Note on the Reliability and Scoring of the Chapin Social Insight Test

Abstract

The Chapin Social Insight Test ( 1) was developed to measure a person's ability to recognize the psychodynamics in a particular situation and to resolve problematic situations. Although this test has been available for many years, the only assessments of its properties are those reported by Gough (2, 3). The present study was undertaken to update the information on the reliability of the Chapin cest and to assess two methods of scoring. Students in lower level psychology classes were the subjects. There were 53 males and 112 females. The subjects' ages ranged from 18 to 67 yr. (M = 23.32 yr., SD = 7.61). The Insight test was administered individually to 30 males and 65 females and to two groups of 23 males and 47 females who took the test during class periods. Insight scores were computed using the recommended item weights and by scoring the items dichotomously. Using the first procedure, scores ranged from 11 to 34 (M = 19.90, SD = 5.12). Using the dichotomous method, scores ranged from 7 to 21 (M = 11.87, SD = 2.86). Those who took the cest individually did not differ from those who took it in groups for both the recommended scoring (M = 19.80 and SD = 5.70 vs M = 20.04 and SD = 4.22) and the dichotomous scoring (M = 11.79 and SD = 3.11 vs M = 11.97 and SD = 2.48). Total scores by both procedures were highly correlated (s = 95, df = 163). The average item-total correlation for the weighted-scoring technique was .25, resulting in a reliability estimate of .62. For the dichotomous method, the average item-total correlation was .26 and the reliability estimate was .65. These are similar to the item-total correlations and reliabilities reported by Gough (3). The results of this study support the use of the Chapin Social Insight Test as an adequately reliable measure of the construct. However, since the dichotomous scoring procedure was as effective as the prescribed weighted-scoring method and the totals derived by each method were highly correlated, the use of the weighted scoring does not seem to be necessary (4).

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