UNIT 1 REVIEWER: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Psychological Assessment

Evaluates thinking, learning, behavior, and emotions. Includes a full medical examination to rule out medical causes for symptoms.

Identifies strengths and weaknesses in individuals for academic and behavioral interventions.

Helps in job applicant selection and developing tailored treatment plans

Psychological tests

are part of a broader assessment process.

Psychological testing

typically done by licensed psychologists or psychometricians

psychologists

are expertly trained to perform and interpret psychological tests.

Context of Clinical Assessment

Involves clarifying referral questions, understanding ethical guidelines, and selecting appropriate assessment instruments.

Considers test bias, referral context, and computer-assisted interpretation. the responsibility for exploring and clarifying the referral questions lies with the practitioners who should actively work with the referral source to place the client’s difficulty in a practicable context.

practitioners must understand the decisions that the referral source is facing, as well as the available alternatives and relative usefulness of each of these alternatives.

practitioners also need to specify the relevance of the psychological evaluation in determining different alternatives and their possible outcomes.

to help clarify the referral questions, as well as develop a relevant psychological evaluation, clinicians should become familiar with the types of environments in which they will be working

Referral Settings Details

Psychiatric settings involve unique issues for psychiatrists and require thorough evaluations.

General medical settings often involve patients with psychosocial difficulties.

Legal contexts require psychologists to modify language and may involve child custody decisions.

Educational contexts focus on assessing children's learning difficulties and behavioral issues.

Industrial-organizational contexts use assessments for hiring, promotion, and development decisions.

Types of Referral Settings

1. PSYCHIATRIC SETTING

2. GENERAL MEDICAL SETTING

3. LEGAL CONTEXT

4. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

5. PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC

6. INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

PSYCHIATRIC SETTING

These referrals typically come from a psychiatrist, who may be asking the referral question in the role of administrator, psychotherapist, or physician.

Each role represents unique issues for the psychiatrist, and clinicians have a primary responsibility to develop evaluations that directly address the problems at hand.

Several problem areas may exist that are not readily apparent from the referral question.

the assessor must investigate these complicating factors along the potential decisions derived from the assessment information.

MEDICAL GENERAL SETTING

It has been estimated that as many as two-thirds of patients seen by physicians have primarily psychosocial difficulties, and those with clearly established medical diagnoses, between 25% to 50% have specifically psychological disorders in a addition to medical ones.

to adequately work in general medical settings, psychologists must become familiar with medical descriptions, which often means learning a complex and extensive vocabulary. Another issue is that, even though physicians often draw information from several sources to aid in decision making, they must take ultimate responsibility for the decisions.

LEGAL CONTEXT

Psychologists might be called at any stage of legal decision-making. During investigation stage, they might be consulted to assess the reliability of witness or to help evaluate the quality of in formation by a witness.

The increasing use and acceptance of psychologists in legal contexts have resulted in a gradual clarification of their roles (Blau, 1998; Otto and Heiburn, 2002), as well as proliferation of forensic specific assessment instruments (Heiburn, 2001).

Psychologists are sometimes asked to help with a child custody decisions. each psychologists appearing in court must have their qualifications approved. important areas of consideration are the presence of clinical expertise in treating specialty disorders and relevant publication credits.

EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

Psychologists are frequently called on to assess a child who is having a difficulty in or may need special placement in, the school system

Typical education placement begins with a visit to the classroom for observation of a child’s behavior under natural conditions.

CHILDREN ASSESSMENT IN 2 PHASES

Phase 1: practitioner should assess the nature and quality of the child’s learning environment.

Phase 2: Involves comprehensive assessment battery, which includes measures of intellectual abilities, academic skills, adaptive behavior, and screening out any biomedical disorders that might disrupt learning

PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC

compare to other setting, in psychological clinic the psychologist is often the decision maker. The most common ones are individuals who are self-referred and are seeking relief from psychological turmoil.

two other situations in which psychological assessment may be warranted involve children who are referred by their parents for school or behavioral problems and referrals from other decision makers

INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Hiring, promoting, and developing the right people for specific jobs represent some of the most important decisions that companies make.

