Pre-Interview Checklist

Abstract

The Pre-Interview Blank (PIB), developed by Fred McKinney in 1960, is a historical psychological instrument designed to gather comprehensive antecedent information about a respondent’s personality and background prior to a formal clinical or research interview. The fundamental purpose of the PIB was to significantly improve the efficiency and quality of subsequent interviews by pre-establishing a detailed personal history. The instrument covers a wide array of life domains, including demographics, academic and personal achievements, physical health status, college activities, interests, attitudes, personal and family history, and religious background, thereby structuring the interviewer’s approach and ensuring a more focused and accurate conversational exchange.

Keywords

Pre-Interview Blank, Personality assessment, Interview schedule, Personal history, Demographics, Attitudes, Educational Background, Interviews, Psychological Testing

Authors

McKinney, Fred

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Pre-Interview Blank is foundational: to collect extensive and detailed biographical and psychological information about the respondent before the commencement of an in-person interview. This proactive data collection strategy ensures that the interviewer is well-informed regarding the respondent’s history, achievements, and self-perceptions, minimizing the time spent on basic data gathering during the interview itself.

By providing a structured snapshot of the individual’s life—covering everything from physical health to family dynamics and religious beliefs—the PIB was intended to enhance the effectiveness and depth of the subsequent interaction. This process allows the interviewer to focus immediately on complex or specific psychological issues, leading to a more productive and accurate assessment of the respondent’s personality structure and functioning.

Construct

The central psychological construct targeted by the Pre-Interview Blank is Personality. While the PIB does not provide a quantitative score reflecting traits or dimensions, it functions as a qualitative tool for mapping the environmental and historical factors that shape the individual’s psychological makeup. The scale gathers raw data across numerous domains considered integral to understanding the holistic structure of an individual’s personality.

The specific domains assessed, which collectively inform the understanding of the individual’s personality, include: demographics, academic success, physical health, social and collegiate activities, personal interests, stated attitudes, and detailed personal and family history. The synthesis of these open-ended responses provides a rich narrative context for interpreting the respondent’s psychological profile during the formal interview.

Validity

Formal reports regarding the quantitative validity of the Pre-Interview Blank are not indicated in the available archival documentation. As the instrument functions primarily as a structured intake guide rather than a psychometric scale designed for statistical scoring, traditional measures of construct or criterion validity were likely not established or reported upon its initial release in 1960. Its validity rests primarily on its face validity—the apparent relevance of the questions to the goal of comprehensive background gathering for an interview setting.

Reliability

Quantitative reliability metrics, such as internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability, are not indicated for the Pre-Interview Blank. Given its design as an open-ended, biographical data collection instrument, the concept of internal consistency does not directly apply. The reliability of the data collected depends heavily on the respondent’s honesty and thoroughness in providing answers, rather than the statistical consistency of the scale items.

Factor Analysis

No factor analysis is indicated or reported for the Pre-Interview Blank. Since the instrument is an interview schedule composed of discrete, open-ended biographical questions rather than a structured inventory of correlated psychological items, factor analytic techniques are not applicable to its design or intended use within the field of psychological testing.

Instrument

Test Type: Interview Schedule/Guide

Format: Open-ended responses to 11 comprehensive questions, administered in a paper-based format.

Language Available: English (Original documentation)

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Not specified (Likely intended for adult or college-age populations, given the reference to college activities in the source data).

Population Details: Used historically in clinical or academic settings where detailed personal background information was required prior to interviews. It is applicable to both male and female populations.

Test Methodology: Paper-based self-administration or administered by an assistant prior to the main clinical or counseling session. The specific methodology for scoring or interpreting the qualitative responses is not formally detailed, relying instead on the subsequent interviewer’s clinical judgment.

Keywords

Pre-Interview Blank, McKinney, Biographical data, Clinical intake, History of Psychology, Psychological Testing, Attitudes, Family history, Interview preparation

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided

Correspondence Address: Not provided (Historical document, 1960)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Pre-Interview Blank was published in 1960 by Fred McKinney. Information regarding current usage permissions, copyright status, and associated fees is not readily available, as the instrument is primarily considered a historical artifact housed within the Archives of the History of American Psychology. The original PDF can be downloaded here: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pre-Interview-Blank.pdf

Reference’s

• McKinney, F. (1960). Pre-Interview Blank. Archives of the History of American Psychology, University Libraries. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/t00595-000

Items of the Pre-Interview Blank scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The Pre-Interview Blank consists of 11 open-ended questions designed to elicit detailed biographical and personal information. The instrument gathers data across several key areas:

• Demographics and identifying information.
• Achievements and accomplishments.
• Physical health status and medical history.
• Involvement in college activities and extracurriculars.
• Personal interests and hobbies.
• Stated attitudes toward various subjects.
• Detailed personal history narrative.
• Detailed family history narrative.
• Religious background and beliefs.

The comprehensive nature of these items ensures that the interviewer receives a holistic picture of the individual’s life context before the formal interview begins.