What utility do facet scales provide? by Holly Levin-Aspenson
Personality and clinical researchers often conceptualize individual differences as hierarchical structures. Different levels of faceted trait hierarchy may be better suited to answer different types of research questions. This framework has been extended to personality pathology, where there is interest in differential facet-level relations to external variables. In order to advance this area of research, we must test the extent to which facet scores are actually reliable and distinct. The psychometric literature has discussed this problem in the context of subscore reporting for achievement tests. Methods such as computing the value-added ratio (VAR) have not been applied to psychological tests, but could improve the development and interpretation of tests measuring faceted hierarchical trait models. In this presentation, I discuss how VAR could be used to understand the descriptive and predictive utility of facet scores in psychological research and present results applying this method to data from the Personality Inventory for DSM-5, which uses a faceted five-factor model of personality pathology.
"The primary objective [of this course] is to provide students the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills, presentation abilities, and knowledge of the most recent developments in quantitative and statistical methods and techniques. The seminar format of this course is designed to stimulate and foster the intellectual environment of the program and department as well as to engage students at all levels. This is one of the required courses for non-quantitative students to get their minor in quantitative psychology."