PROBLEMThere is a growing interest and use of the California Psychological Inventory as both a diagnostic and research tool. Since a representative sample is desired in standardization projects, many subjects with limited reading ability are included. This focuses attention on a problem of the effect of limited reading ability on t.he results obtained with any paper-and-pencil test attempting to assess personality. It is assumed that the C. P. I. requires a reading ability of about sixth grade level since it is very similar in item content to the M. M. P. I. whose readability has been estimated at this level. (') In many situations we attempt to assess individual personality changes of a group that includes many who fall below this level. We assume on the basis of numerous previous studies and accepted educational theory that the speaking or aural recognition vocabulary is substantially higher than the reading vocabulary of the group. I n this event, it would follow that reading the items would make for better, more accurate and reliable responses. However, experience in the preliminary administration of the C.P. I. in this manner to undisciplined groups (e.g., juvenile delinquents), indicated the possibility of adverse influence on individual responses of spontaneous group reactions such as laughter or side comments. The question then becomes, are the adverse effects of group reaction sufficient to overcome the advantages that would obtain as the result of reading the test to the group? Our concern, then, is to evaluate the effect of the modification of administration on the results; are the results consistent with those obtained from the regular administration or, if they vary, to what extent?
METRODA group of inmates a t Deuel Vocational Institution, Tracy, California, was used as subjects. A reading ability of a t least seventh grade, as measured by the California Achievement Test, was required as the only criterion of selection. This insured that all subjects would be able to read the items fairly adequately. The first 200 inmates so selected during the regular guidance processing were used in the sample. Half of the group read the test items and then, within a three day period, had the items read to them. In the case of the other half, the procedure was reversed.
RESULTSWith the sequence effects controlled by the design, the results from the two groups, called "Reading" and "Read To", were correlated. On each of the subtests the correlations were substantially greater than test-retest reliability coefficients reported by Gough@) with the single exception of the "F1" scale (Flexibility). The low correlation might well be related to the small number of items (twenty-two), for when the means of the two groups are compared statistically, no significant difference is found (see Table 1).However, most clinicians are more interested in individual profiles than in group tendencies. To approach this problem-the objective analysis of a complete profile-the coefficient of profile similarity was applied.This included m...
