Notes on Psychological Assessment

Gathering Information for Psychological Assessment

  • Objective: Understand the purpose of psychological assessment by gathering key information.

Purposes of Assessment Reports

  • Four main purposes (Sattlet, 2001):

    • Accurate assessment-related information about interpersonal skills, cognitive abilities, motor skills, and personality for involved parties.

    • Serve as a source for clinical hypotheses and suitable interventions.

    • Provide baseline information for evaluating progress post-interventions.

    • Act as a legal document.

Components of Psychological Assessment

  • Types of assessment methods:

    • Norm-Referenced Tests

    • Interviews

    • Observations

    • Informal Assessments

Functions of Information in Assessment

  • Analyzing data to answer referral questions.

  • Describing clients and developing narratives.

  • Building clinician's credibility and persuasive arguments.

Identifying Information to Record

  • Typical information includes:

    • Examinee’s name, date of birth, chronological age, grade/occupation, date(s) of testing, date of report, examiner's name, and supervisor’s name if relevant.

Sample Statements for Clarifying Sources of Information

  • Examples include:

    • “According to…"

    • “Mrs. Hoffman said…"

    • “Dr. Earle stated…"

Multimethod Assessment

  • Definition: Information derived from multiple methods (self-reports, interviews).

  • Recognized as effective for clarifying clinical problems.

Strengths and Limitations of Different Assessment Sources (Meyer et al., 2001)

  • Unstructured Interviews: Strength in eliciting thematic narratives; Limited by topic scope.

  • Structured Interviews/Self-Report: Strength in details concerning awareness; Limited by motivation.

  • Performance-based Tests: Strength in behavioral data; Limited by engagement.

  • Observer Rating Scales: Strength in collated perceptions; Limited by relationship parameters.

Challenges in Information Gathering

  • Difficulty in measuring the unmeasurable human aspects.

  • Constructs not being well-defined for clinical use.

  • Limitations in clinical judgment, tests, and techniques influence data reliability.

Limitations of Clinician's Assessment

  • Presence of confirmatory bias.

  • Dependence on implicit theories which may lack empirical support.

  • Overreliance on either hard evidence or subjective judgment may introduce errors.

Review of Records

  • Importance of reviewing records (school, medical, legal) to understand assessment context and answer referral questions.

  • Caution about potential inaccuracies in records.

Domains of Functioning to Assess

  • Relevant domains include:

    • Emotional functioning, Thought processes, Intellectual functioning, Self-concept, Memory, Family functioning, etc.

Selecting Tests and Other Assessment Procedures

  • Tests must be:

    • Valid, reliable, culturally appropriate, cost-effective, and relevant to the referral question.

Administering, Scoring, and Interpreting Tests

  • Importance of adhering to test manuals for valid results.

  • Importance of recording observations and maintaining objectivity in scoring.

  • Interpretation should follow established guidelines.

Determining Data Reliability and Validity

  • Reliability: Consistency of results.

  • Validity: Accuracy of the test in measuring intended variables.

  • Usefulness: Potential to inform recommendations and descriptions of clients.

Case Example: Dr. Velez and Student Eva

  • Assessment areas included cognitive ability, academic achievement, and behavior management recommendations.

Gathering Information Overview

  • Methods: Clinical interviews, record reviews, measures of behavioral/emotional functioning.

Types of Clinical Interviews

  • Intake, Diagnostic, Mental Status, Crisis, and Assessment Interviews:

    • Purpose: Assist in understanding issues and diagnosis.

Interview Types and Techniques

  • Structured vs unstructured; benefits and limitations of each type.

  • Importance of preparing appropriate questions and maintaining a nonjudgmental attitude.

Interviewing Parents and Guardians

  • Essential for developmental history and family dynamics but might offer biased or distorted perspectives.

Interviewing Collateral Informants

  • Informants like teachers and therapists can offer indispensable insights.

Mental Status Examination (MSE)

  • Evaluates various aspects of mental functioning including behavior, mood, thought processes, and cognition.

Sample Mental Status Exam Form

  • Components assessed: Appearance, Attitude, Behavior, Speech, Affect, Mood, Thought Processes, Thought Content, Perception, Orientation, Memory.

Review of Records

  • Contribution of previous assessments, treatment histories, and other relevant documents.

Symptom and Behavior Checklists

  • Broad-Based: SCL-90-R for adults, CBCL for children.

  • Targeted: BDI-II for depression, BAI for anxiety, Conners 3 for ADHD, etc.

Case Study Example

  • Dr. Almeda used multiple info sources (interviews, records, various forms) to assess a client named Jake, ensuring cultural relevance and contextual accuracy.

Behavior Assessment

  • Emphasizes understanding behaviors as samples rather than symptoms of underlying issues.

Factors in Selecting Assessment Methods

  • Consideration of referral questions, client culture, motivation, and potential future therapy relationships.

Emotional Functioning Assessment

  • Involves understanding coping abilities, assessed through interviews and tests including self-reports and objective measures.

Reporting Assessment Findings

  • Organized by general findings first, integrating essential observations and specific test scores based on relevance to referral questions.