Assessments 1

As a school counselor it is crucial to be able to identify the students who are at risk for depression, suicide, and violence. Many school counselors are responsible for a large population of students and therefore need instruments that can be administered quickly and in groups. The tests I have selected to look at are the Adolescent Anger ating !cale "#urney $%%1&, The !uicide Ideation 'uestionnaire " eynolds, 1())&, and the eynolds Adolescent *epression !cale+$nd ,dition " eynolds, $%%$&. All these instruments could feasibly be used in schools, and are important to know and understand. Adolescent Anger ating !cale, *eAnna Mckinnie #urney $%%1 The purpose of the test The purpose of the AA ! is to measure anger e-pression in adolescences. It differs from other anger scales because it differentiates among instrumental anger, reactive anger, and anger control. According to #urney "$%%1& identifying specific types of anger can lead to treatment and therefore decline in adolescent anger and violence. It is the first scale available to measure specific types of anger. #urney "$%%1& gives the following definitions for the three scales measured. IA is negative emotion that triggers a delayed response resulting in a desired and planned goal of revenge or retaliation, A is an immediate angry reaction, and A/ is the ability to resolve feelings of anger and responses to perceived threats. The subscale descriptions state that each subscale measures the rate and intensity of the each behavioral construct. 0The information derived from test may be used to determine the overall level of anger and anger mitigating behavior as well as to differentiate between anger types for the purposes of treatment planning1 "!tephenson $%%2&. #oth !tephenson and 3enington "$%%2& note in their reviews in The 4ifteenth ,dition of The Mental Measurements 5earbook, that although the test states it

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could be used to assess treatment effectiveness there is not enough evidence to support this claim. !election and use with your population I think the AA ! could be a useful tool in school counseling to identify students with high levels of anger, but it seems to me it would be a preliminary measure that would need additional support should a young person receive a high score for IA, A or total anger. According to !tephenson "$%%2& the AA ! is a useful screening tool which can be used in schools to differentiate between types of anger problems, and can also identify the level of appropriate anger strategies. I think it is important to identify anger problems and intervene so the students can receive appropriate coping mechanisms. 'uality of Test This test has high reliability6 the internal consistency was measured through /ronbach7s alpha and ranges from .)1 to .($ "#urney $%%1&. The test+retest reliability was done in a two week period and ranged from .81 to .8(. #urney "$%%1& states this would be an e-pected score due to the construct of anger changing over a given time period. /ontent validity was established through si- steps that utili9ed an e-pert panel to analy9e the items included on the test. The items that remain are :udged to be highly valid. The developer showed criterion based validity through correlating types of behavior referrals in schools with how the student scored on certain a certain subscale. This is a difficult correlation to make and the numbers are not impressive. /onstruct validity was established by calculating convergent and divergent validity on measurements which tested related affects. The correlation between the AA ! and the Anger /ontrol subscale on the /onner+;ells was .<). The correlation with the AA ! and the conduct

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subscale on the the /onnor+;ells was .=<. As !tephenson "$%%2& noted in his review, the evidence for divergent validity is confusing 0oddly enough the authors provide evidence of low correlation between the AA ! and the Multidimensional Anger Inventory "!iegal, 1()>& ...stating that this is e-pected as the scaled measure different aspects of the construct of anger1. I agree with both !tephenson and 3enington "$%%2& that more data is needed to establish convergent and divergent validity. 'uality of the Manual The manual is not overwhelmingly long and provides all the critical information needed to determine weather the test will fit a mental health professionals needs. 3enington "$%%2& concludes that the manual is adequate and includes important sections on the following. test development6 psychometric properties6 clinical and research application6 administration, scoring, and interpretive guidelines6 and conversion table. It adequately e-plains the different types of anger and the developmental process of the instrument. 3owever as !tephenson "$%%2& concludes in his review the manual does make some unsupported claims about the nature of the subscale constructs. ,ase and Administration of !coring The AA ! can be administered in individuals or in groups. It is a <1 item self+report, likert+type measure. Administration time is relatively short "=+1% minutes for individuals and 1%+ $% for groups& and varies only slightly by format. According to the manual scoring involves simple mathematical calculations and can be completed quickly. !tudents who are not strong readers can have the test read to them. The total anger score is constructed by adding the scores for IA and A and subtracting of the A/ score. Interpretation and adequacy of test norms

