Abstract:
The High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) is a self-report inventory for children ages 12-18. It measures 14 personality characteristics that research has shown to be good predictors of social, clinical, occupational, and school behavior. These 14 characteristics were identified through factor analysis and are as follows: Warmth, Intelligence, Emotional Stability, Excitability, Dominance, Enthusiasm, Conformity, Self-Sufficiency, Self-Discipline, and Tension. The test takes 45 - 60 minutes to complete and may be given in groups. It is made up of 142 multiple-choice questions regarding the examinees' responses to social situations, as well as preferences for future careers and leisure time. Test scores are intended for use in predicting academic achievement, school interest, the likelihood of becoming a high school dropout, learning styles, and creativity. In addition, they may be used by psychologists and psychiatrists to diagnose anxiety disorders, to predict which children with speech disorders will respond best to treatment, to predict the effectiveness of any therapeutic treatment, and to identify children who are at risk for chemical dependency. Furthermore, test norms reveal a "delinquency profile" as well as the difference between leadership qualities and popularity in young people. Answer sheets can be scored by the test administrator either manually or by machine, and scores are expressed as 14 subscores, one for each personality characteristic. By comparing raw scores with the norms (the establishment of which on a sample of 9000 is the subject of many independent research projects listed in the bibliography of the test manual), sten scores which are designated as "low", "average", or "high" as well as percentile scores are obtained. Separate norms are used for boys and girls and a Spanish version of the test is available. Several special scales help detect deliberate misrepresentation of self, and random response patterns. Short-term test-retest reliability is in the .70s and .80s, and long-term is in the .50s and .60s. Factor analysis was used to establish construct validity, and 12 replications of the original procedure have confirmed the validity of the 14 personality characteristics.