Introduction to Psychological Assessment PDF

Jereco O. Paloma, MA, RPm  Psychological Testing and Assessment (Cohen & Swerdlik) Psychological Assessment (Kaplan and Saccuzzo) Psychological Testing (Kline) Psychological Testing (Friedenberg) Psychological Testing (Domino and Domino) Psychological Testing (Anastasi and...

Jereco O. Paloma, MA, RPm  Psychological Testing and Assessment (Cohen & Swerdlik) Psychological Assessment (Kaplan and Saccuzzo) Psychological Testing (Kline) Psychological Testing (Friedenberg) Psychological Testing (Domino and Domino) Psychological Testing (Anastasi and Urbina)  Why is there a need for measurement in Psychology?  Answer a referral question Obtaining a gauge of personality Can be done in a group setting Uses oral communication Evaluation is based on scores Obtaining samples of behavior Physiological measures  Assessment: procedure to gather information about people Test: type of assessment that uses specific procedures to obtain information and convert that information to number or scores. – Use of specific or systematic procedures – Scoring of responses – Sample of behavior  Selecting a set of items or tests questions Specifying conditions under which the test is administered Developing a system of scoring and interpreting responses  Objective Scoring Subjective Scoring Responses are Answers are converted to evaluated relative numbers by to a set of scoring comparing them procedures to a list of possible answers.  Finite number of questions; sample of characteristics  TESTING – term used to refer to the process that covers the administration of a test to the interpretation of a test score. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING – The process of measuring psychology-related variables through the use of devices or procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior.  PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT – The collection and integration of psychology- related data for the use in a psychological evaluation that is accomplished through the use of tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, behavioral observations, and specially designed apparatuses and measurement procedure. Cohen & Swerdlik, 2009  Referral for Assessment Teacher, Judge, Clinician, Parent, HR, GC, Social Worker Referral Question Preparation of the Assessor Meeting with the assessee or others Selecting appropriate tools Formal Assessment Interview Testing Case History Others Patient and Sources Assessment Report Psychological Report Writing Collaborative Psychological Assessment Therapeutic Psychological Assessment Dynamic Assessment  Assessor and assessee works as partners from initial contact to final feedback May include therapy as part of the process – Therapeutic Psychological Assessment therapeutic self-discovery and new understandings are encouraged throughout the assessment process  an interactive approach to psychological assessment that usually follows a model of – evaluation – intervention of some sort – evaluation Used in: – Educational – Correctional – Corporate – Neuropsychological – Clinical  THE THE THE TEST INTERVIEW PORTFOLIO CASE HISTORY BEHAVIORAL ROLE PLAY DATA OBSERVATION TESTS USE OF COMPUTERS  Test – measuring device or procedure Modifiers: – Medical Tests vs. Psychological Tests PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS Device or procedure designed to measure psychological variable  MEDICAL TEST PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS Samples of Blood Samples of Behavior Samples of Tissue Oral, Written, Samples of Fluids Performance Elicited by a test stimulus or naturally occurring PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES CONTENT FORMAT ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES SCORING AND INTERPRETATION PROCEDURES TECHNICAL QUALITY PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES CONTENT – Subject matter – “focus” – The case of the same purpose but differing in content i.e. Personality tests Different theoretical orientation Different operant definitions NEO-FFI  PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES FORMAT – form, plan, structure, arrangement, and layout of test items – Time limit – Form on which the test is administered Pencil-and-paper, computerized – Procedures in obtaining samples of behavior PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES – Individual Skills Tasks Knowledge i.e. TONI-3 – Group Administration PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES SCORING AND INTERPRETATION PROCEDURES – Score Code or summary statement Reflects the evaluation – Scoring process of assigning such evaluative codes or statements to performance on tests, tasks, interviews, or other behavior samples PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES SCORING AND INTERPRETATION PROCEDURES – Types of Scores Based from summing up or use of elaborate procedures CUT SCORE Cut-off reference point, usually numerical, derived by judgment and used to divide a set of data into two or more classifications  PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: DIFFERENCES TECHNICAL QUALITY – Psychometric Soundness Psychometrics = science of psychological measurement Validity Reliability Utility  Interview : “face-to-face talk” In Psychology – More than talking – “what is said and how it is said” – VERBAL AND NON VERBAL BEHAVIOR  – Body Language Eye movement/contact Facial expression Gestures Dress/Attire, Hygiene Telephone Interview Panel Interview INTERVIEW Method of gathering information through direct communication involving reciprocal exchange.  