Unresolved Questions Concerning the Effectiveness of Psychological Assessment as a Therapeutic Intervention: Comment on Poston and Hanson (2010)

Psychological Assessment

Volumn 23, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 1047-1055

  Lilienfeld, Scott O ^a   Garb, Howard N ^b   Wood, James M ^c  

^a EMORY UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b Lackland Air Force Base ^*  (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO   (United States)

Author keywords

Assessment; Barnum effect; Intervention; Treatment utility

Indexed keywords

BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY; CLINICAL ASSESSMENT; CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY; FEEDBACK SYSTEM; HUMAN; NOTE; PSYCHODYNAMICS; PSYCHOLOGIC ASSESSMENT; PSYCHOLOGIC TEST; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION; PSYCHOTHERAPY; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

HUMANS; MENTAL DISORDERS; PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS; PSYCHOTHERAPY;

EID: 83155182723     PISSN: 10403590     EISSN: 1939134X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1037/a0025177     Document Type: Note

References (74)

1. Ackerman S.J., Hilsenroth M.J., Baity M.R., Blagys M.D. Interaction of therapeutic process and alliance during psychological assessment. Journal of Personality Assessment 2000, 75:82-109. doi: 10.1207/S15327752JPA7501_7.
2. Allen A., Montgomery M., Tubman J., Frazier L., Escovar L. The effects of assessment feedback on rapport-building and self-enhancement processes. Journal of Mental Health Counseling 2003, 25:165-182.
3. Archer R.P. Relationship between locus of control and anxiety. Journal of Personality Assessment 1979, 43:617-626. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4306_10.
4. Arkowitz H., Miller W.R. Learning, applying, and extending motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing in the treatment of psychological problems 2008, 1-25. Guilford Press, New York, NY. H. Arkowitz, H.A. Westra, W.R. Miller, S. Rollnick (Eds.).
5. Bandura A. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review 1977, 84:191-215. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191.
6. Beins B.C. Using the Barnum effect to teach about ethics and deception in research. Teaching of Psychology 1993, 20:33-35. doi: 10.1207/s15328023top2001_6.
7. Benassi V.A., Sweeney P.D., Dufour C.L. Is there a relationship between locus of control orientation and depression?. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1988, 97:357-367. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.97.3.357.
8. Boutron I., Dutton S., Ravaud P., Altman D.G. Reporting and interpretation of randomized controlled trials with statistically nonsignificant results for primary outcomes. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 2010, 303:2058-2064. doi: 10.1001/jama.2010.651.
9. Butcher J.N., Rouse S.V. Personality: Individual differences and clinical assessment. Annual Review of Psychology 1996, 47:87-111. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.47.1.87.
10. Chambless D.L., Hollon S. Defining empirically supported therapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1998, 66:7-18. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.66.1.7.
11. Cohen J. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences 1969, Academic Press, New York, NY.
12. Cohen J. Statistical power for the behavioral sciences 1988, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. 2nd ed.
13. Collins R.W., Dmitruk V.M., Ranney J.T. Personal validation: Some empirical and ethical considerations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1977, 45:70-77.
14. Dana R.H., Graham D. Feedback of client-relevant information and clinical practice. Journal of Personality Assessment 1976, 40:464-469. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4005_3.
15. Dickson D.H., Kelly I.W. The " Barnum effect" in personality assessment: A review of the literature. Psychological Reports 1985, 57:367-382.
16. Dies R.R. Personal gullibility or pseudodiagnosis: A further test of the " fallacy of personal validation." Journal of Clinical Psychology 1972, 28:47-50. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(197201)28:1<47::AID-JCLP2270280116>3.0.CO;2-K.
17. Dmitruk V.M., Collins R.W., Clinger D.L. The " Barnum effect" and acceptance of negative personal evaluation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1973, 41:192-194. doi: 10.1037/h0035106.
18. Dutton D.L. The cold reading technique. Experientia 1988, 44:326-332. doi: 10.1007/BF01961271.
19. Emery C., Lilienfeld S.O. The validity of child sexual abuse survivor checklists in the popular psychology literature: A Barnum effect?. Professional Psychology: Science and Practice 2004, 35:268-274. doi: 10.1037/0735-7028.35.3.268.
20. Eysenck H.J., Eysenck S.B.G. Manual of the Eysenck Personality Inventory 1964, University of London, London, England.
21. Fichten C.S., Sunerton B. Popular horoscopes and the " Barnum effect." Journal of Psychology 1983, 114:123-134. doi: 10.1080/00223980.1983.9915405.
