Improving Prediction of Brain Damage with the Tactile Performance Test for a Psychiatric Population

Abstract

The Reitan-Halstead Organic Test Battery has been found of little practical value in general psychiatric populations in that it does not separate hospitalized organics from schizophrenics. An attempt was made to improve such discrimination through the application of response-contingent censure for poor performance during administration of one test from this battery. Ss were 48 hospitalized patients diagnosed schizophrenic reaction or brain syndrome. The Tactile Performance Test was administered to half of each group under standard administration conditions and to the other half under conditions of response-contingent censure. Under the latter condition there was a significant difference in performance by the groups, fewer schizophrenics scoring within the brain-damaged range.

Neuropsychological test results associated with psychiatric disorders in adults.

“…The two Strain andKinzie (1969, 1970) studies may have used the same subjects. If so, the consistency of their findings that testing under censure conditions enhanced discrimination between organics and mixed schizophrenics would seem somewhat less impressive.…”