1. Psy631 Psychological Assessment
William P. Wattles, Ph.D.

2. Without _____, most psychological tests are meaningless. (p. 69) a
Without _____, most psychological tests are meaningless. (p. 69) a. the MMPI-2 b. interview data c. structure d. DSM-IV e. construct validity

3. Psychological assessment
Psychological assessment is a process that involves the integration of information from multiple sources, such as psychological tests, personal history, description of current symptoms and problems by either self or others, and collateral information.

4. Psychological testing
the use of samples of behavior in order to infer generalizations about a given individual.

5. Issues in assessment Referral Question Who will read report
Ethical guidelines
Test bias
Test selection
Computer-assisted tests

6. Context of assessment
Referral Setting plays key role type of assessment
Many different settings

7. The Psychiatric Setting
Psychiatrist as administrator (beyond diagnosis and treatment)
Custody
freedom of the patient
safety of society
Psychiatrist as therapist
ward
type of treatment

8. General Medical Setting
As many as 2/3 of patients seen by physicians have primarily psychosocial difficulties

9. Somatization
Somatization is one of the oldest of all known psychological diagnoses. The first reference to this kind of phenomena appears about 1900 B.C. in Egyptian documents,

10. Why somaticize?
in our society, psychological diagnoses become curse words
Pathological
Neurotic

11. Somatization
As we understand it today, somatization is a phenomena where a person becomes somatically preoccupied.
Typically, there are underlying feelings of depression, anxiety or other feelings, which are not recognized or acknowledged by the person.

12. Somatization
Instead, what the person may be aware of is all the physical correlates of these underlying difficulties.
The very fact that psychological difficulties are seen as weaknesses, makes it shameful for a person to admit that he or she has such a problem

13. Somatization
This lucidly written guide presents an innovative approach for treating somatization disorder and related problems, such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

14. Somatization
The causes of somatization that we are able to implicate are neither proximate nor somatic, seeming instead to be indirect and to reside in the patient’s mind or culture.
Somatization appears to be universal.

15. DSM-IV Somatoform Disorders
Physical symptoms that suggest a general medical condition and are not fully explained by a general medical condition.

16. Somatization Disorder
A pattern of recurring, multiple, clinically significant somatic complaints, not fully explained by any known general medical condition.

17. Hypochondriasis
Preoccupation with fears of having a serious disease based on a misinterpretation of one or more symptoms.

18. General Medical Setting
Mental disorders in addition to physical
Behavioral aspects of physical illness

19. General Medical Setting
Most common psychological referrals
emotional factors
neuropsychological assessment
How the person is functioning
chronic pain
chemical dependency

20. The Legal Context Variety of uses child custody competency
juvenile commitment
personal injury

21. The Legal Context We equivocate; they decide
Legal terms =/= everyday or psychological meanings
May not understand the scientific method
Competency
Insanity
Dangerousness

22. Dangerousness Problem area Low base rate
High false positives
Text: err on the side of caution

23. False Positive Type II error
Truth
Dangerous
Not Dangerous
Miss Type I error
False Positive Type II error
Dangerous
Hit
Test
Correct Rejection
Not Dangerous

24. The Scientific Method Fixation of Belief –Peirce
“Doubt is an uneasy and dissatisfied state from which we struggle to free ourselves and pass into the state of belief…”

26. Fixation of Belief Charles Saunders Peirce Method of Tenacity
Method of Authority
A priori
Method of science

27. The Scientific Method empirical:
a. Relying on or derived from observation or experiment: empirical results that supported the hypothesis.
b. Verifiable or provable by means of observation or experiment: empirical laws
others can arrive at the same results.

28. Empirical Example

29. Child Custody Mental health of the parent
quality of love between parent and child
nature of parent-child relationship
long-term effect of different decisions

30. Education Context Learning difficulties
Measuring intellectual strengths
Identifying intellectual problems
Assessing behavioral difficulties
estimating responsiveness to intervention

31. Psychological Clinic The decision maker appropriate for the setting?
Which therapist or group?
Best treatment

32. Ethics of Assessment http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html#9
Developing a professional relationship
signed consent
discussion of procedures
discussion of results

33. Competence and Appropriate Use of Assessments and Interventions
Psychologists refrain from misuse of assessment techniques, interventions, results, and interpretations and take reasonable steps to prevent others from misusing the information these techniques provide.

34. Test Construction.
Psychologists who develop and conduct research with tests and other assessment techniques use scientific procedures and current professional knowledge for test design, standardization, validation, reduction or elimination of bias, and recommendations for use.

35. Use of assessment
familiar with the reliability, validation, and related standardization or outcome studies of, and proper applications
recognize limits to the certainty with which diagnoses, judgments, or predictions can be made about individuals.

36. Interpreting Assessment Results
They indicate any significant reservations they have about the accuracy or limitations of their interpretations.

37. Unqualified Persons.
Psychologists do not promote the use of psychological assessment techniques by unqualified persons.

38. Obsolete Tests and Outdated Test Results
Do not use old tests or old results

39. Test Scoring and Interpretation Services.
Retain responsibility for reliability and validity as well as appropriate use of tests.

40. Explaining Assessment Results
Psychologists ensure that an explanation of the results is provided using language that is reasonably understandable to the person assessed or to another legally authorized person on behalf of the client.

41. Maintaining Test Security.
Psychologists make reasonable efforts to maintain the integrity and security of tests and other assessment techniques

42. Privacy
Psychologists accord appropriate respect to the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of all people.

43. Personnel Selection Lovell: tests for hiring lack adequate validity.
Do not serve the public’s interest

44. Personnel Selection Text:
“If a position requires careful screening … may warrant careful testing.”

45. False Alarm type I error
Truth
Honest
Dishonest
Honest
Hit
Miss Type II error
Test
False Alarm type I error
Correct Rejection
Dishonest

46. Bias in testing minority groups
Does validity extend to minority groups?
Adverse impact
Must demonstrate utility of assessment
Sensitivity to attitudes towards testing

47. Selecting psychological tests
Referral question
Practical considerations of time, cost and availability
Practitioner training
Short forms

48. The End