|
iDEA: Drexel E-repository and Archives >
Drexel Theses and Dissertations >
Drexel Theses and Dissertations >
Reliability of the global assessment of functioning scale
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1860/364
|
| Title: | Reliability of the global assessment of functioning scale |
| Authors: | Woldoff, Sarah |
| Keywords: | Psychology
Psychological tests
Psychometrics |
| Issue Date: | 6-Dec-2004 |
| Abstract: | Since the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) was introduced in the revised third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) in 1987 (American Psychiatric Association), its use in clinical settings has grown considerably. However, there is little research on the reliability and validity of the scale. Thirty-six psychologists with experience administering the GAF scored one high-information and one low-information vignette according to two methods of determining the GAF score. Method A consisted of the traditional paper-and-pencil version in which the rater determines the client’s GAF score based on the individual’s psychological, social, and occupational functioning. Method B consisted of a computer-assisted GAF (First & Multi-Health Systems Staff, 1997), in which assessment questions related to psychological, social, and occupational functioning are presented to the clinician in a yes/no format. Results indicated that both methods of GAF administration could be scored reliably by raters. Consistent with predictions, the results revealed a significant interaction between method and information level. Specifically, in the high information condition, the computer-assisted method resulted in scores closer to “gold standards” determined by expert diagnosticians relative to the paper-and-pencil method. These findings are promising with respect to the clinical utility of the computer-assisted GAF procedure. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1860/364 |
| Appears in Collections: | Drexel Theses and Dissertations
|
Items in iDEA are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
|
www.drexel.edu
