Building Your Case for Final Decision on a TesT DISCUSSION

Anger Regulation and Expression Scale is a self-report measure of anger regulation and expression. The drive of the test is to assess the tendencies that lead to inward and outward expressions of anger. The test also assesses the duration and range of anger experiences in people. The test offers intervention and treatment suggestions based on the test takers ARES scores. The test content does not assess anger as a secondary symptom of another issue but as the primary and independent problem. ARES examined affective aggression to assess the cognitions associated with anger using the Anger-In/Anger-Out model. The treatment plans and needed intervention are developed by results provided by the ARES test. Anger affects people’s personalities in truly interpersonal processes. ARES is intended for youth or adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years who face multiple personality changes that affect their lives.

Technical Review Article Summaries

Conduct Disorders

Kashani, J. H., & Holcomb, W. R. (2013). Personality characteristics of a community sample of adolescents with conduct disorders. Adolescence, 579.

This study explores the personality characteristics of conduct disorder in adolescents in a thoroughly selected community sample. The sample consisted of 150 adolescents, who were all interviewed along with their parents in a structured interview to classify the adolescents using the DSM-III criteria. The interviewers went through extensive training to conduct these interview; they were not allowed to be a part of the study until an interrater agreement was 95 percent or more. This demonstrates successful inter-rater reliability in this study (Kashani & Holcomb, 2013). The results show significant differences in personality styles, expressed concerns and behavioral correlates between conduct disorders within adolescents. These results also support the simultaneous rationality of the ARES with conduct disordered youth.

Clinical Psychology

Piersma, H. L. (2015). The ARES as a treatment outcome measure for adolescent inpatients. clinical psychology, 709-714.

In this study, construct validity was evaluated using the ARES by comparing 215 hospitalized adolescents who displayed emotional disorder and disruptive behavior disorder at admission and discharge. The adolescents that had emotional disorder reported significantly greater distress at both admission and discharge than adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder (Piersma, 2015). The test-retest reliability coefficients were lower than those reported in the previous study. The study conveyed that the reliability of the ARES for clinical populations is “contaminated by both natural changes in their clinical state and those fostered by the effects of treatment.” The ARES supported the construct validity by the results showing the differences between the depressed and disruptive behavior groups.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development

Halloran, E. C., Ross, G. J., & Carey, A. M. (2011). The relationship of adolescent personality. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 201-216.

This study observes the relationship of both adolescent personality and the family environment associated with the psychiatric diagnosis. At the start of the study, 202 adolescents were assessed that were in a psychiatric inpatient unit. Adolescents were interviewed by two trained clinical interviewers which demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability, 32 adolescents were excluded from the study because of the questionable reliability and validity due to their understanding of the questionnaires (Halloran, Ross, & Carey, 2011). The results partially supported the hypothesis that both personality and family environment variables would be associated with psychiatric diagnoses. It was observed that personality factors were more strongly related to diagnosis than family environment variables. Three methodological issues limited the data set. First, the limitation was due to the data being gathered at one point in time rather than over several points. Next, the population of the study was not widely generalized; it was a very select sample that was not homogenous. Lastly, the data on personality styles and the family environment was constructed on adolescents’ evaluation during a stressful time. Thus, the reliability of the reports may be somewhat exaggerated at the time.

Adolescence

Hart, L. R. (2011). ARES personality correlates of comorbid substance abuse among adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Adolescence, 657-667.

This study investigated patterns among adolescent psychiatric inpatients, their personality traits, and their substance abuse deviancy. 190 inpatient adolescents were assessed and broken into groups based off of the DSM-III-R substance abuse diagnoses. The presence of substance abuse diagnosis was associated with differential patterns of personality styles and attitudes among the adolescents with psychiatric problems. The test-retest reliability was done two other times with the ARES and among inpatient adolescents (Hart, 2011). The mean ARES scores were similar in two of the studies. In the third test-retest, it did not find neurotic or internalizing characteristics prominent among the adolescent substance abusers. This study was looking at retesting again, but instead of using the ARES they would use the revised version which is the ARES II.

Personality Inventory

Cox, D. N., Koopman, R. F., & Ehrenberg, M. F. (2014). The Millon adolescent personality inventory profiles. Adolescence, 415.

