Design considerations for an on-line computer system for automated psychiatric assessment

The computer-assisted multidisciplinary Psychiatric Assessment Unit at the Salt Lake City VA Hospital required a unique computer system. Design considerations and procedures for development of a Psychiatric Real-Time Information System for Management (PRISM) are outlined. This design is presented as an example for others considering implementing on-line systems. Advantages of the approach are discussed.     

The Barnum effect in a computerized Rorschach interpretation system

Twelve psychiatric outpatients were administered the Rorschach test, and results were interpreted using the Exner (1983, 1986) Report for the Comprehensive System computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) program. Four psychiatrists made accuracy ratings for both real and bogus reports for each of their patients. Data were analyzed using two-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), where report type was a repeated main effect, psychiatrist was a random main effect, and the number of statements in the report was the covariate. Results indicated that this CBTI provided only 5% discriminating power for any one patient, with 60% of the interpretive statements merely describing typical characteristics of the outpatient population. No significant psychiatrist, interaction, or covariate effects were encountered.     

General software for an on-line eye-movement recording system

A general on-line eye-movement recording system is described which consists basically of (a) some on-line instrument capable of displaying a visual scene, (b) a device to measure eye position and output position information in the form of electrical signals (c) an analogue-to-digital converter, and (d) a computer. General software for such a system is discussed with emphasis on subroutines which perform calibration and which continuously monitor eye position.     

Development of an on-line management information system for community mental health centers

An on-line computerized management information system has been developed at the Salt Lake City VA Hospital and is currently being implemented at Salt Lake Community Mental Health Center. An introduction to this system, including systems design and procedures for development, are presented. The advantages of on-line technology as compared to batch processing technology are also discussed.     

A computerized system for analyzing linear locomotion

An accurate and reliable, yet simple and inexpensive electronic tracking device delivers voltages that denote changing positions of moving objects. In combination with an analog-to-digital converter, a microcomputer, and specific software, this device enables the depiction and analysia of linear or linearly represented locomotion. The system is particularly useful for laboratory analysis of animal movements. An application in preference-avoidance testing is described.     

Organizational preparedness for change: Staff acceptance of an on-line computer-assisted assessment system

An on-line assessment system is briefly described. Previous positive evaluation studies are summarized. Results of studies of staff acceptance and staff preparedness for change are reported. Findings are interpreted in terms of the need for planning for change. Implications related to the acceptance of other on-line computer systems in psychology are discussed.     

Getting an on-line departmental teaching laboratory on-line

The major problems faced in building a department-wide undergraduate, computer-based teaching laboratory are discussed: selling the concept of the “ultimate dry lab,” assembling the hardware, motivating and rewarding faculty and staff effort, devising a systems approach for curriculum design, and program evaluation.     

MMPI configural interpretation as applied to posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans

This study investigated the systems of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) configural interpretation of Skinner and Jackson (1978) and Kunce (1979) with Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MMPI profiles of four groups differing in combat exposure were compared on four MMPI configural variables from Kunce (1979) and Skinner and Jackson (1978). The four groups were (a) PTSD sufferers, (b) Vietnam combat veterans without PTSD, (c) Vietnam noncombat veterans, and (d) Vietnam era veterans. All groups were further divided into hospitalized versus nonhospitalized subgroups. Dependent variables were Skinner and Jackson's (a) sociopathic modal profile, (b) neurotic profile, (c) psychotic profile, and (d) Kunce's emotional expression (enthusiastic-reserved) dimension. Results indicated that hospitalized PTSD subjects had significantly higher scores on Skinner and Jackson's neurotic profile; both hospitalized and nonhospitalized PTSD subjects had higher scores on the psychotic profile and were more "reserved" on Kunce's emotional expression dimension. Results were interpreted in terms of configural MMPI interpretation systems and the adjustment of Vietnam veterans with PTSD. PTSD was viewed as exhibiting cognitive, somatic, and affective features.     

