IPS Inventory for Personality Assessment in Situations

This procedure clearly stands out against other personality questionnaires, firstly due to the strong situational context, secondly due to the characteristics in scoring (indication of reference profiles) and thirdly due to the self evaluation concerning the satisfaction/discontent with the evaluated reactions.

Application
A self-assessment test for identifying likely behaviour and experience in situations involving social communication, achievement or recreational activities.

Theoretical background
The IPS test calls for self-assessments of likely behaviour and experience in situations that serve as prototypes of typical demands encountered in everyday life. It covers three broad requirement areas involving social and communicative behaviour, achievement behaviour, and health and recreational behaviour. The 80 items are grouped into a number of scales within each requirement area; these scales provide the basis for the creation of a separate for each area. In addition to the self-assessments of behaviour and experience, information from 15 separate items and the 3 scales formed from them is used to assess the respondent’s satisfaction with his/her behaviour.

Administration
After the instructions have been given the items are presented in succession on the screen. The respondent enters his answers on a rating scale. All items must be answered.

Test forms
There is one test form.

Scoring
The scale scores are first calculated as stanine scores. The profile is then created; this is done separately for each of the three areas. Classification probabilities are calculated, indicating how closely the individual’s profile conforms to the reference profiles drawn up for each area. Finally, estimated scores and satisfaction scores can be compared.

Reliability
IPS has good to adequate reliabilities in all scales and profiles.

Validity
Validity is confirmed by results obtained with different samples and at a number of levels. For both the scales and the profiles there are clear links, in line with the claim to validity, with the dimensions of other tests (FPI-R, AVEM), as well as close correlations with self-assessments and observer ratings in relevant types of situation. Overall there is convincing evidence of validity in the sense of construct validation.

Norms
Norms of two types are available for the IPS. Firstly, norms for the scale scores are quoted in the usual way (differentiated for a specifically selected calibration sample, general for a number of additional samples). Secondly, the reference profiles provided for each requirement area can be viewed as norms. They serve as a benchmark for the assessment of the patterns of behaviour and experience that are revealed; this assessment focuses primarily on identification of any need for intervention.