This study looked at 366 high school students and their personality style, expressed concerns, and behavioral tendencies to determine if the adolescents were depressed. Out of the 366 students, only 332 completed the ARES resulting in valid and reliable ARES profiles. The information was summarized into two factors, accounting for 65.1 percent of the total variance (Cox, Koopman, & Ehrenberg, 2014). The two factors were interpreted as two dimensions; the socially withdrawn and the defiant, associated with depression in adolescents. The results of the study were that 30 percent of the adolescents are mildly or clinically depressed. In factor one, the depressed adolescents lack social confidences, self-esteem, and they avoid the school activities. On the other hand, factor two the depressed adolescents are impatient with other, always dissatisfied, and moody. They lack respect for rules, social regulations, and rights of others. A reliability index reveals an indifferent response style and a validity index indicate random responding or extreme disorganization. The ARES reveal age detailed features of affective symptomology in depressed adolescents.

Psychological Assessment

Poorthuis, A. M. (2014). Personality in Action. Psychological Assessment.

In this study, personality tests were constructed to measure behavior traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness in sixth graders on changes in their academic and social adjustment when they transition from elementary school to high school. There were 487 children recruited from 22 schools; they worked on a series of assignments designed to measure their personality traits. There was no significant correlation between the behavioral test of conscientiousness and self-reported neuroticism, extraversion, and openness. Also, no correlation was made between agreeableness and self-reported neuroticism (Poorthuis, 2014). Discriminant validity was assessed, which the behavioral test of conscientiousness and agreeableness were correlated with the other Big Five traits.

Clinical Psychology

Rubenzer, S. (2012). A comparison of traditional and computer generated psychological reports in an adolescent inpatient setting. Clinical Psychology, 817-827.

This study the ARES and raters obtained values and compared it to the alleged accuracy, utility, and specificity of traditional psychological reports. 14 adolescent psychiatric inpatient psychological reports were utilized. 21 raters were pursued on the foundation of their familiarity with the patients and willingness to offer their time. The criterion of interest was to have realistic reactions from the users (Rubenzer, 2012). The inter-rater reliability of this study averaged -.15, which some would perceive this to be an indication that the raters needed more training. This study concluded that the low inter-rater reliability should be taken more seriously because the ARES did not achieve the level of user satisfaction and was seen to have limitations that could have been avoided.

Conclusion

In five studies that the reliability was not as successful as the authors hoped it would be, especially if it had to do with inter-rater reliability. To be able to have successful inter-rater reliability the interviewer/rater/scorer has to be highly qualified and well trained to be able to interpret any psychological test. There were a couple of studies that had an excellent demonstration of inter-rater reliability, but that is only because the individual interpreting was highly competent on evaluating the ARES (Buros Center for Testing, 2017). It also seemed as if the test-retest reliability was also not as efficient as the authors planned. Overall, the ARES needs to be revised to help with the reliability issues that occur.

Throughout the seven studies, there was no much validity as compared to reliability. Some studies did mention validity, but it seems like it was more successful than the reliability. Which seems a little odd because if a test does not have successful reliability, then the validity would not be a success either (MHS-Assessment, 2017). It seems like the ARES is more efficient with validity than it is reliability.

ARES is not currently appropriate for the use in the field of psychology. The test is outdated and needs to be revised, which it has been. As mentioned above the ARES II is an updated version of the ARES. The ARES II was specifically designed for the mental service industry as an instrument for adolescent clinical assessment, whereas the ARES was routinely used as one component of testing for vocational, academic, and psychological advising.

References

Buros Center for Testing. (2017). Tests Reviewed Nineteenth Mental Measurements Yearbook. Retrieved from buros.org: http://buros.org/tests-reviewed-nineteenth-mental-measurements-yearbook

Cox, D. N., Koopman, R. F., & Ehrenberg, M. F. (2014). The Millon adolescent personality inventory profiles. Adolescence, 415.

Halloran, E. C., Ross, G. J., & Carey, a. M. (2011). The relationship of adolescent personality. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 201-216.

Hart, L. R. (2011). ARES personality correlates of comorbid substance abuse among adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Adolescence, 657-667.

Kashani, J. H., & Holcomb, W. R. (2013). Personality characteristics of a community sample of adolescents with conduct disorders. Adolescence, 579.

MHS-Assessment. (2017). MHS-Assessment. Retrieved from www.mhs.com: https://www.mhs.com/MHS-Assessment?prodname=ares

Piersma, H. L. (2015). The ARES as a treatment outcome measure for adolescent inpatients. Clinical Psychology, 709-714.

Poorthuis, A. M. (2014). Personality in Action. Psychological Assessment.

Rubenzer, S. (2012). A comparison of traditional and computer generated psychological reports in an adolescent inpatient setting. Clinical Psychology, 817-827.