Browsing by Subject "Psychological assessment"
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Item Detecting inmates malingering on the MMPI-2: An analogue investigation(2006-05) Steffan, Jarrod S.; Morgan, Robert D.; Richards, Steven; Clopton, James R.; Reich, Darcy A.; Giles, Chuck L.In correctional settings, the appropriate provision of mental health services to inmates and the accurate identification of inmates' mental health needs are concerns. Psychological evaluations, however, are complicated by incentives that motivate inmates to exaggerate or fabricate symptoms of mental illness, which is commonly known as malingering. Therefore, effective means to evaluate malingering are important. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), which contains the Infrequency (F) scale, Infrequency-Back (Fb) scale, Infrequency-Psychopathology (Fp) scale, Gough’s Dissimulation (F – K) index, and Gough’s Dissimulation (Ds) scale for assessing malingering, is commonly used in correctional settings. However, only three published studies have investigated these validity indicators among inmates. Therefore, this dissertation sought to expand the knowledge of malingering by inmates on the MMPI-2. This study consisted of three groups of inmates. Forty-five male inmates from general population penitentiaries formed a simulating group and were asked to fake unspecified mental illness on the MMPI-2. A clinical comparison group of 65 male inmates from correctional psychiatric inpatient facilities who were suffering from mental illnesses were asked to honestly answer the MMPI-2. The third group consisted of 44 inmates from general population penitentiaries who were asked to complete the MMPI-2 under standard instructions and who formed the standard instructions group. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) procedures, with demographic differences between the groups held as covariates, indicated that the validity scales, with the exception of Fb, differentiated the simulating group from the standard instructions and clinical comparison groups. Logistic regression analyses identified the Fp and Ds scales as the most effective validity indicators in detecting malingering, and neither added incrementally to the predictive power of the other. These results support the use of the MMPI-2 and the Fp and Ds validity indicators for routine use in the assessment of malingering among inmates. As a result, correctional psychologists who use the MMPI-2 will be able to make more informed decisions in order to determine the presence or absence of genuine mental illness among inmates. Consequently, mental health services might be more appropriately disbursed. Findings and conclusions are discussed in light of limitations of the study.Item The effect of acculturation on parental perception of child psychological assessment among Chinese Americans(2010-12) Ho, Eching; Tharinger, Deborah J.; Cawthon, Stephanie W.Psychological assessment has a long history to be used for diagnostic purposes for all ages. This traditional model of assessment has been common for decades, but has not emphasized some important aspects of best practice (Brenner, 2003). To address the limitations of the information gathering model of assessment, collaborative and therapeutic approaches to assessment have been developed over the past several decades (e.g. Finn & Thonsager, 1997; Fischer, 1970). Therapeutic Assessment (TA) emphasizes the opportunity to provide positive changes in the client and their system by involving the client throughout the assessment process, and establishing a meaningful and collaborative relationship between assessor and client (Finn, 2007). The TA has been found to produce many positive impacts on client’s assessment experiences in mainstream American culture. It is important to note how these positive impacts transfer to clients of different cultures. Thus the purpose of this study will be to investigate the effect of acculturation on Asian American parents’ perception of existing models of child assessment. This study will examine the relations between acculturation and perception of assessment models (information gathering model versus Therapeutic Assessment) among Chinese American parents.Item Parental experience as a function of therapeutic assessment-infused versus standard practice school-based psychological assessment of their child(2010-08) Fowler, Johnathan Leas; Tharinger, Deborah J.; Finn, Stephen E.; Keith, Timothy Z.; Sander, Janay B.; Sherry, Alissa; Lasater, LisaThis dissertation investigated the effects of infusing therapeutic assessment practices into school-based psychological assessments on parent experience. Fourteen assessment professionals from a medium sized public school district in central Texas were assigned to one of two groups based upon previous exposure to Finn’s Therapeutic Assessment (2003) model. Those in the Therapeutic Assessment-infused (TA-I) group were trained on collaborative assessment concepts, while those in the standard practice group were asked to conduct assessments as usual, while being required to conduct initial and feedback meetings with parents. Outcomes were measured using the Parent Experience of Assessment Survey – I (PEAS-I), Parents’ Positive and Negative Emotions (PPNE), the Experience of School Investment and Collaboration Scale (ESICS), and post-interviews with parents and assessors. Parent ratings from both groups were compared using a MANOVA. It was hypothesized that parents in the TA-I group would report having learned more, more positive parent/assessor and child/assessor relationships, more collaboration with the assessor, less negative emotion related to the assessment, and a higher perception of family involvement in their child’s problems. Parents in the TA-I group were also hypothesized to report a greater sense of home-school collaboration and school investment in their child. Finally, it was proposed that parents in the TA-I group would report feeling more positive and less negative about their child’s future. The group difference was not statistically significant, due in part to limited sample size. However, small to medium effect sizes were achieved for several outcome scales, including parents’ positive emotions following participation, positive parent-assessor relationship, and parental sense of collaboration throughout the assessment. An exploratory measure indicated a significantly greater sense of future collaboration with their child’s school for parents in the TA-I group. Post-participation interviews indicated clear appreciations of the TA-I model. Parents experiencing standard practice assessments, however, also expressed high satisfaction, though the requirement of two face-to-face parent meetings may have contributed to a notable departure from standard practice. Results suggest that infusing TA-I practices into school assessments may be effective in increasing parental satisfaction and home-school collaboration. Further research is warranted, and discussion of potential improvements for future research is provided.Item Therapeutic assessment with adolescents : examining changes in adolescents’ perception of family functioning(2013-08) Wan, Judith T.; Tharinger, Deborah J.Therapeutic Assessment (TA), a semi-structured form of collaborative assessment that combines psychological assessment with individual and family therapy techniques, has emerged as an innovative and promising short-term family systems intervention for children and their families and potentially with adolescents. The goal for the study was to explore the utility of TA with adolescents (TA-A) as an effective short-term family intervention for adolescents. The study used an interrupted time-series design to follow three adolescents as they took part in a TA-A with their families. Participants were adolescents who presented with behavioral, emotional, and/or interpersonal difficulties. They were referred by either a local community mental health clinic or practitioners in private practice who believed they and their families would benefit from a TA-A. Participants completed daily measures of family functioning before, during, and after the TA-A. Additionally, the participants completed longer standardized repeated measures of family functioning and were interviewed about their experience of TA-A throughout the different phases of the TA-A. Simulation Modeling Analysis (SMA) revealed that none of the participants reported improvements on daily measures of family functioning. However, repeated measures revealed improvements in family functioning for all participants either at the conclusion of the TA-A and/or at Follow-up. Qualitatively, all three participants provided various levels of feedback about the positive impact of TA-A on their family. Themes across the cases, as well as limitations and future direction, are discussed.Item Therapeutic assessment with adolescents: an efficacy study(2009-12) Kuhlman, Jamie Thomas; Tharinger, Deborah J.; Sherry, AlissaTherapeutic Assessment (TA) is a semi-structured hybrid of assessment and intervention methods that aims to promote positive change in clients through collaboration. Studies have shown it to be an effective therapeutic intervention, but few studies have focused on adolescents. This comparative study examines the effects of TA, compared with assessment as usual, with an adolescent population. Dependent measures include symptom reduction and components of the assessment experience, specifically self-knowledge, feeling understood by the assessor, positive relationship with the assessor, and negative feelings about the assessment. A repeated measure ANOVA will examine the group effects on symptom reduction, while a MANOVA will be used to determine the effects of TA on the variables of assessment experience.