More Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If you still have a question, call us at (650) 322-6300 or use our contact form.
- What is a Manual with sample copy?
- Qualifications for purchase NOT necessary
- What is a License to Reproduce/Administer?
- Do I need to buy both a Manual and a License to Reproduce/Administer?
- Is the Manual included with the License to Reproduce/Administer? No, they must be purchased separately. We do not package them together in a kit because some people already possess the manual.
- Manual/Sampler Set and Manual are the same thing
- Product Codes defined
- Discounts
- License for more than 500
- Save Time and Money in your purchase
- PDFs - returns not allowed
- Dissertation or Thesis - You CANNOT publish an entire instrument in an appendix.
- Altering or Changing an instrument
- License Expiration
- Paper Copies of instruments
- MLQ - About using only the Self form of the MLQ
- MLQ - Transformational Leaders - categorizing or labelling
- MLQ - Rater Selection guidelines for the MLQ 360 Leaders' Report
- MLQ - Missing data
- Creating a multi-rater campaign using Mind Garden's Transform system - a tutorial
- Web Browsers and Mind Garden's Transform online survey system
- What are Test Booklets?
- What is a Key?
- Calculating a T-score
- Environment Scales - how to handle missing values
- Publishing your assessment with Mind Garden
- HUMOR
- Mind Garden's Vendor Federal Tax ID Number is #77-0380245
Is a Manual/Sampler set the same as a manual?
Yes, we sometimes call it a Manual/Sampler set because it includes non-reproducible copies of the instrument and scoring key, but this is the same thing as the Manual.
Copyright Policy
Mind Garden policies about permission to reproduce in publications and other issues related to copyright are listed on the copyright page.
Proof of qualification NOT necessary for purchase
You do not need proof of qualifications for purchase of our products. We like to avoid making people "jump through hoops" to purchase and use our products, thus almost all of our assessments are without qualification restrictions. Mind Garden believes in responsible test use. We also care deeply about providing information about psychological assessments (primarily via our manuals). The manuals are provided so that you can possess the necessary information for utilizing and understanding our instruments. If you like, you can review our description of good test use.
Save time and money in purchasing products
Save Time: After you order the PDF version of a product, we'll send you an email which describes how to login and retrieve your document (be sure to check your SPAM and junkmail folders!). If you order a paper copy, it will take several days to arrive.
Save Money: There is no charge for shipping and handling on PDF products. (Note that regardless of whether you order the PDF or paper reproduction license, you will receive ONE copy with license to reproduce the purchased number.) If order a paper copy, you'll pay FedEx charges. About 95% of our customers order PDFs.
Discounts
Our products are deliberately priced at a reasonable level for the academic environment, and so we do not offer additional student discounts. We do, however, offer substantial discounts on purchases of large quantities (see price list for each product for specific prices), of which any customer may take advantage.
Does Mind Garden's Transform system work with all web browsers?
If your computer uses Internet Explorer version 6 (IE6), you may have difficulty while accessing or using Mind Garden’s Transform (or any other online survey website).
- How to discover which web browser you are using:
1. Open the web browser
2. Pull down the Help menu at the top
3. Select "About Internet Explorer"
4. Check the version -- if it begins with a 6, you will have difficulty with almost any current online survey. - Possible Solutions:
• Upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 or later, which is free over the internet (check with your IT person first)
• OR, install or use another web browser such as FireFox, Safari or Chrome
• OR, access the survey from another computer at work or at home that does not use IE 6.
Do I need a manual for the instrument?
We highly recommend purchase of the Manual/Sampler set with every instrument. Most manuals contain a non-reproducible copy of the instrument along with an explanation of the instrument, administration, scoring and interpretation, validity, reliability and, very important, normative information. Thus, to fully use an instrument, order both the Manual/Sampler set and License to Reproduce/Administer. It is easiest and least expensive to order the PDF version of the Manual/Sampler set and instrument online with a credit card (avoid shipping charges). You will receive an invitation to login, and then view and print out pages as needed.
What if I don't use all the copies before the expiration of the License to Reproduce/Administer?
Since it is a license, it needs to be for a limited
term. We recommend you reproduce the purchased number
before the expiration date of your License to Reproduce/Administer.
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Can I get paper copies of instruments rather than a license to reproduce?
Mind Garden does not provide duplication services except for products where it is specifically stated such as the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT).
What are test booklets?
"Test booklets" is a reference to the method of providing an instrument in a paper format.
What is a key?
"Key" is the term for the information about how to score the instrument. Also called the Scoring Key.
How do I calculate a T-score?