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The AA ! norm sample was ethnically diverse and included students from rural, urban, and suburban areas "#urney, $%%1&. The sample consisted of <,1)8 middle school and highs school adolescents. The participants all volunteered. ,thnic groups are listed separately by males and females as follows. /aucasian ">1.2? and =(.1?&, African+American "$%.(? and $<.>?&, 3ispanic ").$? and ).%?&, Asian "2.=? and 2.2?&, @therAmulti+ethnic "<.(? and <.$?&. As 3enington "$%%=& points out in her review, no socio+economic status was included. @ther than this omission I believe this sample is adequate and impressive. I also think it is commendable that students from regular classes, along with special education classes and students in prevention programs were all included. In my opinion this sample is strong. Assistance in counseling goals After reading the manual and the reviews I believe the AA ! does have some use in schools, but itBs limited. The manual states that anger must be tested to prevent school shootings, this test cannot directly prevent that occurrence. It can identify students with anger problems and differentiate between the types of anger problems to some degree. @ne issue I have is that the instrument obviously has face validity, the students can tell what is is trying to assess, so if you truly have a student with instrumental anger then perhaps they will not want to be identified. It can be used as a very initial screening process. It is time and cost affective because its short and can be given in groups.

The !uicidal Ideation 'uestionnaire "!I'&, ;illiam M. eynolds 1()) Curpose of the Test The !I' is designed to measure suicidal presenters. It is not meant to measure weather a person will commit suicide or not, but rather the suicidal thoughts of a person. It is not a

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predictive measure of suicide " eynolds 1())&. If a person should receive above a certain score on the !I', then said person should receive further evaluation for significant psychopathology and suicide risk. According to eynolds "1())& suicidal thoughts are only one part of the potential for suicide6 the !I' is not intended to be the only instrument used when assessing potential for suicide. The manual also states that those individuals with high !I' scores should be described as having 0high levels of suicidal thoughts1, and not described as suicidal. Dse with my population and assistance in /ounseling Eoals The !I' is specifically geared toward adolescences. In fact there are two versions. The !I', which is for those young people in high school6 and !I'+F for those in :unior high. According to eynolds "1())& the !I' is designed to be a valuable tool for clinical and school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other mental healthy professionals who are trying to identify potentially suicidal teens. In schools, screening for suicidal ideation is something that has to be done. @ne large caveat of the !I' is that it is a self+report inventory and itBs easy to determine what itBs assessing. Many teens who are actually suicidal many not want to disclosure such thoughts if they donBt want to be stopped. 0The problem is the scale relies on the adolescentsB desire to be identified and may have a high probability of false positives "/onoley, 1(($&1. #oth the /onoley and /ramer "1(($& state in their reviews in The ,leventh ,dition of The Mental Measurements 5earbook, that the test is useful in schools to provide a 0cry for help1 but it must be followed up with additional interventions. In my opinion, the !I' would assist in the school setting to provide intervention for students who could be at risk for suicide due to high levels of suicidal ideation. Although the test does have limitations and needs additional interventions6 it is fast, cost effective, and can be

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administered to whole groups. In the school setting I think it would assist counselors in providing support for those who are admitting to a cry for help. 'uality of The Test eliability of the test was calculated using /ronbachBs Alpha. eliability coefficients

were given by age and were high. They ranged from .(2$ to .(2) for the !I'+F . Total sample "r& equaled .(2> for the !I'+F . The !I' reliability was even higher with a total of .(8. eliability was equal among se-es. Item total correlations were preformed and they ranged from .8% to.(%. Test+retest was also used as a determination of reliability. These coefficients were based on a four week period between testing and had a coefficient of .8$. According to eynolds "1())&high test+ retest reliability was not e-pected because suicidal ideation can change within a month long period. Galidity for the !I' and !I'+F was determined in the form of construct and content validity. To demonstrate content validity items on the !I' were e-amined to ensure they separated those adolescents who had suicidal thoughts from the those who do not " eynolds, 1())&. The questions were put into a hierarchical continuum by the author to cover the range of suicidal thoughts from less threatening to lethal. The item total correlations were high ranging from .8% to .(% " eynolds, 1())&. According to to the manual, the !I'+F correlations were also high, ranging from .<> to .)>. 4or the !I', the total median correlation was .8), the !I'+F had a total median correlation of .8=. As noted by /onoley "1(($&, it is important to understand that these items addressed suicidal thoughts as defined by the creator of the instrument. /ramer "1(($& believes that the !I' has good face validity. 3owever, /onoley "1(($& points out that one lethal question has been left out. the test does not ask the question 0*o you have the means of killing yourself availableH1

