Assessment in Counseling Chapter 1

2 What is assessment? Needs to be systematic and objective Sample(s) of behavior from which we make inferences Measurement some aspect of the client

3 Terminology Assessment Appraisal Testing Tests vs. instruments

4 Do Counselors Need to Know about Assessment? American Counseling Association’s (2005) Code of Ethics Survey results Counselor credibility

5 Assessment is Integral to Counseling Essential steps in counseling: 1. Assessing the client problem(s) 2. Conceptualizing and defining the client problem(s) 3. Selecting and implementing effective treatments 4. Evaluating the counseling

6 Assessment can be therapeutic Finn and Tonsager (1992, 1997) Assisting clients in decision making

7 Do counselors ever use formal assessment strategies? Counselors in diverse settings: View formal assessment strategies as a significant aspect of their work Use many of the same assessment instruments Need to be competently trained in the use of commonly-used instruments

8 Reasons Counselors Should be Competent in Assessment Expectations of being professional Identification of problems Access to diverse client information Assisting clients in decision-making Verifying client strengths and limitations Can influence credibility Accountability

9 What do counselors need to know? 1. Skill in practice and knowledge of theory relevant to the testing context and type of counseling specialty 1. A thorough understanding of testing theory, techniques of test construction, test reliability and validity 1. A working knowledge of sampling techniques, norms, and descriptive, correlation and predictive statistics 1. Ability to review, select, and administer tests appropriate for clients or students and the context of the counseling practice

10 What do counselors need to know? (cont.) 5. Skills in administration of tests and interpretation of test scores 6. Knowledge of the impact of diversity on testing accuracy, including age, gender, ethnicity, race, disability, and linguistic differences 7. Knowledge and skill in the professionally responsible use of assessment and evaluation practice

11 Types of Assessment Tools Standardized vs. nonstandardized Individual vs. group Objective vs. subjective Speed vs. power Verbal vs. nonverbal Performance tests Cognitive vs. affective

12 Cognitive versus Affective Tools Cognitive instruments assess cognition, perceiving, processing, concrete and abstract thinking, and remembering. Intelligence or general ability tests Achievement tests Aptitude tests Affective instruments assess interest, attitudes, values, motives, temperaments, and noncognitive aspects of personality. Structured personality instruments Projective techniques

13 History

14 Early Testing Greeks – 2500 years ago Chinese – 2000 years ago Francis Galton – credited with launching the testing movement James McKeen Cattell – expanded testing to include memory and other simple mental processes (student of Wilhelm Wundt)

to 1920 Binet-Simon scale (published in 1905) ratio of mental age to chronological age (IQ) Stanford-Binet scale (published in 1916) World War I and beginnings of interest in group testing Frank Parsons – “father of guidance”

s and 1930s Theoretical discussions concerning characteristics of intelligence Interest in testing spread beyond intelligence – led to development of self-report personality inventories Rorschach inkblots technique developed in 1921 Private industries expressed interest in tests for selecting and classifying industrial personnel

s and 1930s (cont.) Development of vocational counseling instruments First standardized achievement battery published in 1923 First edition of Mental Measurements Yearbook published in 1939

s and 1950s Dissatisfaction with existing personality instruments – projective techniques became popular Early 1940s – MMPI was developed Standardized achievement tests became well- established in public schools – multiple aptitude batteries appeared after 1940 Criticisms of assessment began to emerge – standards set, need for centralized publication of tests, electronic scoring

s and 1970s Examination and evaluation of testing and assessment – widespread public concern Grass roots movement encouraged more “minimum competency” testing – high school graduates Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 1974 Increased use of computers

s and 1990s Use of computers in assessment blossomed: administration, scoring, interpretation, report- writing Many instruments were revised in response to criticism Increasing use of authentic and portfolio assessment

s to the present Influences of technology and the Internet Multicultural issues will be a focus of research Increased interest in accountability information and effectiveness data