Psychological Testing Chapter 2: Historical, Cultural, and Legal/Ethical Considerations

Types of Measures in Psychological Assessment

• Biographical measures usually refer to information about an individual's life history, such as education, work experience, and family background.
• Physiological measures provide insights into bodily responses, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity.
• An example of something that is NOT a physiological measure is a person's favorite food.

Purpose of Biographical Measures

• The main purpose of biographical measures in psychological assessment is to gather information about an individual's life history to understand their behavior and personality.

Tools in Psychological Assessment

• Besides tests, other tools used in psychological assessment include interviews, observations, and biographical measures.

Umbrella Term for Evaluation Methods

• The umbrella term used to describe the evaluation methods to better understand characteristics of people, places, and things is "assessment".

Tests and Judgments

• A test is designed to sample and describe a person's behavior, abilities, or characteristics.
• Tests reflect an individual's performance on a particular task or series of tasks.
• Judgments in the assessment context are based on the data collected from tests and other evaluation methods.

Methods and Inferences

• The term used to describe methods used to draw inferences about characteristics of people, objects, or programs is "measurement".
• A test can measure various aspects of an individual, including cognitive abilities, personality traits, and emotional functioning.

History of Psychological Testing and Assessment

• The Father of Psychometrics is considered to be Charles Spearman.
• The practice of psychological testing and assessment originated in ancient China, around 2200 B.C.
• Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon developed a 30-item measuring scale of intelligence in 1905, with the primary purpose of identifying children who needed special education.
• The first experimental psychology lab was introduced in Leipzig, Germany in the 19th century.

Ethical Considerations in Assessment

• An ethical consideration when conducting assessments is to avoid cultural bias and ensure the test is fair and valid for all individuals.
• It is important to continually assess test security and misuse of testing to prevent cheating and ensure the integrity of the results.
• Assessment findings should be presented in a clear and understandable manner to ensure client understanding.
• Results should be disclosed to relevant individuals according to ethical standards, taking into account confidentiality and consent.
• Accommodation in assessment is used to provide fair access to individuals with disabilities.
• Ongoing informed consent is important in the assessment process to ensure individuals understand the purpose and potential consequences of the assessment.
• When selecting assessment tools, it is essential to consider the relevance, validity, and reliability of the tool, as well as cultural sensitivity and fairness.