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A study of the variability between raters in scoring an oral clinical examination in psychiatry in the format of the certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is reported. A video-taped examination from another centre was rated independently by academic psychiatrists, nonacademic psychiatrists and residents. Considerable inter-rater differences between and within these groups were found. In particular, the averaging of the marks of pairs of raters as occurs in the actual certification resulted in the outcome depending to a considerable degree on the chance pairings of raters. These findings support a number of previous studies and emphasize the need to train examiners and to develop clearer rating criteria.

An investigation of personality characteristics associated with favorable adjustment to northern isolated living, and the usefulness of psychological tests in the selection of personnel for northern posting. 197 electronic technicians already screened on other psychological tests completed MMPI, Edwards Personal and Brainard Preference tests, and General Information and Arctic Interest questionnaires prior to 1 year of isolation duty on the mid-Canada Line. Adequacy of work and social adjustment was associated with 11 of 35 test variables and 3 of 26 questionnaire items. The discriminating function of the MMPI was reduced by the use of the K correction. It was suggested that despite the highly select nature of the sample used, the test battery has potential value in the selection of civilians to work in the far north.––(17 ref.)

Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall events which occurred immediately before head trauma or other acute brain insult. It is one aspect of a larger entity — posttraumatic amnesia — seen in some head injuries, and represents a defect in the consolidation of memories. Previous studies of retrograde amnesia have produced conflicting findings regarding its characteristics. A study was undertaken to identify the characteristics of retrograde amnesia, its relationship to anterograde amnesia, and the problems of its measurement. Forty-eight patients with head injuries admitted to the Emergency Department of the Winnipeg General Hospital were interviewed to identify all subjects meeting certain criteria regarding age, education, and so on, and twenty-five met the criteria and were included in the sample. Each subject was interviewed at least twice until the retrograde amnesia had reached a stable minimum. The duration of retrograde and anterograde amnesia as well as immediate and short-term memory were assessed. It was found that the duration of retrograde amnesia was directly related to the duration of the anterograde amnesia and to the duration of hospitalization. Some problems involved in measurement are discussed.