Internal reliability of Rorschach oral dependency scale scores

The internal reliability of Masling, Rabie, and Blondheim's Rorschach Oral Dependency (ROD) scale was assessed in a mixed-sex sample of 200 undergraduate subjects (100 women and 100 men). ROD scale scores had adequate internal reliability when reliability was assessed using traditional procedures (i.e., odd-even, coefficient alpha). Internal reliability coefficients derived from recently developed ''minimization'' and ''maximization'' procedures differed from traditional internal reliability coefficients, with ''minimized'' coefficients being smaller than traditional indexes of internal reliability and ''maximized'' coefficients being larger than traditional internal reliability indexes. Implications of these results for the construct validity of ROD scale scores are discussed, and suggestions regarding the assessment of internal reliability for Rorschach-derived personality and psychopathology variables are offered.