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/onstruct validity was measure by comparing the !I' to other instruments which assess related affects. 3opeless, an-iety, depression, low self+esteem are related to suicide but still have distinct characteristics. @ne can be depressed but not suicidal, however the scores on the !I' did correlate significantly with measures of depression. As stated in the manual the correlation between the !I' and #eckBs depression Inventory "rI.>( and .8%&. Another significant correlation was with the /hildrenBs *epression Inventory "r I .=), .>1 and .>2&. There was so moderate correlation with an-iety, self+esteem, hopelessness and negative life events. /orrelations ranged from .2$ to .=) with these instruments6 showing relation but also as e-pected, some differentiation. 'uality of test manual The test manual is organi9ed well and easy to navigate. Croper thought is given in the beginning of the manual to define in depth the purpose of the test and the definition "according to the author& of suicidal ideation. eynolds "1())& repeats often that the !I' is designed to measure only one aspect of suicide. suicidal ideation. The section on administration is detailed in instructing the administrator to be responsible for knowing the administration procedures of the instrument. #ecause the instrument is tied to an affect that has life threatening outcomes it is imperative to know these administration guidelines. The manual provides case studies showing youngsters who, according to the !I', needed further evaluation. These case studies provide a concrete e-ample of how the test can be utili9ed. ,ase of administration and scoring The test can be administered individually or in small groups. The !I' is 2% questions long and takes = to 1% minutes to complete. The !I'+F is 1= questions. @ne important direction to note is that it should not be introduced as a suicide questionnaire. The test has the

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heading 0About My Jife1 " eynolds, 1())&. eynolds "1())& recommends letting the students know there are no right or wrong answers. The test is hand scored using the scoring guide. If students have reading difficulties the test can be read to them. The interpretation of the scores requires the e-amination of total scores, critical items, and item endorsement pattern " eynolds 1())&. The manual also instructs that the scores require the administrator to look for any inconsistencies in responding. Any adolescents who scores at or above the given cutoff scores should receive further evaluation. /ramer "1(($& warns that the determination of the cutoff score is unclear and that users of the !I' should not use it as a definitive line in the sand. Interpretation and adequacy of test norms The standardi9ation sample was )(% adolescents for the !I' and 1,$(% adolescents for the !I'+ F . The test was also administered to <%%% other teens. Although the manual states that the sample consists of a racial and socioeconomically diverse group, the sample is not geographically diverse. It seems it was taken at one high school and two :unior highs in the midwest. I find fault with this, as I believe it is important to have a geographically diverse sample. Additionally, the sample was 8)? white, with most ethic groups not represented significantly enough to decipher differences among groups. #oth genders were equally represented and there were consistent differences. According to eynolds "1())& females scored 8.2> points higher than males on the !I' and $.8> points higher on the !I'+F . The differentiation of norms based on se- is not a requirement for suicidal ideation according to eynolds "1())&. eynolds Adolescent *epression !cale + $nd ,dition, ;illiam M. eynolds $%%$ Curpose of the test

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The A*!+$ is a revision of the first edition, published by eynolds in 1()>. The A*!+$ does not provide a formal diagnosis of depression as defined by the *MG+IG. It is meant to evaluate depressive symptomatology in adolescents age 11+$% " eynolds $%%$&. Additionally, according to eynolds "$%%$& it provides indications of the level of severity in the given subscales. The A*!+$ has four subscales. *ysphoric Mood "*M&, AnhedoniaAKegative Affect "AK&, Kegative !elf+,valuation "K!&, and !omatic /omplaints "!/&. It also produces a *epression Total score. The test is meant as an initial screening, specifically for adolescent depression. Those individuals obtaining a certain cutoff score should receive additional intervention. Dse with my population and assistance in counseling goals I believe that the A*!+$ is a quality instrument to evaluate the potential for depression in adolescents. It is useful in schools because it is brief and easy to administer. *epression can lead to many problems for teens and I think early intervention is necessary. In my opinion, this instrument assesses a critical affect and screening for depression should be a goal of school counseling. *epression is a hard construct to test for, especially in adolescents where affect can often change. This test has e-tensive reliability and validity tests which were all strong. I feel this would be a valuable tool in schools due to the speed, efficiency of scoring, and high reliability. 'uality of the test This instrument has e-tensive support of both reliability and validity. Although the A*!+$ measures an affect that can change with time its still demonstrates a sold test retest reliability. eliability estimates were obtained from three subsamples. school, school based restandardi9ation and clinical. /oefficients for the subscales and total depression among the subsamples ranged from .88 to .)( according to eynolds "$%%$&.

