Psychological assessment

Question 1

What is psychological assessment?

Answer 1

Formal process using validated and reliable measures for psychological or cognitive functioning

Question 2

Describe different types of referrals

Answer 2

Employment
capacity assessment
diagnosis
treatment planning
management

Question 3

Types of assessments?

Answer 3

Questionnaires, surveys, structured and semi-structured interviews, behavioral observations, puzzle-like activities

Question 4

Psychological Assessment reflects the values and priorities of…

Answer 4

the dominant culture.

Question 5

Psychological assessment in Australia

Answer 5

is an individualistic, capitalist euro-centric society so assessment tools are primarily individualistic.

Question 6

Why conduct an assessment?

Answer 6

To provide a valid answer to a referral question. The responsibility rests with the psychologist to refine and clarify the question

Question 7

what is the referral context?

Answer 7

The referral question may be present in a variety of contexts affecting the structure and content of recommendations

Question 8

Referral settings are generally in

Answer 8

psychiatric, general medical, legal, academic, or psychological private clinics.

Question 9

Decision-maker roles

Answer 9

A psychologist will act as a consultant in psychiatric, medical, and academic settings while being the main decision-maker in private practice.

Question 10

Psychiatric settings referrals center around

Answer 10

characterization and treatment planning

Question 11

Psychiatric conflicts

Answer 11

different conceptual models. Medical model vs people/societal model.

Question 12

General medical referrals center around

Answer 12

investigating psychosocial factors which maintain medical symptoms

Question 13

Legal referrals center around

Answer 13

custody decisions, not guilty by insanity, sentencing decisions, risk of reoffending

Question 14

Legal conflicts

Answer 14

care in the use of diagnosis language as legal terms can differ ie insanity is a legal term

Question 15

Academic referrals can assess

Answer 15

cognitive functioning
career planning
behavioral issues

Question 16

Academic clients

Answer 16

students, teachers, parents

Question 17

Academic considerations

Answer 17

should consider the family and school environment as children are heavily influenced by their system. Physical issues - vision, hearing, endocrine function

Question 18

Psychology clinical practice assessment depends on…

Answer 18

the presenting issue, philosophical stance, resources of setting, and preference of the client.

Question 19

Dual roles of psychologist

Answer 19

as therapist and assessor - thought as to how to approach assessment in a client-centered therapeutic manner (without bias)

Question 20

Dudgeon et al. 2014

Answer 20

research finds that culture-neutral assessments are difficult to create.

Question 21

Why understand referral settings?

Answer 21

to avoid administrating useless tests and information in unique settings

Question 22

Why investigate referral motive?

Answer 22

The evaluation may not be needed

Question 23

Referral assessments must be in response to a specific…

Answer 23

question where an answer and decision must be made.

Question 24

Exploring and clarifying

Answer 24

teasing out the referral questions rests with the clinician to put the client’s problem into a practicable context

Question 25

Limitations and advantages of psychology assessments should be…

Answer 25

clearly defined for the client

Question 26

Psychiatric settings / the psychiatrist has multiple roles which are

Answer 26

ward administrator, therapist, and physician

Question 27

Potential conflict - psychiatric -

Patients may be frustrated if a psychiatrists multiple roles…

Answer 27

are not clearly defined resulting in resistance and defensiveness

Question 28

Potential conflict - psychiatric 2

Answer 28

Therapist bias, psychiatrist may have unreasonable expectations, countertransference of patient

Question 29

Ward administrator referrals center around

Answer 29

suicide risk, admission and discharge, suitability for medical procedures

Question 30

Psychiatric primary focus

Answer 30

custody, freedom of patient, the safety of society. paradigm shift from 40 years ago when the focus was on diagnosis and treatment

Question 31

Psychiatric/Psychologist relationship

Answer 31

Should be aware of medical models, terminologies, and legal and custodial responsibilities in providing advice. Legal or hospital policy may require a traditional diagnosis.

Question 32

Decision-maker - psychiatric

Answer 32

A psychiatrist is a decision-maker - may describe antipsychotics, electroconvulsive, or psychotherapy to patients.