Development of an on-line problem-oriented system for the evaluation of mental health treatment services

Current on-line assessment applications are limited to mimicking instruments designed for paper and pencil. The development of an instrument designed specifically for on-line technology is described. The instrument provides research data on treatment effectiveness, clinical information for treatment planning, and management information for resource allocation.     

Distinguishing interpretation from fact (DIFF): A computerized drill for methodology courses

It is important for psychologists to distinguish between statements of fact and opinions in the research reports they read or hear. Surprisingly, this basic skill is not readily observed in undergraduate students. A computerized laboratory activity is described that permits students to practice this discrimination, and demonstration data are reported to support the effectiveness of the exercise.     

Automatic syllabication for an on-line reading tutor

To assist limited-proficiency readers, an on-line reading tutor has been developed with a number of word-level aids. One of these, called syllabication, divides printed words into syllables that are then displayed and pronounced one at a time. The algorithm that divides words into syllables takes as input a printed word and its DECtalk-generated pronunciation. Divisions are made first in the pronunciation, using a consonant cluster tree to decide when more than one possible break can be made between two vowels. Rules that consider particular prefixes, suffixes, and stress and vowel patterns then select the most likely division. The resulting system performs above 99% correct for running text, but it fails on certain types of compound words, which can be handled correctly only through exception lists.     

The computerized Tower of Hanoi: a new form of administration and suggestions for interpretation

A computerized version of the Tower of Hanoi with a new form of administration was administered to two different groups, 15 men and 22 women, who were university students reporting normal psychological histories, and 24 traumatically brain-injured patients (20 men and 4 women). Scores on this test for both groups can be interpreted as an index of ability to solve problems and of learning strategies. Men and women scored differently on the task, i.e., women used different strategies than men to solve problems.     

Having an interpretation

I investigate what it means to have an interpretation of our language, how we manage to bestow a determinate interpretation to our utterances, and to which extent our interpretation of the world is determinate. All this is done in dialogue with van Fraassen’s insightful discussion of Putnam’s model-theoretic argument and of scientific structuralism.     

ACPE: A computerized system for running small-group decision-making experiments

Small groups are called upon to make important policy decisions under a wide variety of procedural constraints. ACPE is a flexible, computerized system for conducting small-group voting experiments. It permits researchers to examine the impact of electronic communication on group deliberation and choice. The system runs under a variety of different personal computer networks and is designed to permit the specification of voting rules, communication, and group sizes. The system also facilitates the study of group process by tracking all messages sent and votes taken. An experiment in which the system was used is briefly described.     

Construction and cross-validation of an MMPI Black-White scale

A robust set of MMPI items, sensitive to the effect of race (Blacks versus Whites), was constructed by compiling the results of six prior studies. Thirty-two items comprised the MMPI B-W scale. The scale was cross-validated on psychiatric patients and police cadets. Statistically significant mean differences were found between races in both groups, with 83% and 60% correct racial classification, respectively. These findings suggested that when used as a clinical instrument, the MMPI might pick up nonpathology-related racial variance contributing to scale devotion biased against the black respondent, but the degree of nonpathology-related racial scale score covariance has yet to be determined. For future research, the B-W scale was proposed as a set of standard queries in studies assessing connotative meaning for Black-White contrast groups, and to index "functional" as opposed to "objective" race membership.     

An on-line computer-based system for determining social costs and benefits

An on-line computerized program for determining social costs and social benefits for individuals in psychiatric treatment is described. The use of such a program yields a dollar value indicating how much a patient contributes to society. Mental health administrators and program evaluators can therefore be provided with information regarding the economic impact that their mental health programs have upon society. The program displays a series of multiple-choice questions on a CRT which reflect possible costs and benefits. Through the use of branching logic, unnecessary questioning is omitted. Each item is “costed” such that, upon completion of testing, a cost-benefit index is provided.