Case Presentation
Ms. Z, an African American woman 35 years old, has a history of mental health issues, such as erratic moods and severe depression, which resulted in a suicide attempt and hospitalization. Her depressed mood continues to interfere with her daily life, including her ability to finish a four-year degree, even though she has been prescribed antidepressant medication and is receiving mental health services. Ms. Z is looking for diagnostic information to help her decide whether to go back to school and enhance her mental health. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 2 and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) were used to assess Ms. Z. (MMPI-2).
Test and Assessment Development Analysis: WAIS-IV
Administration of WAIS-IV
A certified professional will administer the WAIS-IV, a standardized intelligence test, to each test taker individually. The examination consists of ten core subtests that measure ten different cognitive functions, such as verbal understanding, visual reasoning, cognitive retention, and information processing rate. It takes two to three hours to administer and score the test.
Populations for Which the Test Is Normed
The WAIS-IV is normed for people aged 16 to 90 from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, including African Americans. To ensure that the norms represent the larger U.S. population, the sample used to develop the normative data was stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education level. The 2,200 people who made up the normative sample used to create the WAIS-IV were used to establish the norms (Abdelhamid et al., 2021). Equating is a statistical technique that ensures test results are comparable among different subgroups of the normative sample.
Information the Test Produced
The WAIS-IV test measures several aspects of cognitive functioning, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. A Full-Scale IQ score, which is a composite score that represents overall intellectual functioning, is one of the scores that the test offers. Additionally, the test provides results for each subtest, which can be used to pinpoint specific areas of cognitive strength and weakness.
Reliability and Validity
The WAIS-high IV’s reliability and validity have been proven when administered to various populations, including African Americans. Test-retest reliability coefficients indicate consistency over time and range from 82 to 96 are present. In the standardization sample, the test validity score was 0.95, and in comparison with the four-subtest index-based short form, it had a strong correlation (Fan et al., 2019). After correction, the correlations for the other groups ranged from 0.93 to 0.96 (Fan et al., 2019). Similar to the simple correlation coefficients, the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of each group ranged from 0.92 to 0.96 (Fan et al., 2019). The WAIS-IV is a reliable indicator of intelligence across a range of populations and contexts.
Test and Assessment Development Analysis: MMPI-2
Administration of WAIS-IV
A group or individual setting can be used to administer the MMPI-2, a standardized personality test. The test has 567 true-false questions and takes one to two hours to finish.
Populations for Which the Test Is Normed
Adults aged 18 and older from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, including African Americans, are normed for the MMPI-2. A sample of people who are typical of the general population and who do not have a clinical diagnosis of a mental health disorder.
Information the Test Produced
The MMPI-2 provides details on a person’s psychopathology and personality traits. The test provides results on ten clinical scales that evaluate different clinical issues, such as personality disorders, depression, and anxiety. The MMPI-2 can provide important data, some of which are as follows: identification of psychological disorders, assessment of personality traits, prediction of behavioral outcomes, identification of potential problems in social and occupational functioning, and assessment of validity of test results. In order to identify potential response bias or inconsistent responses, the test also offers validity scales.
Reliability and Validity
As a result of the MMPI-2’s high levels of reliability and validity across a variety of clinical and non-clinical populations, it is widely regarded as a reliable tool for identifying personality traits and mental health issues. Many of the MMPI-2 scales have Cronbach’s alpha coefficients above 0.80, indicating the instrument’s internal solid consistency and reliability (Nichols et al., 2021). The MMPI-2 results should be interpreted, as with any psychological test, within the framework of a thorough clinical evaluation.
References
Abdelhamid, G. S. M., Bassiouni, M. G. A., & Gómez-Benito, J. (2021). Assessing cognitive abilities using the WAIS-IV: An item response theory approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13). Web.
Fan, H., Zhu, J., Wang, J., Cui, J., Chen, N., Yao, J., Tan, S., Duan, J., Pang, H., Zou, Y. (2019). Four-subtest index-based short form of WAIS-IV: Psychometric properties and clinical utility. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 34(1), 81-88. Web.
Nichols, D. S., Innamorati, M., Erbuto, D., Ryan, T. A., Pompili, M. (2021). An MMPI-2 hopelessness scale: Construction, initial validation and implication for suicide risk. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 3. Web.
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