Question 33

Psychological advice should be translated into a conceptual model…

Answer 33

understandable for a psychiatrist which is task orientated

Question 34

General medical referrals

Answer 34

underlying psychological disorders, emotional factors, neurological deficit, chronic pain, chemical dependency

Question 35

General medical issues

Answer 35

two-thirds of patients have primarily psychosocial difficulties, those patients with a medical diagnosis, 20-50% also have a psychological disorder

Question 36

Decision -maker in medical referrals

Answer 36

Physician

Question 37

Assessment in general medical can be

Answer 37

complex requiring more than one assessment

Question 38

Neuropsychological role

Answer 38

investigate the nature and extent of lesions on the brain, emotional status, extent of disability, treatment planning, cognition rehabilitation, vocational training, and readjustment of family and friends.

Question 39

Psychologist role

Answer 39

Presurgical evaluation to assess stress reaction, early signs of psychological disorder, other contributing factors in the environment, future prospects

Question 40

Legal Context

Answer 40

may be consulted to assess reliability and quality of info presented by the witness. competency of accused, specifics of a crime, false confessions, insanity plea, jury selection, false confessions, brain damage assessment, confinement, level of dangerousness, rehab programs, malingering and deception, custody issues

Question 41

1 in10 cases will require a

Psychologist to explain

Answer 41

conclusions, generalisability and explain the scientific method. The defense may attempt to discredit testimony and credibility.

Question 42

Legal terms

Answer 42

nuances in legal terminology should be understood to avoid negative consequences i.e incompetence, reasonable certainty, insanity

Question 43

Potential conflicts - legal

Answer 43

insanity plea - ambiguity around term, and difficult to evaluate malingering to receive lighter sentences.

Question 44

Potential conflicts - legal 2

Answer 44

prediction of dangerousness. While violent and self-destructive behaviour has a low base rate, the cut off criteria produces false positives. This is because it is acceptable to to err on the side of caution.

Question 45

Child custody

Answer 45

central consideration is in the child’s best interest, mental health of parent, quality of love and affection, nature of parent-child relationship, long-term effects of the decisions on the child.

Question 46

Correctional settings

Answer 46

managing a person vs rehab program. Level of suicide risk, appropriateness of dormitory vs shared room, possible harassment from other inmates, degree of dangerousness to others.

Question 47

Rehab recommendations - legal context

Answer 47

may consider personality, educational level, interests, skills, and abilities related to employment.

Question 48

Academic context

Answer 48

nature and extent of a child’s learning difficulties, measuring intellectual strengths and weaknesses, assessing behavioral difficulties, creating an educational plan, estimating a child’s responsiveness to intervention, and recommending changes in a child’s program or placement

Question 49

An evaluation should be sensitive to

Answer 49

the interactions among a child’s abilities, diversity considerations, the child’s personality, the characteristics of the teacher, and the needs and expectations of the parents.

Question 50

Observation

Answer 50

between the teacher and child should be observed, as sometimes a teachers style and interaction may be the problem.

Question 51

Limitations of traditional testing

Answer 51

limited range of information as children are not reliable self-reporters and parents/caregivers may be biased.

Question 52

Combination of tests

Answer 52

tests combined with family and classroom assessment may be needed

Question 53

Resistance may be legal or ethical regarding

Answer 53

the scope of services the school can provide or the information a a psychologist can ask of the parents.

Question 54

Labelling a child a problem child

Answer 54

obscures other complex factors such as marital discord, disturbed teacher, misunderstanding between parent and teacher or school and parents. Disordered school system or family difficulties.

Question 55

Psychology reports

Answer 55

should focus not only on a child’s

weaknesses but also on his or her strengths.

Question 56

Recommendations are most effective when

Answer 56

there is a thorough understanding of the community, the school system, and class room environment.

Question 57

Recommendations can

Answer 57

specify skills to be learned, how these will be learned, hieracy of objectives, , techniques to reduce behaviours that make learning difficult

Question 58

A psychological report

Answer 58

should be followed with with continuous monitoring

Question 59

The psychoeducational assessment of children should be carried out in two phases.