Files containing one’s works Can be in film, canvas, paper, etc. Sample of one’s ability  Refers to records, transcripts, and other accounts in written, pictorial, or other form that preserve archival information, official and informal accounts, and other data and items relevant to an assessee Files or excerpt from files stored in institutions Letters, correspondences, news clippings, work samples, doodles, diary  Monitoring the actions of others or oneself by visual or electronic means while recording quantitative and/or qualitative information regarding the actions Used as a diagnostic aid, for selection purposes  NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION Observing the behavior as it occurs in the natural setting, as contrast to controlled environment such as a laboratory or clinic Observe it as it happens/occurs  acting an improvised or partially improvised part in a simulated situation a tool of assessment wherein assessees are directed to act as if they were in a particular situation  Biofeedback Fable Use of Social Assessment Media Reenactments Videos TEST DEVELOPER Test Publishers Create and Distribute Instruments TEST USER Professionals (i.e. clinicians, counselors, experimental psychologists, HR) Qualification  Level A No Special Qualifications Level B 4-year degree in Counseling, Completion of coursework in Or license/certification (use of Psychology psychological testing tests) Level C Level B Qualifications Advanced professional degree Level S Degree in the Health care Professions Training in the Use of Tests TEST TAKER anyone who is the subject of an assessment or an evaluation Psychological autopsy Test takers differ in a continuum Test anxiety : significance and reliability of results Extent to which they understand and agree with the rationale for the assessment apacity and willingness to cooperate with the examiner or to C comprehend written test instructions Amount of physical pain or emotional distress they are experiencing Amount of physical discomfort brought on by not having had enough to eat, having had too much to eat, or other physical conditions Extent to which they are alert and wide awake Extent to which they are predisposed to agreeing or disagreeing when presented with stimulus statements Extent to which they have received prior coaching I mportance they may attribute to portraying themselves in a good (or bad) light Extent to which they are  ”lucky” and can “beat” the oddson a multiple-choice achievement test  Society’s demand for “some way of organizing or systematizing the many-faceted complexity of individual differences.” As society changes, new tests are developed Laws and legislations on testing Court decisions  Companies Organizations Governmental agencies Schools Clinics Classification Self-understanding program evaluation Scientific inquiry Placement Rating Selection Competency Decision- and Experiments making Proficiency Predicting Outcome Diagnosis Behavior Evaluation  Counseling Educational Clinical Setting Setting Government and Business and Geriatric Setting Organization Military Setting Credentialing Educational School Ability Test Achievement Test Diagnostic Test Informal Evaluation  public, private, and military hospitals, inpatient and Clinical outpatient clinics, private-practice consulting rooms, schools, and other institutions Diagnosis intelligence tests, personality tests, neuropsychological tests, or other specialized instruments, depending on the presenting or suspected problem area Counseling schools, prisons, and government or privately owned institutions improvement of the assessee in terms of adjustment, productivity, or some related variable Measures of social and academic skills and measures of personality, interest, attitudes, and values Geriatric cognitive, psychological, adaptive, or other functioning Quality of Life Assessment Business Careers: hiring, promotions, transfer, job and satisfaction, and eligibility for further training Military Engineering Psychology Customer Satisfaction Marketing and Promotions Gov’t and Org Licensing, certification, Credentialing credentialing PRC – Board of Psychology PAP  Tests Standards Responsible test users have obligations before, during, and after a test or any measurement procedure is administered PRE-TEST PREPARATIONS Safe-keeping of tests Training on test administration Stopwatch Familiarity with the tests and materials Supply of Pencils Test Protocols Temperature Room/Venue Lighting Noise People DURING THE TESTING Establishing Rapport a working relationship between the examiner and the examinee POST-TEST Safeguarding Tests Protocols RESPONSIBILITIES Scoring Interpretation Note-taking of everything that happened – even people present Conveying tests results in a clearly understandable way  Assessment of People with Disabilities – Alternate Assessment an evaluative or diagnostic procedure or process that varies from the usual, customary, or standardized way a measurement is derived either by virtue of some special accommodation made to the assessee or by means of alternative methods designed to measure the same variable(s).  