An investigation of factors impacting test completion time(1.5 CEs)

Abstract

In the practice of psychological assessment, the amount of time needed to complete a test is frequently considered by clinicians and researchers. Many test publishers provide an estimated range of time necessary to administer a given test, but the actual amount of time needed can vary across individuals. Certain characteristics of clients and research participants might lead to systematic variations in the amount of time needed to complete a self-report test. For instance, individuals who experience different psychological symptoms, rely on different defense mechanisms, possess different amounts of mental health knowledge, or hold different attitudes toward mental illness might require different amounts of time to complete the same test. Accurate time estimates are invaluable when designing a study or scheduling research participants, as well as in clinical practice where assessment psychologists strive to balance the comprehensiveness and efficiency of assessment batteries while remaining mindful of the scheduling needs and session limitations of their clients. Understanding individual differences in test completion time can help researchers design more efficient studies and help clinicians better plan assessment sessions to ultimately improve the services provided. This symposium will present findings from four investigations into factors associated with test completion time. In the first study, correlation coefficients between scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and the amount of time taken to complete the PAI were calculated using a diverse sample of approximately 270,000 individuals who were administered the test through PARiConnect. The three additional studies take an exploratory approach to examine relationships between the amount of time taken to complete three common clinical measures and (1) components of psychopathology within the HiTOP system; (2) levels of defensive functioning and different defense mechanisms; and (3) individuals’ knowledge of and attitudes toward mental illness. The symposium will conclude with an expert discussant from a major test publishing company sharing their thoughts on the potential implications of this work for both research and clinical practice.

Chair

Adam Natoli | Sam Houston State University

Discussant

Sierra Iwanicki | PAR, Inc

Goals & Objectives

1. List at least two reasons it is important to consider test completion time when designing a research study or test battery.
2. Describe multiple factors that could increase or decrease the amount of time individuals need to complete self-report tests of personality.