Answer 59

the first phase assesses the child’s learning environment.

Question 60

The second phase involves a comprehensive assessment

Answer 60

of intellectual abilities, academic skills, adaptive behavior, and screening out any biomedical disorders that might disrupt learning. Intellectual abilities might involve memory, spatial organization, abstract reasoning, and sequencing.

Question 61

A child will not perform effectively unless

Answer 61

the have adaptive abilities, such as social skills, adequate motivation and attention, and the ability to control impulses.

Question 62

In contrast to the medical, legal, and educational institutions where the psychologist typically serves as a consultant to the decision-maker, the psychologist working in a psychological clinic often is

Answer 62

the decision-maker.

Question 63

Types of referrals in psych private clinic

Answer 63

individuals who are self-referred for which extensive psychological testing may not be relevant as their diagnoses and issues may be relatively straightforward.

Question 64

Treatment assessments in a psychological private clinic can involve

Answer 64

brief instruments which can help develop treatments that will speed the rate of improvement as well as optimize the outcome

Question 65

Other types of clients in psych private practice

Answer 65

self-referred clients about whom the psychologist may question whether the treatment available in a psychological clinic is appropriate. e.g extensive medical problems, individuals with legal complications that need additional clarification, and persons who may require higher levels of care may be necessary to obtain additional information through psychological testing.

Question 66

The main purpose of testing in private practice

Answer 66

aid in decision making rather than to serve as a direct source of help for the client or aid in understanding unclear diagnoses or whose treatment has stalled or plateaued.

Question 67

Other types of referrals that involve children are

Answer 67

referrals by their parents for school or behavioral problems and referrals from other decision-makers. When referrals are made for poor school performance or involving legal complications, special precautions must be taken before testing.

Question 68

Referrals for children

Answer 68

it is important to obtain all information regarding these events. After the referral has been clarified, the clinician may decide to have a meeting with different individuals who have become involved in the case, such as the school principal, previous therapists, probation officer, attorney, or teacher

Question 69

Psychological clinic context

Answer 69

the psychologist is the main decision maker

Question 70

What type of referrals? Psychological clinics

Answer 70

Self-referred clients. Clients who may not know what is wrong and require assessments.

Question 71

The main purpose in psychological clinical assessment

Answer 71

is to aid in decision-making, as the client may need more complex assistance e.g medical, legal, or psychiatric attention.

Question 72

Referral sources are often vague. It is the responsibility of the clinician to

Answer 72

develop an understanding of the complexity - i.e social, family, interpersonal and sequence of events.

Question 73

Knowledge of settings

Answer 73

clinicians responsibility to develop knowledge re setting when writing reports.

Question 74

Conflicting values and beliefs

Answer 74

clinicians should assess how the values of setting conflict with their own set of beliefs ie. corporal punishment, and electroconvulsive therapy. Consider changing the relationship if there is a conflict.

Question 75

Limitation of assessment - test results alone are not sufficient to…

Answer 75

understand the whole picture and complexity of presenting issues.

Question 76

Criticism of ethical practice of assessment

Answer 76

used in inappropriate contexts
confidentiality
cultural bias
invasion of privacy
release of test data
use of tests inadequately validated

Question 77

What are the most important guidelines and issues for the ethical practice of assessment?

Answer 77

Develop a professional relationship
Informed consent
labeling and restriction of freedom 
competent use of assessment instruments
Interpretation and use of test results
communicating test results
maintenance of test security
and release of test data

Question 78

what is the significance of a professional relationship?

Answer 78

The quality of the relationship builds rapport. Conditions of the relationship are agreed upon, and relevant information is provided followed by a signed consent.

Question 79

What influence does Verbal reinforcement and rapport or culturally relevant feedback have on test results ?

Answer 79

can influence test results. The level of rapport should be kept constant from one test to the next.

Question 80

Feldman & Sullivan, 1971

Answer 80

Enhanced rapport with older children involving verbal reinforcement and friendly conversation has been shown to increase WISC-R scores by an average of13 IQpoints compared with an administration involving more neutral interactions. nearly 1 SD.