Assessment of People with Disabilities – Alternate Assessment Accommodation (adapt, adjust, or make suitable” of the assessee Accommodation may be defined as the adaptation of a test, procedure, or situation, or the substitution of one test for another, to make the assessment more suitable for an assessee with exceptional needs Large Print, Audio Format, Braille,  TEST CATALOGUES TEST MANUALS REFERENCE VOLUMES JOURNAL ARTICLES ON-LINE DATABASES LIBRARY Design Property 1: A good test has a clearly defined purpose. Properties Property 2: A good test has a specific and standard content. Property 3: A good test has a set of administration Procedures. Property 4: A good test has a standard scoring procedure. Psychometric Property 1: A good test is Properties reliable. Property 2: A good test is valid. Property 3: A good test contains items with good item statistics.  OBJECTIVE Freedom from the subjective influence of the examiner STANDARDIZED Uniformity in the administration and interpretation of results RELIABLE Consistency of the scores VALID Concerns with what the test measures and how well it does GOOD PREDICTIVE VALUE  Psychological Measurement is Less Precise – Psychological tests measures only a sample of the property under study; inference – Psychological Measurement uses a more limited scale – Psychological Measurement is affected by extraneous variables  Psychological Measurement is Less Direct – Psychological Tests are designed to draw inferences about underlying attributes or characteristics – Psychological Tests are designed to measure constructs Hypothetical dimensions or characteristics Operational Definitions  Misunderstanding about or misuse of psychological tests – People regard test scores as precise Imprecise measures = ineffective? Tests are biased against women and minority groups, dehumanizing, and invasion of personal privacy  China – 2200 BC Selection of who would obtain government jobs Content changed over time: cultural expectations, values of the ruling dynasty  Proficiency in endeavors such as music, archery, horsemanship, writing, and arithmetic Agriculture, geography, revenue, civil law, and military strategy Knowledge and skill with respect to the rites and ceremonies of public and social life  Passing the exam: – Garb – Exemption from taxes – Exemption from torture during interrogation  Greco-Roman Writings – Categorizing people with personality types Such categorizations typically included reference to an overabundance or deficiency in some bodily fluid (such as blood or phlegm) as a factor believed to influence personality  Middle Ages: – Who is in league with the devil? Renaissance Period: – Christian von Wolff (18th C.) psychology as a science and psychological measurement as a specialty within that science  1859 – On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (Charles Darwin) Scientific interest on individual differences – Francis Galton Research on heredity Classify people accdg. to natural gifts Ascertain the derivation from an average  Galton – London, 1884: Anthropometric Laboratory Measurement of people accd to height (standing and sitting), arm span, weight, breathing capacity, strength of pull, strength of squeeze, swiftness of blow, keenness of sight, memory of form, discrimination of color, steadiness of hands Urged schools to do anthropometric records on the students  Wilhelm Max Wundt (19th Century) – Experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany – Human abilities: reaction time, perception, attention – How were people similar – Standardization: control of extraneous variables  Cattell – 1890: “mental test” – Founding of the Psychological Corporation in 1921  Students of Wundt – Charles Spearman: test reliability, factor analysis – Victor Henri: worked with Alfred Binet on papers suggesting how mental tests could be used to measure higher mental processes – Emil Kraepelin: association technique as formal test – E. B. Titchener – G. Stanley Hall – Lightner Witmer: little-known founder of clinical psychology, successor of Cattell  1895: Binet and Henri – published several articles in which they argued for the measurement of abilities such as memory and social comprehension 1905: Binet and Theodore Simon – published a 30-item “measuring scale of intelligence” designed to help identify mentally retarded Paris schoolchildren  1939: David Wechsler – Test designed to measure adult intelligence – Intelligence was “the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment” – Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale → Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)  Binet – Group intelligence testing US: Military’s need to conduct an efficient way of screening World War I recruits – Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test  Late 1930’s: 4000 psychological tests in print Clinical psychology = mental testing World War I: intelligence testing and testing on adjustment Committee on Emotional Fitness – Robert S. Woodworth – Paper-and-pencil psychiatric interviews – “Personal Data Sheet’  Robert Woodworth – Civilian personality test: Woodworth Psychoneurotic Inventory Self-Report test of personality Self-Report tests: prone to manipulation – Development of projective tests Ex. Rorschach Inkblot Test by Hermann Rorschach  Late 1930s – Henry A. Murray, Christiana D. Morgan et al (Harvard Psychological Clinic) Pictures/photos as projective stimuli Story Analyzing the needs and motivations