Manifestation of Symptomatology Scale (MOSS)
by Neil L. Mogge, Ph.D.

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 Here is a short, nonthreatening, easy-to-read self-report scale that quickly identifies the problems of children and adolescents. Because it is brief and because most of its items are written at a first-, second-, or third-grade reading level, the MOSS is ideal for evaluating young people who are in trouble at school or with the law. It can be used with individuals or groups in juvenile courts, juvenile detention centers, residential treatment centers, custody evaluation sites, regular and special education classrooms, counseling facilities, and private practice. The MOSS can be given as part of a full evaluation to identify personality dynamics, environmental concerns, treatment issues, and placement needs. Or it can be used as an intake tool to define treatment needs, and an outcome measure to estimate treatment gains.

Appropriate for 11- to 18-year-olds, the scale includes 124 items–brief sentences that describe a range of behaviors and emotional states. It can be completed in just 15 to 20 minutes. The adolescent simply responds True or False to each item.

The MOSS yields 13 content scores, 3 summary indexes, and 4 validity scores:

Normed on an ethnically diverse sample of more than 700 11- to 18-year-olds, the MOSS is specifically designed to evaluate young people who may not have the reading skills and concentration needed for valid administration of other broad-band personality instruments.

It can be used as a screener, an assessment instrument, or a program evaluation tool. Information obtained from parent and teacher ratings, clinical observations, and other sources can be integrated with MOSS results to arrive at a comprehensive assessment of young respondents.

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Component

KIT: Includes 25 AutoScore Forms; Manual