Question 81

Witmer, Bornstein, & Dunham, 1971

Answer 81

mildly disapproving comments, such as “I thought you could do better than that,” resulted in significantly lowered performance when compared with either neutral or approving comments

Question 82

Fuchs and Fuchs (1986)

Answer 82

on average, IQ scores were 4 points higher when the examiner was familiar with the child being examined than when he or she was unfamiliar with the child. This trend was particularly pronounced for children from lower socioeconomic status.

Question 83

Lefkowitz &Fraser, 1980; Sattler, 1973a, 1973b; Sattler &Gwynne, 1982)

Answer 83

Little evidence to support the belief that African American students have lower performance when tested by European American examiners, it has been suggested that African American students are more responsive to tangible reinforcers (money, candy) than are European American students, who generally respond better to verbal reinforcement (Schultz & Sherman, 1976).

Question 84

Terrell, Taylor, and Terrell (1978)

Answer 84

demonstrated that the main factor was the cultural relevance of the response. They found a remarkable 17.6-point increase in IQ scores when African American students were encouraged by African American examiners with culturally relevant comments such as “nice job, blood” or “good work, little brother.” Thus, positive rapport and feedback, especially if that feedback is culturally relevant, can significantly improve test performance.

Question 85

R. Rosenthal, 1966

Answer 85

researcher/examiner’s expectations can influence another person’s level of performance

Question 86

Client’s relative emotional state.

Answer 86

advisable to discontinue testing because situational emotional states may significantly influence the results of the tests. examiners should consider the possible effects of emotional factors and incorporate these into their interpretations.

Question 87

Sattler, Hillix, & Neher, 1970; Sattler & Winget, 1970)

Answer 87

indicated that the more the examiner likes the client, the more likely he or she will be to score an ambiguous response in a direction favorable to the client. Higher scores can occur even on items in which the responses are not ambiguous (Egeland, 1969; Simon, 1969).

Question 88

Limitations to confidentiality

Answer 88

occur in situations involving child/elder abuse, danger to self or others, and information that has been requested based on a subpoena.

Question 89

Informed consent issues

Answer 89

Many formal consent forms are written at a level far above the reading comprehension level of a large proportion of clients

Question 90

Rationale for testing

Answer 90

should be described to the client in a general way rather than showing specific subscales etc.

Question 91

Invasion of privacy

Answer 91

defined privacy as “the right of the individual to decide for him/herself how much he will share with others his thoughts, feelings, and facts of his personal life.” This right is considered to be “essential to insure dignity and freedom of self-determination” (p. 2).

Question 92

Issue of privacy occurs mainly in

Answer 92

personality tests, as items relating to motivational, emotional, and attitudinal traits are often disguised. Thus, persons may unknowingly reveal characteristics about themselves that they would rather keep private. Similarly, many individuals consider their IQ scores to be highly personal.

Question 93

Australian Psychological Society (APS) position statement

Answer 93

psychologists must be competent in administering and interpreting any test they use and assessments must be conducted with a clear view to benefitting the client and ‘doing no harm’.

Question 94

APS guidelines state that

Answer 94

Clients need to give informed consent and consideration must be made regarding confidentiality and who will be made aware of the assessment findings.

Question 95

Ethical guidelines - Labels

Answer 95

impact of labels and the potential for stigma.

Question 96

Ethical cultural considerations

Answer 96

Linquistic equivalence
Conceptual equivalence
Metric equivalence

Question 97

What is Linguistic equivalence?

Answer 97

Has the test been translated accurately?

Question 98

What is conceptual equivalence?

Answer 98

Do the concepts mean the same for all parties from different cultures?

Question 99

What is metric equivalence?

Answer 99

Does the instrument have similar psychometric properties across groups? For example, if the test is intended to predict college performance for one demographic group, does it also apply to other groups?

Question 100

Why is cultural awareness important in testing?

Answer 100

It is important to be aware of any cultural discrepancies that might affect the assessment and thereby skew the results.

Question 101

What are the steps of Culturally appropriate assessment testing processes

Answer 101

Proactive steps
Assessment outset
Assessment process
Results reporting

Question 102

Describe step 1

Answer 102

Proactive steps before the assessment require that practitioners receive and
maintain formal training in culturally appropriate assessment.

