There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Psychology

The current study examined the scale-level factor structure of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MVIPI-A) in a sample of 428 gifted and talented adolescents to validate use of this approach with a gifted population. The MMPIA structural summary was developed to help simplify interpretation of the 69 scales and subscales that are produced with a full administration of this assessment. A principal component analysis was conducted in an attempt to replicate the eight-factor structure identified by Archer, Belevich, and Elkins (1994) in the MMPI-A normative sample and by Archer and Krishnamurthy (1997) in a clinical sample. Results yielded eight factors which accounted for 69.57% of the total variance. Six of these eight factors appeared highly congruent with the original eight structural summary factors identified by Archer, Belevich, and Elkins in the MMPI-A normative sample. The results of this factor analysis supported use of the structural summary approach with gifted and talented high school students. This investigation then used MMPI-A structural summary profiles to describe the psychological characteristics of gifted adolescents. The main finding was that the gifted and talented sample presented with scores within the normal range, and the percentage of gifted students with elevations on any one factor did not exceed the percentage expected in a normal distribution. The highest number of elevations was on the Naivete factor followed by Social Discomfort and then General Maladjustment. These results suggested that this sample of gifted and talented adolescents presented with no more psychological maladjustment than would be expected from any other group of adolescents. Implications of these results for future research and practice with gifted and talented youth were discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

by Tso Chi Wai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-96). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.ii / Table of Contents --- p.iii / List of Tables --- p.v / List of Appendices --- p.vii / Introduction --- p.1 / Assessment tools --- p.2 / Development of the EDI --- p.2 / Psychometric properties of the EDI --- p.5 / Reliability --- p.5 / Test-retest reliability --- p.9 / Validity --- p.9 / Factor structure of EDI-1 --- p.14 / Factor analysis of EDI-2 --- p.17 / Normative Data --- p.18 / Cross-cultural studies --- p.19 / Purpose of the study --- p.21 / Method --- p.23 / Participants --- p.23 / Measures --- p.23 / Procedures --- p.25 / Results --- p.26 / Response rate and missing data --- p.26 / Normative data --- p.26 / Differentiating utility --- p.41 / Reliability --- p.45 / Item-total correlational analysis --- p.48 / Subscale intercorrelations --- p.53 / Factor analysis of EDI-1 --- p.55 / Factor analysis of EDI-2 --- p.72 / Correlation between EDI and ESC-21 --- p.78 / Discussion --- p.80 / Normative data and differentiating utility of EDI --- p.80 / Distribution of scores --- p.83 / Differentiating Utilities --- p.83 / Reliability --- p.85 / Factor analysis --- p.86 / Conclusion --- p.88 / Limitations --- p.89 / Implication for Future Studies --- p.90 / References --- p.91 / Appendices / Questionnaire for the study --- p.97

The quality of the Bender-Gestalt performance of 22, normal, white South African male adolescents and 22, normal, Xhosa male adolescents, aged between 17 and 22 years, was investigated. The Pascal-Suttell scoring system was used. The mean score of the white adolescents was significantly below that of the Xhosa adolescents. It was found that while the mean score of the Xhosa adolescents was within one standard deviation of Pascal and Suttell's normative 'high school' mean, the mean score of the white adolescents was below that of the normative mean and not within one standard deviation of the mean. The results lend support to the findings that Bender performance is related to cultural background. It is suggested that the Pascal-Suttell tables may be in need of revision. The advisability of standardising tables, which are culture specific, for clinical use· in the Southern African context, is indicated. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

The aim of the research was to establish how accurate an Objective Thematic Apperception Test can measure typical behavioral constructs of adolescents such as anxiety, stress, aggression, interpersonal relations and self-concept. An empirical investigation was carried out using a newly developed questionnaire, the Structured Objective TAT (SOTAT) as well as a control questionnaire (CQ). The items of the SOTAT were based on a selection of TAT cards and the CQ measured certain affective variables in the traditional way. Both questionnaires were completed by 378 adolescents. The SOTAT was found to be reliable but not construct valid since low correlation coefficients between the SOTAT and CQ were obtained. There is the possibility that projection did not occur during completion of the SOTAT. / Psychology / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

The aim of the research was to establish how accurate an Objective Thematic Apperception Test can measure typical behavioral constructs of adolescents such as anxiety, stress, aggression, interpersonal relations and self-concept. An empirical investigation was carried out using a newly developed questionnaire, the Structured Objective TAT (SOTAT) as well as a control questionnaire (CQ). The items of the SOTAT were based on a selection of TAT cards and the CQ measured certain affective variables in the traditional way. Both questionnaires were completed by 378 adolescents. The SOTAT was found to be reliable but not construct valid since low correlation coefficients between the SOTAT and CQ were obtained. There is the possibility that projection did not occur during completion of the SOTAT. / Psychology / M. Ed. (Voorligting)