Using Psychological Assessments

Chapter 2/3

Common Applications of Psychological Testing

• Organizaitonal Testing

  • Competency (KSAO), Hiring/Selection, Plaacement/T&D

• Clinical & Research Testing

  • Diagnosis, Treatment planning and effectiveness - canceling/giving treatment

• Educational Testing

  • Student learning, instructional planning, selection, placement, classification

• Self Awareness

  • People wanting to learn about themselves

Organizational Settings - who is involved

• human resources professionals

• industrial and organizational psych practicitoners

• they use psych tests in their organizations

Organizational Testing

• Occured after WW! when organizations wanted to test job applicant - find the right person for the right job

• Test used: KSAO, training needs, workers performance in training, success in training, management development, leadership training and selection

Educational Settings - WHo is involved

• All education roles and All levels of education all use psychological tests

• social workers too

Educational Testing

• educational and achievement tests are used from an early age

• e.g EQAO, IQ, Special education programs etc

• guidance counsellors use instruments for advising students

• Educational institutions have to make admissions and advancement decsions regarding students

  • they measure behaviour and make inferences about it - psych tests

Clinical Setting - Who is Involved

• Various clinicians (psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health practitioners) and consultants administer psychological tests in clinical and counseling settings

Clinical Testing

• Tests are used by clinical or counseling psychologist before, during, and after treatment.

• Used to classify and/or diagnose patients and to track progress/effectiveness.

• Psychologist generally use a number of objective and projective personality tests.

• Neuropsychological tests which examine basic mental function also fall into this category. 

• Perceptual tests are used detecting and diagnosing brain damage.

Ethical Standards

• Standards of practice set up by governing bodies/associations

  • associations are put in place to be a check & balance overiding guidance for groups using these tests

• its not the law - no legal action taken if you break the standards

  • can be used in a law case tho

• Violations have their own penalties - expulsion from organization or negative consequences to individuals or organizations

APA info and standards

• American Psychological Association

• published the first ethical standards for psychologists in 1953

• standards updated several times/they focus on

  • Competence of the psychologist

  • resolving ethical issues when using psych tools

  • confidentiality and privacy of test taker

  • Using the results for assessments and therapy practices

• Taken a lead role in the development of professional standards for testing

Joint Comittee on Testing Practices (JCTP)

• established in 1985

• made up of

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA)

    • the most explicit and comprehensive guidelines using test are the standards for educational and psychological testing made by AERA

  • American Psychological Association (APA)

  • National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME0 - disbanded in 2007

• in 1988 the JCTP developed the code on testing practices in educational settings

  • new code not only looked at the examiner but the fundamental rights of the test taker

  • rights of test taker must meet high professional standards/valid for intended purposes

Other important organization

• Society of Industry Organization Psychologists (SIOP)

  • made standards for organizational psychologists

• Society for Human Resources and Management (SHRM)

  • have their own guideline for organizational psychologists

• Association of Test Publishers (ATP)

  • Looks at the test publishers

• International Test Comissions (ITC)

  • Looks at the testing professionals

  • market and sells tests

Licensure

• mandatory credential individuals must obtain within their professions to practice

• Purpose: protect the health and safety of the public – not always

• Established by state-level government

• Illegals for ppl to practice w/o a license

Certification

• a professional credential individuals earn by demonstrating that they have met predetermined qualifications

• they have specific knowledge, skills, and/or experience

• A voluntary process

• Generally offered by private, nongovernmental state or national organization

• you can be certified & not licencesed - certified to use a psych test but not be a psychologists (no license)

Parties Involved in Assessment

• Testing Professionals: the test developer and publisher

  • develops, publishes, sells their test

• Testing professionals: Individuals who administer the testing procedure

  • selects the test, gives it, scores it etc

• The User: The organization or practice that eventually uses the informatio to make certain decsions

• The test taker

Guidelines for Developing/Selecting Published Assessments

• have to have specifications or a blue print - procedures for selecting items, scoriing, how to interpret, research studies used, lit reviews

• start review examining info and material given by test publishers - tech manuals, research studies

• seek out independent evaluations and reviews - for tech accuracy

• guidlines for test, accomodations for test takers, test security, user qualifications

Qualification Levels

• Level A

• Level B

• Level C

• Level C+

Level A

• there are no special qualifications to purchase these products

• anyone can administer and use the test

Level B

• A master’s degree in psychology, education, or in a related field intended to use the assessment

• or certification by a pro organization that requires training and experience in a relevant are of assessment

• if not certified or have a master’s - can be superviced by someone who has one

• some instruments have their own certificate that you can do to use them - done by a test publisher

Level C

• A doctorate degree in psychology, education, or closely related field with formal training in the field or closely related field

• formal training in the ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical assessments related to the intended use of the clinical assessments

• could have a masters and need a supervisor with a docterate
  

Level C+

• need a doctorate degree and training

• most sophisticated Of the levels

Mental Measurements Yearbook

• published by Buros

• each listing provides descriptive info and additional info

  • regarding availability of reliability, validity, and normative data and scoring and reporting services

• most listings have critical reviews by qualified assessment experts

Guidelines for Administering Assessments

• select and use assessments that youre qualified to administer, score, and interpret

• provide info to examinee and get informaed consent before giving the test

• professionals are ethically and legally required to obtain informed consent before providing professional services like Tests

Informed Consent

• Obtained when a professional provides info to a client about the assessment and services provided

• Client has the opportunity to carefully consider that information and decide if they want to do/recieve the services

• Participants must be informed about the right to confidentialities, and their right to withdraw without penalty.

• After getting this info, participants must provide consent for participating.

Responsibilities of Tester

• Have competence in test administration, scoring criteria, interpretation and feedback

• have an understanding of basic psychometrics and scoring procedures - Be competent and interpretation and apply scientific knowledge and professional judgement to the results.

• Develop clear guidelines be familiar with the context of use, the situation, purpose and how much time is needed

• know legal and ethical issues related to test use copyright laws, test, banks,

• awareness of ethical/cultural language, proficiency, developmental skills, and how it can influence the results

• Develop sampling Plan - where to collect data

Guidelines for Interpreting Assessment Results

• Use assessment results only for validated purposes

• use multiple sources and types of assessment information

• psychologist are encouraged to use multiple assessment, tools when making important decisions that impact clients

Debriefing

• sometimes debriefing the test taker can be individual like athlete results or not such as university studies just informing a group result.

• After the test debriefing should include….

  • thanking the participant

  • restating the purpose of the research.

  • Explain how the results will be used reiterate the findings, and how they'll be treated confidentially

  • answer all of the respondents questions fully

Taking Care of the Data

• Testing professional Anheuser publisher the school are often responsible for maintaining test security

• testing materials should not be accessed and produced before the testTesting materials should not be accessed and produced before the test

• Results should not be given out without permission, and only given to a qualified individual

• Test takers information must be confidential - only a limited number of situations where it could be given without permission

Rights of Test Takers

• Right to privacy

• Right to informed consent

• Right to know, and understand results

• Right to protection from stigma

Responsibilities of Test Takers

• Preparing for the assessment

• following the directions of the individual giving the assessment 

• responding in a manner that accurately reflects their characteristics and abilities

• in a group testing, not interfering with the performance of others

• informing the professional if they believe the assessment results don't accurately represent their true abilities

• respecting the copyrights of test publishers, and not disclosing information about the test contents