Question 103

Describe step 2

Answer 103

practitioners - comprehensive interview with their client before deciding on the assessment processes and use of any formal testing (if that seems appropriate).
Exploration of cultural history, contact with other cultural groups, acculturation status and stress, and some assessment of language and language skills. This may include using an interpreter and/or the translation of the material. A crucial element of this stage is to explain fully and document the limitations of any testing protocol that may be used.

Question 104

Describe step 3

Answer 104

The assessment process requires that practitioners recognize and document the impact of language and non-verbal communication. Proactive training should alert the assessor to the potential impact of culturally relevant international variables.

Question 105

Describe step 4

Answer 105

The interpretation and reporting of results require that practitioners incorporate cultural explanations and avoid labeling in the final stage when interpreting the results.

Question 106

The ethical code of the American Psychological Asso-ciation (2002) on the release of information.

Answer 106

can be released only with the permission of the client. exceptions regard the rights of minors or when clients are a danger to themselves or others.

Question 107

What is inviolacy?

Answer 107

inviolacy involves the actual negative feelings created when clients are confronted with the test or test situation. Inviolacy is particularly relevant when clients are asked to discuss information they would rather not think about.

Question 108

Labelling

Answer 108

Many psychiatric diagnoses present a possibility of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy based on the expected roles associated with a specific label.

Question 109

Self-acceptance of labels

Answer 109

Clients may use their labels to excuse or deny responsibility for their behavior.

Question 110

Sense of helplessness vs sense of responsibility

Answer 110

persons see themselves as helpless, passive victims under the power of mental health “helpers” (Szasz, 1987). This sense of helplessness may serve to lower people’s ability to deal effectively with new stress. In contrast to this sense of helplessness is the belief that clients require an increased sense of responsibility for their lives and actions to effectively change their behavior.

Question 111

Labeling and creativity

Answer 111

can limit progress and creativity in an individual or a system.

Question 112

To correctly administer and interpret psychological tests,

Answer 112

an examiner must have proper training with lengthy supervised experience

Question 113

Tests

Answer 113

should only be used for what they were designed to be valid.

Question 114

Test norms and materials can become

Answer 114

outdated.

Question 115

A rule of thumb

Answer 115

clinicians should stay updated on the past 10 years of research

Question 116

Feedback and results

Answer 116

should use clear and everyday language

Question 117

Maintaining test security

Answer 117

is an ethical legal obligation related to trade secrets and agreements made with test publishers.

Question 118

Security of assessment results

Answer 118

only client is allowed to see them or those designated by client

Question 119

Medical context conflict

Answer 119

all medicals have access to medical chart - which reflects conflict between psychological and medical privacy guidelines.

Question 120

Compromised when many corporations have access

Answer 120

for example - legal, insurance companies, referral source, and rehab provider

Question 121

Test data vs test scores

Answer 121

test data refers to raw and scaled scores, such as subscale scores and test profiles. test materials refer to “manuals, instruments, protocols, and test questions or stimuli.

Question 122

Exception of the release of test materials

Answer 122

release of test materials would constitute a breach of trade secrets, copyright, and the conditions of purchase (Behnke, 2004). One exception may be released to persons who are properly qualified (Tranel, 1994). Another exception is when a subpoena specifically squashes these terms of purchase, copyright, and trade secrets.

Question 123

Guidelines for assessing diverse groups

Answer 123

Language skills
cultural competency
cultural/racial identity
test equivalence and appropriate use of instruments
Diagnostic issues
Interpretation guidelines

Question 124

Describe what may be needed in relation to Language skills

Answer 124

conduct assessment in the native language if needed (translator).

Question 125

Issues with language

Answer 125

the client may struggle with English and appear uncooperative or flat. Instruments may need to be translated into the native language.

Question 126

Cultural competency of clinicians

Answer 126

begins with self-exploration of personal histories, attitudes, and knowledge.

Question 127

Service etiquette

Answer 127

For example, Native Americans are comfortable with minimal formality whereas Asian Americans expect more formal interactions. Other factors - are eye contact, physical proximity, the volume of voice, and the extent to which emotions are conveyed.

