Defense Date

7-29-2009

Graduation Date

Summer 2010

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

School Psychology

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Tammy Hughes

Committee Member

Jeffrey Miller

Committee Member

Carol Parke

Keywords

adolescents, Conduct Disorder, PCL: YV, psychopathy, Rorschach, schools

Abstract

The current study examined the effectiveness of select Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM) variables in detecting individual differences among youth diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) who were either high or low on psychopathic traits. Twenty-nine male adolescents with CD in an alternative education school setting were placed into high or low psychopathy groups based on their Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL: YV) scores. Significant differences were found for WSum6, a RIM variable that measures cognitive ideation. However, both CD groups gave very few answers that yielded rich RIM protocols. That is, answers tended to be simple and similar, making inferential statistics uninterpretable. Consequently, students with PCL: YV scores ≥ 30 were examined to determine if there were any patterns in RIM scores. Overall descriptive data of the entire sample (N = 63) were also examined to provide a description of the types of students that may be found in similar settings. Implications for treatment according to emotional, social, and cognitive functioning, and as related to the practice of school psychologists, are also provided.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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