22. Finn S.E. Manual for using the MMPI-2 as a therapeutic intervention 1996, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN.
23. Finn S.E. In our clients' shoes: Theory and techniques of therapeutic assessment 2007, Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ.
24. Finn S.E., Tonsager M.E. Therapeutic effects of providing MMPI-2 test feedback to college students awaiting therapy. Psychological Assessment 1992, 4:278-287. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.4.3.278.
25. Finn S.E., Tonsager M.E. Information-gathering and therapeutic models of assessment: Complementary paradigms. Psychological Assessment 1997, 9:374-385. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.9.4.374.
26. Fischer C.T. Paradigm changes which allow sharing of results. Professional Psychology 1972, 3:364-369. doi: 10.1037/h0033991.
27. Folds J.H., Gazda G.M. A comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of three methods of test interpretation. Journal of Counseling Psychology 1966, 13:318-324. doi: 10.1037/h0023708.
28. Forer B.R. The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 1949, 44:118-123. doi: 10.1037/h0059240.
29. Frank J.D. Therapeutic factors in psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy 1971, 25:350-361.
30. Furnham A., Schofield S. Accepting personality test feedback: A review of the Barnum effect. Current Psychological Research & Reviews 1987, 6:162-178. doi: 10.1007/BF02686623.
31. Garb H.N., Lilienfeld S.O., Nezworski M.T., Wood J.M., O'Donohue W.T. Can quality improvement processes help psychological assessment meet the demands of evidence-based practice?. Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice 2009, 7:17-25.
32. Goodyear R.K. Research on the effects of test interpretation: A review. The Counseling Psychologist 1990, 18:240-257. doi: 10.1177/0011000090182006.
33. Gough H.G. California Psychological Inventory administrator's guide 1987, Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA.
34. Greene R.L., Harris M.E., Macon R.S. Another look at personal validation. Journal of Personality Assessment 1979, 43:419-423. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4304_16.
35. Halperin K., Snyder C.R., Shenkel R.J., Houston B.K. Effects of source status and message favorability on acceptance of personality feedback. Journal of Applied Psychology 1976, 61:85-88. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.61.1.85.
36. Halperin K.M., Snyder C.R. Effects of enhanced psychological test feedback on treatment outcomes: Therapeutic implications of the Barnum effect. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1979, 47:140-146. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.47.1.140.
37. Handelsman M.M., McLain J. The Barnum effect in couples: Effects of intimacy, involvement, and sex on acceptance of generalized personality feedback. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1988, 44:430-444. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(198805)44:3<430::AID-JCLP2270440319>3.0.CO;2-V.
38. Hanson W.E., Claiborn C.D., Kerr B. Differential effects of two test-interpretation styles in counseling: A field study. Journal of Counseling Psychology 1997, 44:400-405. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.44.4.400.
39. Harkness A.R., Lilienfeld S.O. Individual differences science for treatment planning: Personality traits. Psychological Assessment 1997, 9:349-360. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.9.4.349.
40. Harris M.E., Greene R.L. Students' perception of actual, trivial, and inaccurate personality feedback. Journal of Personality Assessment 1984, 48:179-184. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4802_13.
41. Hayes S.C., Nelson R.O., Jarrett R.B. The treatment utility of assessment. American Psychologist 1987, 42:963-974. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.42.11.963.
42. Hewitt C.E., Mitchell N., Torgerson D.J. Heed the data when the results are not significant. British Medical Journal 2008, 336:23-25. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39379.359560.AD.
43. Hilsenroth M.J., Peters E.J., Ackerman S.J. The development of therapeutic alliance during psychological assessment: Patient and therapist perspectives across treatment. Journal of Personality Assessment 2004, 83:332-344. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa8303_14.
44. Hunsley J. Introduction to the special section on incremental validity and utility in clinical assessment. Psychological Assessment 2003, 15:443-445. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.15.4.443.
45. Jobes D.A., Drozd J.F. The CAMS approach to working with suicidal patients. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy 2004, 34:73-85. doi: 10.1023/B:JOCP.0000010914.98781.6a.
46. Jobes D.A., Wong S.A., Conrad A.K., Drozd J.F., Neal-Walden T. The collaborative assessment and management of suicidality versus treatment as usual: A retrospective study. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 2005, 35:483-497. doi: 10.1521/suli.2005.35.5.483.
