10 Questions
What is a concern with the training of individuals using psychological tests?
Individuals may not meet appropriate standards
What has the APA historically supported?
Legislation to allow only licensed psychologists to use most psychological tests
What is a consideration when determining the qualifications of a psychological test user?
All of the above
What is a suggested prerequisite for undertaking comprehensive psychological assessments?
Completing mandatory courses in statistics, individual differences, personality theory, abnormal psychology, and cognitive processes
What is a concern with Dr. Saur's practice?
Dr. Saur's employee, Ms. Smurf, did not have appropriate training
What is a potential issue with delegation in Dr. Saur's practice?
Dr. Saur delegated test administration to an unqualified individual
What is a consideration when determining who can administer psychological tests?
The individual's licensure as a psychologist
What is a potential issue with Dr. Saur's training of Ms. Smurf?
Dr. Saur did not provide enough hours of training
What is a consideration when determining the qualifications of a psychological test user?
The individual's licensure as a psychologist
What is a potential issue with Dr. Saur's practice?
Dr. Saur did not provide sufficient supervision to Ms. Smurf
Study Notes
Case 7-10: Dinah Saur, Psy.D.
- Dr. Saur hired Mary Smurf, with a B.A. degree in psychology, to administer tests in her private practice with minimal training.
- Dr. Saur provided only a few hours of training in administering the Wechsler tests, Thematic Apperception Test, and Rorschach inkblots.
- Dr. Saur signed evaluation reports based on superficial interviews and data collected by unqualified assistant, Smurf.
Case 7-11: Dexter Dendrite, Psy.D.
- Dr. Dendrite hired Sandra Synapse, M.Ed., who had continuing professional education courses in neuropsychological instruments.
- Dr. Dendrite trained and observed Ms. Synapse in test administration and developed an assessment plan with her.
- Ms. Synapse administered tests and scored them, while Dr. Dendrite checked the scoring and integrated test data into a single report, which they both signed.
Case 7-12: Sandra Toddler, Ph.D.
- Dr. Toddler, a clinical child psychologist, began assessing developmentally delayed infants and children under 4 without sufficient training or expertise.
- Dr. Toddler ordered and read manuals of developmental instruments, but lacked experience and consultation from a colleague with expertise in infant assessment.
Case 7-13: Norris Nemo, Ph.D.
- Dr. Nemo earned a degree in counseling psychology with supervised coursework in intelligence, personality, and vocational guidance assessment tools.
- Dr. Nemo offered "placement and exit counseling" services to companies, but lacked experience and training in these areas.
Training Issues
- The profession requires a certain level of training as a prerequisite for designation as a "qualified" user of psychological tests.
- The APA and state psychological associations have historically supported legislation allowing only licensed psychologists to use most psychological tests.
Ethical Issues in Psychological Testing
- The answer to the qualified user question becomes complicated when considering the type of test, its use, and the setting in which it is applied.
- Some argue that mandatory coursework in statistics, individual differences, personality theory, abnormal psychology, and cognitive processes should precede undertaking comprehensive psychological assessments.
This quiz assesses your understanding of research ethics and methods in psychology, particularly in regards to evaluation reports and data collection.
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