NCJ Number
217564
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 399-410
Date Published
March 2007
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study compared the results of administering the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) in the paper format with its administration in the computerized (online) version.
Abstract
Findings indicate that a computerized version of the PPI-R holds the same psychometric properties as its traditional written format. Comparisons of participant responses from the two different formats showed no significant differences in response patterns, measure scores, or test of internal scale consistency. Test-retest reliabilities were also high and significant for the combined sample as well as both the separate written-first and computerized-first groups. These findings suggest that those who wish to administer the PPI-R online would be able to do so without changing the test norms developed for the written version. Unlike the written form, the computerized version eliminated the need to hand code or reverse code any responses. Scoring for the computerized version involved electronically copying participant responses into a spreadsheet specifically designed to generate all 15 measure scores. The computerized form was designed to draw participants' attention to any items that were left blank, which resulted in all but one of the computerized administrations producing a complete set of item responses. Just over 20 of the written copies of the instrument had to be discarded as incomplete. Study participants were 124 undergraduate students in a small New England college (mean age of 19.32 years). Seventy-four first completed the written form of the PPI-R, and 50 first completed the computerized version. In the retesting, each group used the administration format not used in the first administration. 5 tables and 21 references