Some Notes on the use of Two Personality Tests with Visually Handicapped Students

Abstract

From our experience the tape recorder seems to be a very satisfactory method for administering personality tests to blind and partially blind students. The students feel more free in answering question of a personal nature and they can do the test without assistance.

One disadvantage in using this method of having students sort cards into different boxes is that the student's responses to specific questions are lost once the test is scored. However, in cases of doubt where the examiner wishes to have a permanent record of the responses, he may record them on an answer sheet in the usual manner from the cards the student has sorted. In our experience, we have not felt the need for preserving the responses to questions in this manner.

We would like to use these personality tests on a greater number of students before drawing any definite conclusions. However, on the basis of results obtained so far, it would seem that the Bell Adjustment Inventory is better adapted for blind and partially sighted students. The medians for both boys and girls fall within the normal or average range for the four areas tested. The medians for both boys and girls obtained on the B1-N Scale of the Bernreuter are within the average range but the medians obtained from the B2-S and the B4-D Scales of the Bernreuter are lower than should be expected. There is also a more normal curve of distribution of scores obtained from the Bell than from the Bernreuter.

The Bell Adjustment Inventory is longer, having 140 questions as compared with 125 on the Bernreuter. However, the Bell is easier and quicker to score.

In general we have been satisfied with the results obtained from these two personality tests administered on the tape recorder. We are now using this method for other tests of personality as well as for some occupational interest tests and aptitude tests.