Summary-In view of certain psychometric deficiencies of the original Psychoticism scale, an attempt was made to improve the scale by adding new items. It was attempted to increase the internal reliability of the scale, improve the shape of the distribution and increase the mean and variance score. Two different studies are discussed. Reliabilities are now somewhat improved, distributions are closer to normal and mean scores are higher than on the old scale. Four new short 12-item scales for the measurement of P, E, N and L are also given.

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Real job applicants completed a 5-factor model personality measure as part of the job application process. They were rejected; 6 months later they (n = 5,266) reapplied for the same job and completed the same personality measure. Results indicated that 5.2% or fewer improved their scores on any scale on the 2nd occasion; moreover, scale scores were as likely to change in the negative direction as the positive. Only 3 applicants changed scores on all 5 scales beyond a 95% confidence threshold. Construct validity of the personality scales remained intact across the 2 administrations, and the same structural model provided an acceptable fit to the scale score matrix on both occasions. For the small number of applicants whose scores changed beyond the standard error of measurement, the authors found the changes were systematic and predictable using measures of social skill, social desirability, and integrity. Results suggest that faking on personality measures is not a significant problem in real-world selection settings.

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Recent work has shown that habitat specialisation can lead to diversification in lacustrine and marine fish species. Here we investigate specialisation in the New Zealand triplefin fish fauna (Tripterygiidae), which has the greatest diversity and disparity of triplefin species in the world with 26 endemic species. Most species are sympatric throughout coastal New Zealand, showing no obvious latitudinal trends in abundance. We sampled habitat use quantitatively, and microposition qualitatively, in 17 triplefin species at 151 sites representing a geographic range from 35°50' S to 46°70' S. A novel Euclidean-distance non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) technique was used to display the quantitative habitat variables (depth, fetch, rock, cobble, gravel, sand, mud, macroalgae, and coralline and turfing algae) of each species. For each species, the positions of these variables were compared to those of all species using Procrustes configural matrix comparison methodology, which resulted in a final 3D spatial representation of species using non-metric MDS. Our results demonstrate that triplefin species have diversified considerably in habitat and microposition use, resulting in species occupying different patches in the same general location. Strong habitat partitioning was shown by 3 distinct clusters of species along a gradient of depth and exposure. Some species showed an even finer sub-partitioning by using different substratum types, in particular rock and mud. Correspondence Analysis of microposition data showed that 5 species differed from all other species, further partitioning habitat use. Thus, our results suggest that habitat use has been important in the diversification of New Zealand triplefin fishes.

The CORE-OM has a complex factor structure and may be best scored as 2 scales for risk and psychological distress. The distinct measurement of psychological problems and functioning is problematic, partly because many patients receiving out-patient psychological therapies and counselling services function relatively well in comparison with patients receiving general psychiatric services. In addition, a clear distinction between self-report scales for these variables is overshadowed by their common variance with a general factor for psychological distress. An alternative strategy for operationalizing this distinction is proposed.

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