An Investigation of Differences in Adjustment as Indicated by a Multiple Choice Sentence Completion Test

78 Pages·03.833 MB·English

by  Kennedy, Vera E

PU R D UE UNIVERSITY
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION
VERA E. KENNEDY_______________________
by___________________
"AN INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENCES IN ADJUSTMENT
entitled
AS INDICATED BY A MULTIPLE CHOICE SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST»
COMPLIES WITH THE UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS ON GRADUATION THESES
AND IS APPROVED BY ME AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Professor in Charoe or Thesis
Head of School oh Department
AUGUST A. 19 50
TO THE LIBRARIAN:--
iS-
THIS THESIS IS NOT TO BE REGARDED AS CONFIDENTIAL.
GBAD. SCHOOL FORM O—3-46—1M

AN INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENCES IN ADJUSTMENT
AS INDICATED BY A MULTIPLE CHOICE SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST
A Thesis
Submitted to The Faculty
of
Purdue University
by
Vera E. Kennedy
In Partial Fulfillment of The
Requirements for The Degree
of
Doctor of Philosophy
August 1950
ProQuest Number: 27714160
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ACKNOWLEDGÎMTS
I 'wish to express my deep appreciation and indebtedness to
Dr. John M. Hadley, Chairman of my Advisory Committee, whose constant
encouragement and helpful suggestions have made this study possible.
I am also very grateful to the other members of the committee for
their comments and criticisms.
I especially wish to thank Dr. Fred E* Spaner, Mr. William Dobson,
Mr. Arthur Davison and Mr. Charles Mason for the time and interest
they devoted to this study in the judging of the items and the test
construction.
To the members of the Marion Chapter of the American Legion,
and especially to Mr. George Rauch, Mr. Harry Jackson and Mr. John
Grant, I wish to extend ny sincere gratitude for their kind coopera­
tion in this project and their stimulation of interest in other groups.
I am also indebted to the officials of the Marion Veterans Ad­
ministration Hospital, Billings Veterans Administration, Nichols
Veterans Administration Hospital and the Mental Hygiene Clinic,
Veterans Administration Regional Office, whose cooperation has facili­
tated this study.
VITA
Vera E. Kennedy
Bom December 25>, 1912
Charlestown, Indiana
Academic Career:
193U A«B*, English, Indiana University
1935-1936 Graduate work in speech and speech pathology,
Indiana University.
1938 Graduate work in speech pathology, summer
session. University of Wisconsin.
1939 Graduate work in speech pathology, summer
session, Indiana University.
191*1 Speech and dramatics, summer session.
University of Wisconsin
19U2-19U3 Course in bacteriology and parasitology.
University of Louisville School of Medicine.
19U9 M.S., Clinical psychology, Purdue University.
19U9-1950 Candidate for Ph.D., Clinical psychology,
Purdue University.
Professional Career:
1934-19141 Taught English, Speech, Biology and History
in Indiana high schools.
19l4l-19L3 Laboratory assistant in Bacteriology, university
of Louisville Medical School
I9U3-I9UU Secretary to Special personnel Coordinator,
Curtiss-Wright Corporation, Louisville, Kentucky.
19UU-19U7 Secretary, Neuropsychiatrie Division, Nichols
United States Army Hospital and Nichols Veterans
Administration Hospital.
19U7-19U9 Clinician in Purdue University Psychology Clinic.
19U9-1950 Clinical Psychology Trainee (P-3), Purdue Univer­
sity, interning at Veterans Administration Mental
Hygiene Clinic, Indianapolis, Indiana and Marion
Veterans Administration Hospital, Marion, Indiana,
Organizations ;
Sigma Xi
ABSTRACT
Kennedy, Vera E*, «An Investigation of Differences in Adjustment As
Indicated by A Multiple Choice Sentence Completion Test,"
August 1950, 69 pages, 8 Tables, 6 Appendixes, Bibliography.
A multiple choice sentence completion test, consisting of 100 items,
was constructed as an indicator of differences in adjustment in
comparisons of Schizophrenic, Neurotic and Control groups. Hie
test was administered to veterans in three Veterans Administration
neuropsychiatrie hospitals, one mental hygiene clinic and to a
control group consisting of members of a service organization.
Total responses for each group were converted into percentages and
significance of differences determined within seven different areas
of adjustment. Consistent trends in test results suggest that the
Schizophrenic group differed most markedly from the Control group
in the area of family and social adjustment. Responses of the
Neurotic group resembled the pattern of the Control group more
nearly than that of the Schizophrenic group, but tended to approxi­
mate the latter group in the psycho sexual area. The least deviation
in a comparison of all groups occurred in the area of health adjust­
ment. Further studies are indicated using more rigid control of
additional variables. A test of this type appears promising as a
screening or diagnostic tool if subjected to further refinement and
standardisât ion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I INTRODUCTION ............................. 1
Sentence Completion Test . . . . . . ....... 2
Concepts of Adjustment ........ h
II STATEMENT OF THEP ROBLEM................... 8
III PROCEDURE............................... 9
IV RESULTS .......................... 16
V SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION................... 23
VI CONCLUSIONS ............................ 29
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................... 30
APPENDIX A. MULTIPLE CHOICE SENTENCE COMPLETION
TEST........ 32
APPENDIX B. DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSES BY ITEMS hi
APPENDIX C. SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
SCHIZOPHRENIC AND CONTROL SUBJECTS 62
APPENDIX D. SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
PSYCHONEUROTIC AND CONTROL SUBJECTS 6U
APPENDIX E. SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
SCHIZOPHRENIC AND PSYCHONEUROTIC
SUBJECTS................... . 66
APPENDIX F. COMPARISON BY PERCENTAGES OF MATCHED
GROUPS ON RESPONSES.68
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Comparisonb y Percentages of Groups on Family Items . . . . 16
2* Comparison by Percentages of Groups on psychosexual Items . 17
3. Comparisonb y percentages of Groups on Social Items . . . . 18
U. Comparisonb y Percentages of Groups on Occupational Items • 19
5« Comparisonb y Percentages of Groups on Mores Items . . . . . 19
6. Comparison by Percentages of Groups on Self-Evaluation Items 20
7. Comparisonb y Percentages of Groups on Health Items . . . . 20
8. Comparison by Percentages of Groups on All Items...........21
AN INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENCES IN ADJUSTMENT
AS INDICATED BY A MULTIPLE CHOICE SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST
I INTRODUCTION
The present study is one of a number of investigations undertaken
in an effort to determine whether or not differential dynamics exist
among the various diagnostic groups of patients with neuropsychiatrie
disorders (2, U, 13)• Although it has long been recognized that
different behavioral symptoms are characteristic of different diag­
nostic groups (10)9 the research in this field has produced little
evidence as to the nature of dynamic factors which might be responsi­
ble for the similarity of symptoms. If one could observe a number
of individuals during the period in which they are in the process of
developing their behavioral symptoms, one might be able to discover
which factors in their experience were contributing to their present
behavior and to what degree. Unfortunately in clinical practice
today, this is hardly feasible. When the patient has reached the
point where he requires assistance in solving his problems, his
Symptoms have usually developed to such an advanced stage that the
clinician is obliged to judge from certain inferences he can make
concerning his present behavior as to just what the salient factors
are in the etiology of his disturbance.
The assumption underlying the general research program, of which
the present study is a part, is that the information concerning cfor-
namics can be clarified by making comparative observations under
standard testing conditions of patients classified into different