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Related Concept Videos

Self-Report Tests of Personality01:22

Self-Report Tests of Personality

Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)01:27

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) serves as the primary classification system for mental health disorders, providing standardized diagnostic criteria for clinicians and researchers. First published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952, the DSM has undergone several revisions to reflect evolving psychiatric understanding. The fifth edition, DSM-5, released in 2013, introduced key updates that expanded diagnostic categories and modified diagnostic...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence01:23

Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence

Alfred Binet, along with his student Théophile Simon, was tasked by the French Ministry of Education in 1904 to create a method for identifying students who struggled to learn through conventional classroom instruction. This initiative aimed to address overcrowding by placing such students in specialized schools. Binet and Simon developed an intelligence test comprising 30 tasks, ranging from simple commands, like touching one's nose or ear, to more complex tasks, such as drawing designs from...
Schemas01:42

Schemas

A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model01:29

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
07:30

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

Development of the Mental Clutter Scale.

Frank Leavitt1, Robert S Katz

  • 1Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, USA. frankleavitt@sbcglobal.net

Psychological Reports
|January 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed the Mental Clutter Scale to measure mental fog in fibromyalgia patients. This 8-item scale offers a reliable and quick assessment of cognitive functioning, aiding clinical understanding of fibromyalgia.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Rheumatology

Background:

  • Mental fog is a primary symptom impacting fibromyalgia patients' quality of life.
  • Understanding and measuring cognitive disability in fibromyalgia is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a scale for measuring mental fogginess, a key cognitive symptom in fibromyalgia.
  • To establish the psychometric properties of the newly developed Mental Clutter Scale.

Main Methods:

  • Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on two independent samples (n=128 and n=170) of fibromyalgia patients.
  • Cognitive symptoms were analyzed to identify underlying dimensions, leading to the creation of the Mental Clutter Scale.
  • Psychometric properties including factor stability, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were assessed.

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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

Main Results:

  • Fibromyalgia's cognitive symptoms loaded onto two dimensions: cognition and mental clarity.
  • The Mental Clutter Scale, comprising 8 items from the mental clarity factor, demonstrated strong psychometric properties.
  • The scale achieved excellent internal consistency (alpha = .95) and high test-retest reliability (r = .92 over 5 days).

Conclusions:

  • The 8-item Mental Clutter Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing mental fog in fibromyalgia.
  • This scale provides clinicians with a practical tool to evaluate cognitive functioning in fibromyalgia patients.
  • The Mental Clutter Scale contributes to a better understanding of fibromyalgia-related cognitive disability.