You can calculate a T-score using the mean and standard deviation of the reference normative population in the test manual. Use the formula T = 50 + (10*(raw score - mean))/standard deviation where raw score is the score for that person on the scale, mean is the mean for that reference norm, and standard deviation is the standard deviation for that reference norm.
MLQ - About using only the Self form of the MLQ
There are many reasons to have others rate a leader's leadership behavior, but here are the ones that are perhaps most important to consider:
- Leaders can have unique relationships with peers, followers and other leaders, thus the ratings will differ as a consequence of how unique these relationships are with their constituency.
- Related to point 1, since leadership is in the 'eye of the beholder', why would you want to collect data from only the 'self beholder'.
- There is considerable evidence indicating that self and other ratings often times do not agree, for reasons mentioned above.
- The choice of which rater source to use should be tied to the research question. If you are interested in how leaders think about their own leadership, then just collect self ratings. In every other instance, why would you not collect observation data from other sources?
- In sum, the Self form does not measure actual leadership but only the perception of leadership.
This is an important question so to expand this, at core, leadership is in the eye of the beholder. Thus, to the degree that one has only one source, the validity of that source is in question. This is true of every instrument, including personality. Thus, if a leader has 10 followers and you just get a rating from one, likely that rating will not represent all 9 other views -- especially if that rater has worked for the leader for one month or less. If we get ratings from peers, that may not generalize to followers. If we get ratings from the leader him/herself, the question one has to answer is, how representative are those ratings of all other sources? If your interest is how to change the self perceptions of a leader, then measuring self ratings is appropriate. If the goal is to measure leadership then measuring rater perception of the leader is the most appropriate.
"The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none." —Thomas Carlyle (1888)
MLQ - Transformational Leaders - categorizing or labelling
In most instances, we do not recommend using cutoffs. Why? It limits
the information you have on the leader. The MLQ measures leadership behaviors,
and their frequency of occurrence. Consequently, when we discuss tranformational
leadership, we are discussing it in terms of degree or frequency of occurrence.
By categorizing leaders, you the information from both a practical
and a statistical point of view.
If for some reason one has to categorize, then use the percentile charts
in the manual and choose leaders who, on all 4 I's, exceed the 90th percentile, then define these as
being more transformational. If you want them to not be
transactional, then choose leaders who fall above the 90th percentile on
transformational components and below 50th percentile on Contingent Reward,
Management by Exception Active & Passive and Laissez-faire.
MLQ - Rater Selection guidelines for the MLQ 360 Leaders' Report
Following are suggestions for selecting your raters:
- Most important, use accurate email addresses so that the invitations can be successfully delivered!
- Ideally you should select between 8 and 12 raters to provide feedback for each leader. Please use
the following guidelines to choose raters:
A) At least one rater should be at a higher level than the leader in the same organization; optimally this is the leader's boss.
B) Three or more raters should be people at a lower level (Below) in the organization than the leader; optimally they should report to the leader.
C) Some raters should be those at the same organizational level (Peer) who have observed the leader's leadership behavior.
D) If the total of A, B, and C above is not 8 to 12 names, others who have observed the leader's leadership behavior may be chosen, even outside the organization. These raters/observers may be previous co-workers, or someone who serves on a board or committee with that leader.
What is the best way to deal with missing data (or non-response) in scoring the MLQ?
According to Bruce Avolio, co-author of the MLQ, "There are lots of opinions on how to deal with this. I would generally say if you have 3 items for a scale keep that data and plug in the mean [of those 3 for the 4th item], as that won't change your results."
How do I handle missing values for a Social Climate or Environment Scale?
Using the Family Environment Scale (FES) of the Social Climate Scales as an example, if more than half of the nine (that is, five or more) items on any one of the subscales is missing, then the score for that subscale is considered missing. If a respondent misses one item on subscale then an initial score is obtained for that subscale and multiplied by 9/8ths to obtain the final score. If two items are missing on a subscale, then the initial score is multiplied by 9/7ths to obtain the final score. For three missing items, multiply by 9/6ths, and for four missing items, multiply by 9/5ths. In essence, when fewer than half of the items on a subscale are missing, this procedure will obtain FES subscale scores that are "comparable" to the regular 9-item subscale scores.
How can I publish my assessment with Mind Garden?
If you have developed a psychological assessment, please feel free to contact Mind Garden about distributing and/or publishing your assessment or workbook. Contact us by clicking here or 650 322-6300.
Product codes
The product code is the four or more letters to the left of the product description (e.g. for "WAYSS Manual" the product code is "WAYS-S" and the product, in this case, is the Manual for the Ways of Coping Questionnaire).
If you still have a question, just phone us at (650) 322-6300 or use our contact form here.