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The instrument has strong internal consistency. /ronbachBs alpha coefficients ranged from .8) "somatic complaints& to .(<"depression total score& on the subscales. According to #lair "$%%=& in her review 0The A*!+$ establishes high internal consistency reliability for the *epression Total scale for the total school sample ".(2&, school+based restandardi9ation sample ".($&, and a subscale of 1%1 adolescent with *!M+111+ A*!M+IG diagnoses pulled from clinical sample ".(<&1. The manual includes e-tensive studies of content, criterion+related, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity. Additionally clinical and contrasting group validity of the A*!A A*!+$ are provided. /arlson "$%%=& concludes in her review that test items are easily correlated to the symptoms of depression listed in the *!M. /riterion related validity correlating the A*!+$ to the 3amilton *epression ating !cale interview was a .)$ coefficient. /oefficients ranged from .=< to .8$ for the four A*!+$ subscales. The A*!+$ was also compared to other depression scales and received respectable values. 'uality of the test manual The manual provides an in depth e-planation and descriptions of the subscales, as well as the development of the measure. It also contains comparisons to the A*! and e-planation of the how the A*!+$ is an even stronger instrument. The section on validity and reliability is in depth, albeit a bit overwhelming. I appreciated that the manual provided information regarding the selection of the cutoff score and how it was established. ,ase of administration and scoring The instrument consists of 2% items and is a self+report likert scale measure. It can be administered individually or in groups and is quick "usually = minutes&. The test book is very user friendly. It can be hand scored and contains a built in scoring key. A summaryAprofile form

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which provides a score summary table for converting raw score toT scores and percentile ranks is also included. The manual states using caution when testing ,!J students or students with low reading levels. If necessary the test can be read to the individual. Interpretation and adequacy of test norms In my opinion the norm sample for the A*!+$ is adequate and sufficient. The sample consisted of (,%=$ adolescents. The sample was re+standardi9ed from the original A*! instrument. The entire school based restandardi9ation sample is 2,2%% comprised of 1,>=% males and 1,>=% females. The clinical restandardi9ation sample was $(8 individuals. According to both #lair and /arlson "$%%=& individuals included in both the school+based restandardi9ation and the clinical were ethnically diverse "matching very closely to the census #ureau data& and comprised a range of socio+economic status. The A*!+$ includes norms for the entire restandardi9ation sample. I agree with #lair and /arlson "$%%=& and find the norm sample to be strong.

#lair, Limberly A. "$%%=&. M eview of the eynolds Adolescent *epression !cale+$nd ,ditionN In The si-teenth edition of the mental measurements yearbook. Available from.http.AAwww.ovidsp.t-.ovid.com.pro-y.lib.pd-.edu #urney, *eAnna Mckinnie. "$%%1&. Adolescent Anger ating !cale. Crofessional Manual. Jut9 4l. Csychological Assessment esources, Inc. /arlson, Fanet 4. "$%%=&. M eview of the eynolds Adolescent *epression !cale+$nd ,ditionN In The si-teenth edition of the mental measurements yearbook. Available from.http.AAwww.ovidsp.t-.ovid.com.pro-y.lib.pd-.edu /armer, Fames /. "1(($&. M eview of the !uicide Ideation 'uestionnaireN. In The eleventh mental measurements yearbook. Available from. http.AAwww.ovidsp.t-.ovid.com.pro-y.lib.pd-.edu /onoley, /ollie. "1(($&. M eview of the !uicide Ideation 'uestionnaireN In The eleventh mental measurements yearbook. Available from. http.AAwww.ovidsp.t-.ovid.com.pro-y.lib.pd-.edu

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3enington, /arlen "$%%2&. M eview of the Adolescent Anger ating !caleN In The fifteenth edition of the mental measurements yearbook. Available from. http.AAwww.ovidsp.t-.ovid.com.pro-y.lib.pd-.edu eynolds, ;illiam M. "1())&. !uicidal Ideation 'uestionnaire. Crofessional Manual. Jut9 4l. Csychological Assessment esources, Inc. eynolds, ;illiam M. "$%%$&. eynolds Adolescent *epression !cale + $nd ,dition. Crofessional Manual. Jut9 4l. Csychological Assessment esources, Inc. !ilverlake, A./ "1(((&. /omprehending Test Manuals. A Euide and ;orkbook. Jos Angeles, /A. Cyrc9ak Cublishing. !tephenson, 3ugh "$%%2& M eview of the Adolescent Anger ating !caleN. In The fifteenth edition of the mental measurements yearbook. Available from. http.AAwww.ovidsp.t-.ovid.com.pro-y.lib.pd-.edu