Many organizations use individual psychological assessments to help them make such decisions.

Individual psychological assessment is a tool used to help organizations make decisions about hiring, promotion, and development.

an individual psychological assessment, the assumption is that a qualified psychologist combines and interprets the data from the various assessment tools to make an overall evaluation of an individual.

ASSESSMENT IN IO DISADVANTAGES

Provides additional data on a candidate that is not easily obtained through using only one or two assessment tools.

Provide a candidate with detailed, developmental feedback for the new position.

Help the candidate's new manager gain a better understanding of how best to coach and mentor his or her new direct report.

Time and expense associated with the assessment. the process may alienate or turn off some candidates who do not understand the process or who do not see it as relevant to the decision

Ethical Practice of Assessment

Assessment should occur within a clearly defined professional relationship.

The quality of the relationship can impact assessment results and the overall working relationship.

Rapport and culturally relevant feedback can improve test performance.

Researcher/examiner expectations can influence a person's performance.

Developing a Professional Relationship

Assessment should be conducted only in the context of a clearly defined professional relationship.

This means that the nature, purpose, and conditions of the relationship are discussed and agreed on.

An important area to be aware of is the impact the quality of the relationship can have on both assessment results and the overall working relationship.

An additional factor that may affect the nature of the relationship between the client and the examiner is the client's relative emotional state.

a final consideration, that can potentially confound both the administration and, more commonly, the scoring of responses, is the degree to which the examiner likes theclient and perceives him or her as warm and friendly.

invasion of privacy

One of the main difficulties examinees can encounter in relation to psychological tests is that the examiner might discover aspects of the client that he or she would rather keep secret.

The invasion of privacy issue usually becomes most controversial with personality tests because items relating to motivational, emotional, and attitudinal traits are sometimes disguised.

Examiners must continually evaluate whether a test, or series of tests, is valid for a particular purpose, and whether each set of scores has been properly interpreted in relation to a particular context.

Introducing the test format and intent in a simple, respectful, and forthright manner significantly reduces the chance that the client will perceive the testing situation as an invasion of pricy.

2 Basic issues of invasion of privacy

The first is that tests have been oversold to the public, with a resulting exaggeration of their scope and accuracy.

It is not necessarily wrong to obtain information about persons that they either are unaware of themselves or would rather keep private.

Inviolency

Whereas concerns about invasion of privacy relate to the discovery and misuse of information that clients would rather keep secret, inviolacy involves the actual negative feelings created when clients are confronted with the test or test situation.

Many individuals obtain a certain degree of security and comfort by stayilag within familiar realms of thought.

This problem is somewhat related to the issue of invasion of privacy and it, too, requires one-to one sensitivity as well as clear and accurate Information about the assessment procedure.

. Labeling and restriction freedom

Just as labels imposed by others can have negative consequences, self- acceptance of labels can likewise be detrimental. Clients may use their labels to excuse or deny responsibility for their behavior.

A final difficulty associated with labeling is that it may unnecessarily impose limitations on either an individual or a system by restricting progress and creativity.

When individuals are given a medical diagnosis for physical ailments, the social stigmata are usually relatively mild.

Furthermore, diversity might be incorporated into an organization so that different but compatible types can be selected to work on similar projects

Competent use of assessment instruments

Intensive training is particularly important for individually administered intelligence tests and for the majority of personality tests.

Examiners need to be aware of the material in the test manual as well as relevant research both on the variable the test is measuring and the status of the test since its publication.

Sometimes an otherwise valid test can be used for purposes it was not intended for, resulting in either invalid or useless inferences based on the test data.

. Interpretation and use of test results

Interpreting test results should never be considered a simple, mechanical procedure.

Accurate interpretation means not simply using norms and cutoff scores, but also taking into consideration the unique characteristics of the person combined with relevant aspects of the test itself.

