02 Psychological Assessment Review

psychological services delivered to or through organizations

we shall provide information beforehand to clients and when appropriate, to those directly affected by the services about

interruption of psychological services

Psychologists make reasonable efforts to plan for facilitating services in the event that psychological services are interrupted by factors such as the psychologist's illness, death, unavailability, relocation, or retirement or by the client's/patient's relocation or financial limitations.

maintaining confidentiality

obligation and take reasonable precautions to respect the confidentiality of those with whom they work or consult.

limitations to confidentiality

Danger to self or others; Suspected child maltreatment; Court ordered disclosure; To obtain payment for services; To gain consultation/supervision

recording

duty to obtain permission from clients or their legal representatives before recording the voices or images of the clients

minimizing invasions of privacy

When we consult cases with our colleagues or make written and oral reports, we only reveal

information that is relevant to the purpose for which the communication is made; for scientific, medical and professional purposes. In such situations, personal identifiers

such as name, address, organizational affiliation, etc. are not disclosed.

disclosures

information will not be disused and misused; only when the client or legal representative give consent; exception: when mandated by law

consultation

seek second opinion from our colleagues or other professionals; information disclosed is limited to what is only needed to achieve the purpose

use of confidential information for other purpose

there should be legal authorization; take reasonable steps to disguise client

Avoidance of False or Deceptive Statements

Psychologists do not knowingly make public statements that are false, deceptive, or fraudulent concerning their research, practice, or other work activities or those of persons or organizations with which they are affiliated.

public statements

use language that conveys respect for the dignity of others; quickly correct misinterpretation; do not seek personal gain; do not seek personal interest; shall not compensate or give anything of value; do not give degrading comments

Workshops, Seminars and Non-Degree-Granting Educational Programs

duty to ensure that announcements, brochures, catalogs, or advertisements for the workshops, seminars, or other non-degree-granting educational programs describe accurately to the audience

media presentations

cautious when we provide public advice or comment through printed materials, radio, or television programs, internet or other electronic transmissions

testimonials

we do not ask for testimonials from current or past clients, their legal representatives, or other persons, who might be vulnerable to undue influence of our psychological services or activity programs

documentation and maintenance of records

facilitate provision of services; allow for replications and evaluation; meet instructional requirements; ensure accuracy of billing payments; ensure compliance with relevant laws

confidentiality of records

complying with the applicable state and federal regulations in regard to the security, safety and confidentiality of any counseling record they create, maintain, transfer, or destroy whether the record is written, taped, computerized, or stored in any other medium.

withholding client records

We may not withhold records that are requested and needed by and for a client's emergency treatment, solely because payment has not been received.

fees and financial arrangements

As early as is feasible, reach an agreement specifying compensation and billing arrangements; Psychologists' fee practices are consistent with law; Psychologists do not misrepresent their fees

bases for assessment

The expert opinions that we provide through our recommendations, reports, and diagnostic or evaluative statements are based on substantial information and appropriate assessment techniques.

informed consent in assessment

Offer information about the nature and purpose of the assessment; any relevant fees; the involvement of other parties; and limits of confidentiality

assessment tools

administer tools pertinent to reasons of referral; consistent with the current scientific and professional developments; appropriate to the language, competence, and other relevant characteristics of client

obsolete and outdated test results

We do not base our interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations on outdated test results.

interpreting assessment results

validity, reliability, and appropriateness of the test is put into consideration before reporting the results; client's test taking abilities, characteristics, situational, personal, and cultural differences

release of test data

ensure that test results and interpretations are not used by persons other than those explicitly agreed upon by the referral sources prior to the assessment procedure; We do not release test data in the forms of raw and scaled scores, client's responses to test questions or stimuli, and notes regarding the client's statements and behaviors during the examination unless regulated by the court.

explaining assessment results

When explaining assessment results to clients, counselors should use nontechnical language that the client understands. Clients should have an opportunity to ask questions and indicate their level of agreement with the assessment results.

test security

Protection of the integrity of psychological test materials by preventing them from entering the public domain

assessment of unqualified persons

only applicable in training purposes with adequate supervision

test construction

tests must be standardized, reliable, and valid; uses current scientific findings

therapy confidentiality

under normal circumstances no one outside the Counseling Center is given any information — even the fact that you have been here — without your expressed written consent.

therapy informed consent

respect client's rights to commit to or withdraw to therapy; discuss clients both our rights and responsibilities; discussed with client if therapist is still under training

client's wellbeing

systematic monitoring; ensure well being of our clients; phycologist should be mentally and emotionally fit; learning and taking into accounts beliefs, practices, and customs that pertain to different working contexts and cultures

relationships

client-clinician relationship should be professional; do not enter into multiple relationships; avoiding emotional involvement; relationship to client should not be prejudiced; no sexual intimacy between client. their relatives, or their significant others

record keeping

protect client from unauthorized disclosure unless regulated by the court

competent practice

keep up with the latest knowledge and scientific advancements; when there is a need, seek supervision or consultative support

working with young people

ensure the balance between young people's dependence on adults and carers and their capacity for acting independently

referrals

referrals with colleagues are discussed and consented by our clients; carefully asses the appropriateness of the referrals

interruption

assume orderly and appropriate resolution of responsibility for our clients in instances when our therapy services are terminated

termination

when client no longer needs therapy; wont benefit from therapy; would be harmed by continued therapy

design education and training programs

designed to provide the appropriate knowledge and proper experiences and to meet the requirements for licensure, certification, or other goals for which claims are made by the program

descriptions of education and training programs

We shall take reasonable steps to ensure that education and training programs have a current and accurate description of the program content, training goals and objectives, stipends and benefits, and requirements that must be met for satisfactory completion of the program.

