March 10 | 8:00 am - 11:45 am

Presenter: 

Mark A. Blais, PsyD | Harvard Medical School

Workshop Information:

Blais and colleagues (Blais & Hopwood, 2010 & 2017; Blais & Smith, 2014) have outlined the value of model-based approaches in learning, teaching, and practicing psychological assessment. Conceptual models like the Trans-Theoretical Model of Personality (TTMP) adapted from Mayer (1998; 2005) helps organize and integrate data from multiple instruments with their conceptually related personality structures. Empirical models such as Hierarchical-Dimensional Models (H-DM) benefit clinical assessment by aligning test data with findings emerging from empirical studies of psychopathology. This workshop will demonstrate the power of integrative personality assessment using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and SPECTRA, along with other common assessment tool. It will provide participants with a richer understanding of the PAI, including the newer Alternative Model of Personality Disorder scales, and the SPECTRA, while illustrating with case material how leveraging these model-based perspectives can improve the assessment of personality and psychopathology.

Goals and Objectives:

1. Become familiar with the features of the hierarchical-dimensional model of psychopathology (higher-order Internalizing, Externalizing, and Reality Impairing Spectra and a Global p-factor)

2. Describe the basic empirical and conceptual foundations for the PAI and SPECTRA

3. Demonstrate how the PAI and SPECTRA can be used interactively in personality assessment

4. Demonstrate how to interpret and integrate the results of the PAI and SPECTRA to formulate a case conceptualization

Skill Level:

Should have some experience with the PAI and SPECTRA

Available Bios

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