47. Kazdin A.E. Methodology, design, and evaluation in psychotherapy research. Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change 1994, 19-71. Wiley, New York, NY. 4th ed. A.E. Bergin, S.L. Garfield (Eds.).
48. Kazdin A.E., Nock M.K. Delineating mechanisms of change in child and adolescent therapy: Methodological issues and research recommendations. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2003, 44:1116-1129. doi: 10.1111/1469-7610.00195.
49. Lambert M.J., Whipple J.L., Hawkins E.J., Vermeersch D.A., Nielsen S.L., Smart D.W. Is it time for clinicians to routinely track patient outcome? A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 2003, 10:288-301. doi: 10.1093/clipsy.bpg025.
50. Layne C., Ally G. How and why people accept personality feedback. Journal of Personality Assessment 1980, 44:541-546. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa4405_16.
51. Lima E.N., Stanley S., Kaboski B., Reitzel L.R., Richey J.A., Castro Y., Joiner T.E. The incremental validity of the MMPI-2: When does therapist access not enhance treatment outcome?. Psychological Assessment 2005, 17:462-468. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.17.4.462.
52. Logue M.B., Sher K.J., Frensch P.A. Purported characteristics of COAs: A possible " Barnum effect." Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 1992, 23:226-232. doi: 10.1037/0735-7028.23.3.226.
53. Luborsky L., Crits-Christoph P. Understanding transference 1997, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. 2nd ed.
54. Meehl P.E. Wanted-A good cookbook. American Psychologist 1956, 11:263-272. doi: 10.1037/h0044164.
55. Meehl P.E. Some ruminations on the validation of clinical procedures. Canadian Journal of Psychology 1959, 13:102-128. doi: 10.1037/h0083769.
56. Miller W.R., Benefield R.G., Tonigan J.S. Enhancing motivation for change in problem drinking: A controlled comparison of two therapist styles. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1993, 61:455-461. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.61.3.455.
57. Moher D., Liberati A., Tetzlaff J., Altman D.G. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLOS Med 2009, 6:e1000097. The PRISMA Group.
58. Nelson-Gray R.O. Treatment utility of psychological assessment. Psychological Assessment 2003, 15:521-531.
59. Newman M.L., Greenway P. Therapeutic effects of providing MMPI-2 test feedback to clients at a university counseling service: A collaborative approach. Psychological Assessment 1997, 9:122-131.
60. Orpen C., Jamotte A. The acceptance of generalized personality interpretations. Journal of Social Psychology 1975, 38:147-148.
61. Poston J.M., Hanson W.E. Meta-analysis of psychological assessment as a therapeutic intervention. Psychological Assessment 2010, 22:203-212.
62. Roback H.B. Inexact personality interpretations and behavior change. The Ontario Psychologist 1972, 4:92-99.
63. Sakamoto A., Miura S., Sakamoto K., Mori T. Popular psychological tests and self-fulfilling prophecy: An experiment of Japanese undergraduate students. Asian Journal of Social Psychology 2000, 3:107-124.
64. Shadish W., Cook T., Campbell D. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference 2002, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.
65. Smith J.D., Handler L., Nash M.R. Therapeutic assessment for preadolescent boys with oppositional defiant disorder: A replicated single-case time-series design. Psychological Assessment 2010, 22:593-602.
66. Snyder C.R. Why horoscopes are true: The effect of specificity on acceptance of astrological interpretations. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1974, 30:577-580.
67. Snyder C.R., Clair M.S. Does insecurity breed acceptance? Effects of trait and situational insecurity on acceptance of positive and negative diagnostic feedback. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1979, 46:1493-1495.
68. Snyder C.R., Larson G.R. A further look at student acceptance of general personality interpretations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1972, 38:384-388.
69. Sundberg N.D. The acceptability of " fake" versus " bona fide" personality test interpretations. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 1955, 50:145-147.
70. Taylor S. Meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral treatments for social phobia. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 1996, 27:1-9.
71. Valentine J.C., Cooper H. Effect size substantive interpretation guidelines: Issues in the interpretation of effect sizes 2003, What Works Clearinghouse, Washington, DC.
72. Wild T.C., Cunningham J.A., Roberts A.B. Controlled study of brief personalized assessment-feedback for drinkers interested in self-help. Addiction 2007, 102:241-250.
73. Wood J.M., Garb H.N., Lilienfeld S.O., Nezworski M.T. Clinical assessment of personality. Annual Review of Psychology 2002, 53:519-543.
74. Woodworth R.S. Dynamic psychology 1918, Columbia University Press, New York, NY.