scales, derived from archival data of a heterogeneous sample of adolescents receiving psychiatric care at an inpatient hospital. Significant negative correlations emerged between the EII-3 and measures of constriction, deliberate positive impressions, and defensiveness on the MMPI-A, PAI-A, and The Rorschach Comprehensive System Revised (CS-R) Constriction Index, suggesting that these approaches result in a respondent appearing misleadingly psychologically healthy on the EII-3. Moreover, strong positive correlations were found for the association between the EII-3 and expected Rorschach variables. Negative relationships emerged between EII-3 scores and Rorschach measures of situational stress, suggesting that inpatient hospitalization was related to an acute crisis situation, rather than chronic impairment, in some cases. This study replicated previous findings by reporting positive correlations between EII-3 and scales of mental and emotional confusion and impaired object relations across self-report measures designed for adolescent populations. Ultimately, the present research adds interpretative value and provides much-needed direction for understanding the factors impacting convergent validity among gold-standard assessment tools.

Marisa Caponi

First Advisor

John Stokes

Second Advisor

Michele Zaccario

Document Type

ETD

Date of Award

8-1-2024

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