Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2012 Jan;73(1):154-64.
doi: 10.15288/jsad.2012.73.154.

Computer Assessment of Simulated Patient Interviews (CASPI): psychometric properties of a web-based system for the assessment of motivational interviewing skills

John S Baer  1 , Kelly M Carpenter, Blair Beadnell, Susan A Stoner, Michelle Hansten Ingalsbe, Bryan Hartzler, David B Rosengren, Zach Drager
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Computer Assessment of Simulated Patient Interviews (CASPI): psychometric properties of a web-based system for the assessment of motivational interviewing skills

John S Baer et al. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Benefits of empirically supported interventions hinge on clinician skill, particularly for motivational interviewing (MI). Existing MI skill assessments are limited with respect to validity (e.g., self-report) and practicality (e.g., coding session tapes). To address these limitations, we developed and evaluated two versions of a web-based assessment of MI skills, the Computer Assessment of Simulated Patient Interviews (CASPI).

Method: Ninety-six counselors from the community and 24 members of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) completed the CASPI (N = 120), in which they verbally responded via microphones to video clips comprising three 9-item vignettes. Three coders used an emergent coding scheme, which was compared with alternative MI skills measures.

Results: CASPI demonstrated excellent internal consistency when averaging across two or three vignettes (α's = .86-.89). Intraclass correlations were above .40 for most items. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a correlated three-factor model: MI-consistent, resistance-engendering, and global change talk orientation rating. Means and factor loadings were invariant across forms (i.e., the two alternative versions of CASPI), and factor loadings were invariant across subgroup (i.e., community counselor or MINT member). Test-retest reliability was good for MI-consistent and resistance-engendering scores (r = .74 and .80, respectively) but low for change talk orientation (r = .29) unless coder was taken into account (r = .69). CASPI showed excellent construct and criterion-related validity.

Conclusions: CASPI represents a promising method of assessing MI skills. Future studies are needed to establish its performance in real-world contexts.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Three-construct confirmatory factor analysis of Computer Assessment of Simulated Patient Interviews items (N = 120). MI = motivational interviewing; CTO = change talk orientation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Baer JS, Rosengren DB, Dunn CW, Wells EA, Ogle RL, Hartzler B. An evaluation of workshop training in motivational interviewing for addiction and mental health clinicians. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2004;73:99–106. - PubMed
    1. Baer JS, Wells EA, Rosengren DB, Hartzler B, Beadnell B, Dunn C. Agency context and tailored training in technology transfer: A pilot evaluation of motivational interviewing training for community counselors. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2009;37:191–202. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cicchetti DV. Guidelines, criteria, and rules of thumb for evaluating normed and standardized assessment instruments in psychology. Psychological Assessment. 1994;6:284–290.
    1. Funke U, Schuler H. Validity of stimulus and response components in a video test of social competence. International Journal of Selection and Assessment. 1998;6:115–123.
    1. Humphreys K, Greenbaum MA, Noke JM, Finney JW. Reliability, validity, and normative data for a short version of the Understanding of Alcoholism Scale. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 1996;10:38–44.

Publication types