accuracy in teaching

Ensure course syllabi accurately reflect course content.

student disclosure of personal information

Psychologists do not require students or supervisees to disclose personal information in course- or program-related activities, either orally or in writing.

mandatory individual or group therapy

ensure that the program allows the students in undergraduate and graduate programs the option of selecting such therapy from practitioners who are not affiliated with the program

Assessing Student and Supervisee Performance

establish a timely and specific process for providing feedback to students and supervisees; evaluate students and supervisees on the basis of their actual performance on relevant and established program requirements.

sexual relationships with students and supervisees

Psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency, or training center or over whom psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority.

rights and dignity of participants

In all aspects, we respect the rights, safeguard the dignity, and protect and promote the welfare of research participants.

informed consent to research

An ethical requirement for psychologists by which they must inform people about the research and obtain their consent before participation can occur.

informed consent for recording voices and images in research

duty to obtained informed consent except: naturalistic observations in public spaces; research design includes deception

research participation of client, student, subordinates

we do not coerce them to participate; inform them about the right not to participate and we do not reprimand them for doing so

dispensing with informed consent in research

when research would not distress or create harm to participants; study or normal educational practices; only anonymous questionnaires; naturalistic observations; archival research; study of factors related to job organization effectiveness

offering inducements for research participations

fairly compensate participants for the use of their time, energy, and knowledge

deception in research

refrain from conducting except: justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational, medical, or applied value

debriefing

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

Humane Care and Use of Animals in Research

Animals used in research must be acquired, cared for, used, and disposed of in compliance with laws, government regulations, and professional standards; Reasonable efforts are made to minimize the discomfort and pain of animal subjects

correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables

coefficient of correlation

a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables

coefficient of correlation

expresses linear relationship between two variables that is usually linear in magnitude

positive correlation

Both variables increase or decrease together; plus (+)

negative correlation

as one variable increases, the other decreases; minus (-)

no correlation

There is no relationship between data sets; zero (0)

magnitude

a number anywhere between -1 and +1

Pearson r correlation

the common type of correlation statistic used; when the relationship between two variables being correlated are continuous

Karl Pearson

Devised the formula for calculating the coefficient of correlation (Pearson r)

Charles Spearman

developed Spearman Rho

scatterplot

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables

curvilinearity

an "eyeball gauge" of how curved a graph is

outlier

A value that "lies outside" (is much smaller or larger than) most of the other values in a set of data.

Spearman Rho

Used when the sample size is small and when both sets of measurements are in ordinal form (ranking form)

assumption 1

psychological traits and states exist

trait

specific characteristic of an individual

states

temporary patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior

overt behavior

an action that can be observed and recorded by a person other than the one engaging in the behavior

assumption 2

Psychological Traits and States can be Quantified and Measured.

assumption 3

Test-Related Behavior Predicts Non-Test-Related Behavior.

cumulative scoring

A method of scoring whereby points accumulated on individual items are tallied and then, the higher the total sum, the higher the individual is presumed to be on the characteristic being measured.

assumption 4

tests and other measurement techniques have strengths and weaknesses

Assumption 4: Tests and Other Measurement Techniques Have Strengths and Weaknesses

competent test user understand and appreciate the limitations of the tests they use as well as how those limitations might be compensated for by data from other sources

assumption 5

various sources of error are part of the assessment process

error

refers to the factors other than what the test attempts to measure will influence performance on the test

error variance

the component of a test score attributable to sources other than the trait or ability measured

potential sources of error variance

assessee, assessor, measuring instruments

assumption 6

Testing and Assessment can be conducted in a Fair and Unbiased Manner.

assumption 7

testing and assessment benefit society

reliability

Ability of a test to yield very similar scores for the same individual over repeated testing

validity

Actually measuring exactly what you intend to measure

norms

test performance data of a particular group of test takers that are designed for use as reference when evaluating or interpreting individual test scores

normative sample

group of people whose performance on a particular test is analyzed for reference in evaluating the performance of individual test takers

norming

the process of deriving norms

norm-referenced testing and assessment

a method of evaluation and a way of deriving meaning from test scores by evaluating an individual test taker's score and comparing it to scores of a group of test takers

common goal of norm-referenced test

yield information on a test taker's standing or ranking relative to some comparison group of test takers

standardization

the process of administering a test to a representative sample of test takers for the purpose of establishing norms

sampling

The process of selecting representative units from a total population

sample

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.

stratified sampling

A type of probability sampling in which the population is divided into groups with a common attribute and a random sample is chosen within each group

purposive sampling

selecting sample members to study because they possess attributes important to understanding the research topic

incidental sample

a sample that is convenient or available for use

types of norms

Percentiles; Age; Grade; National; Anchor; Subgroup; Local

percentile

Value below which a percentage of data falls.

age norms

indicate the average performance of difference samples of test takers who were ate various ages at the time the test was administered

grade norms

the average test performance of test takers in a given school grade