EVALUATING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CLINICAL-ASSESSMENT METHODS

In clinical assessment, it is necessary to determine the extent to whi ch alternative measurement tools yield equivalent information. Using a lcohol consumption data obtained from 187 clients in an impaired drive r treatment program, this paper assesses the equivalence of informatio n collected by microcomputer and clinician interviews. First, methods by which equivalence is routinely assessed (i.e. product-moment correl ation coefficients and t-scores associated with differences between gr oup means) are evaluated, highlighting the limitations of these approa ches. Second, structural equation modeling is examined as an under-uti lized analytic strategy for examining convergence. Third, the advantag es and disadvantages of a relatively novel approach to assessing equiv alence, i.e. examination of agreement at the individual level, are dis cussed. Finally, a general strategy for establishing extent of agreeme nt is recommended.