Ultimately, any interpretations and recommendations regarding a client are the responsibility of the clinician.

Placing a signature on a report means that the clinician is taking responsibility for the contents of the report.

Communicating results

Initially, there should be a clear explanation of the rationale for testing and the nature of the tests being administered.

This may include the general type of conclusions that are drawn, the limitations of the test, and common misconceptions surrounding the test or test variable.

Feedback of test results should be given in terms that are clear and understandable to the receiver.

In providing effective feedback, the clinician should also consider the personal characteristics of the receiver, such as his or her general educational level, relative knowledge regarding psychological testing, and possible emotional response to the information.

The emotional reaction is especially important when a client is learning about his or her personal strengths or shortcomings.

MAINTENANCE OF TEST SECURITY AND ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

If test materials were widely available, it would be easy for persons to review the tests, learn the answers, and respond according to the impression they would like to make. Thus, the materials would lose their validity.

SELECTING PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST

The most important factor in test selection is the extent to which the test is useful in answering the referral question.

In test selection, practitioner's training, experience, personal preferences, and familiarity with relevant literature is important.

The most useful is the Mental Measurements Yearbook, which contains a collection of critical test reviews that include evaluations of the meaning of the available research on each test.

A basic objective of psychological assessment is to provide useful information regarding the planning, implementation, and evaluation of treatment.

Memory Functions

Wechsler Memory Scale-III

Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test

California Verbal Learning Test

Benton Visual Retention Test

Emotional functioning and level of psychopathology

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III

Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory

Rorschach

Depression

Beck Depression Inventory

Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression

Children's Depression Inventory

Anxiety

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

Fear Survey Schedule Anxiety

Disorders Interview Schedule

General personality measures

Sixteen Personality Factors

NEO-PI-R

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

Adjective Checklist

Taylor Johnson Temperament Analysis

Sentence completion tests

Prognosis and risk

Suicide potential

Scale of Suicide Ideation

Beck Hopelessness Scale

Qualification Guidance for Assessments LEVEL A

A Bachelor's Degree in psychology or a related discipline and coursework relevant to psychological testing, OR

Equivalent Training in psychological assessments from a reputable organization; OR Certification from an organization with similar proficiency requirements; OR

Practical Experience in the use of psychological assessments.

Licensed Psychometrician (Philippine Psychology Act of 2009)

Qualification Guidance for Assessments LEVEL B

A Graduate Degree in psychology or a related discipline and have completed graduate-level coursework in psychological testing or measurement; OR

Equivalent Training focused on psychological testing or measurement from a reputable organization.

Licensed Psychologist (Philippine Psychology Act of 2009)

Qualification Guidance for Assessments LEVEL C

A Doctorate Degree in psychology or advanced professional degree in Psychology

The Direct Supervision of a qualified psychologist or qualified professional in a related discipline.

Licensed Psychologist (Philippine Psychology Act of 2009)

Computer-Assisted Assessment

Computers used for scoring, data storage, and generating interpretive reports

Advantages of Computer-Assisted Assessment

Saves professional time

Improves test-retest reliability

Reduces tester bias and cost to consumers

Issues with Computer-Assisted Assessment

Concerns about reliability and validity

Research indicates good reliability compared to paper-pencil versions

Validity of computer-based test interpretation questioned

Evidence-Based Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

DSM-5 considered the gold standard in mental health care

Psychological assessment in mental health settings must be evidence-based

Evidence-Based Practice in Mental Healt

Research-based treatments tailored to individual needs, preferences, and cultural expectations Assessment must be systematically related to DSM-5

Criteria for Evidence-Based Care

Consideration of research literature, clinician's judgment, and client's values and preferences

Benefits of Evidence-Based Assessment

1. Safe and ethical care based on research

2. Faster improvement in symptoms and quality of life

3. Cost-effective therapy with long-term benefits

4. Treats a wide range of mental health disorders

5. Tailored care to individual client needs and preferences