Question 128

Cultural/racial identiy

Answer 128

cultural identity varies according to the extent that a person identifies with his or her culture. Some individuals have quite strong identifications with their cultures.

Question 129

Level of identity

Answer 129

assessed informally through interview. formal instruments can help with assessing language proficiency/preference, religious beliefs, foods, family structure, value orientation, socioeconomic status, collectivism/individualism, and culture-specific traditions, customs, and identifications.

Question 130

Differences within cultures

Answer 130

India and Asia - regional differences in culture

Hispanics - Mexico, Spain, Argentina

Question 131

Test equivalence and use of instruments involves

Answer 131

the client’s level of acculturation, language preference, language proficiency, availability of translations of the instrument, whether the construct is the same for the client’s culture, availability of norms, and availability of possibly more appropriate alternatives specific to the client’s culture.

Question 132

When or not to use an instrument in CALD populations

Answer 132

At the core of whether or not the test is appropriate is evaluating the equivalence of the test. Equivalence can be organized according to linguistic, conceptual, and metric equivalence.

Question 133

If a test is not equivalent it may result in

Answer 133

Bias towards minority groups

Question 134

critics believe that psychological tests are heavily biased in favor of, and reflect the values of…

Answer 134

European American, middle-class society

Question 135

Linquistic equivalence

Answer 135

which is whether the test has been translated accurately. In back-translation, once the test is translated, it is then translated back into the original language. If the mean-ings of the items are still the same, then the back-translation helps to ensure that the translation is conceptually adequate.

Question 136

Language - Idioms, pictures

Answer 136

need to be comparable

Question 137

Conceptual equivalence

Answer 137

which requires the constructs to have the same meaning in various cultures. More collectivist cultures may emphasize the obligation to the group or family as being a more important aspect of dominance than individualistic cultures. It should be noted that various aspects of conceptual equivalence may emerge during translations of the test. For this reason, linguistic and conceptual equivalence are somewhat overlapping strategies.

Question 138

Metric equivalence

Answer 138

Assessing the extent to which the psychometric properties are different can include evaluating such areas as content, criterion, and construct validity. Note that a prerequisite for metric equivalence is that conceptual equivalence needs to be demonstrated first

Question 139

Tests - unfair for various groups in what ways

Answer 139

participants may not know the host country's political system;
lack of familiarity with middle class culture;
facts and idioms known for ethnic groups; may  not have had the opportunity to learn re host country.  Differences in socioeconomic status. effects of discrimination, level of acculturation, gaps in skills, genetic differences.

Question 140

Tests reflect

Answer 140

unequal environments and opportunities- inequalities for minorities.

Question 141

Diagnostic issues

Answer 141

cultural concepts of distress may result in misdiagnosis. E.g depression might be presented in physiological terms within some cultures, dhat syndrome is a cluster of anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints.

Question 142

Interpretation guidelines

Answer 142

Acculturation, equivalence, cultural competence, and the client’s self-description within the context of his or her culture all need to be taken into account.

Question 143

clinicians need to be both flexible and sensitive

Answer 143

For example, the pathological aspects of a high score on MMPI-2 Scale 6 (Paranoia) may need to be moderated if elevated for a client who has experienced significant racial discrimination. Similarly, indicators of emotional expressiveness on the Rorschach may need to be modified if the person’s emotional responses seemed to be “blunted” due to struggles with English as a second language.

Question 144

Selecting psycholgoical tests

Answer 144

The most important factor in test selection is the extent to which the test is useful in answering the referral question.

Question 145

Examples of selecting appropriate tests

Answer 145

An assessment of neurological patients might use tests sensitive to the cerebral deficit; patients with depression might be given the Beck Depression Inventory–II (A. T. Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996); and patients with pain might be given the McGill Pain Questionnaire (Melzack, 1975), Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (Millon, Green, &Meagher, 2000), or Illness Behavior Questionnaire (Pilowski, Spence, Cobb, & Katsikitis, 1984).

Question 146

Test selection should be selected according to

Answer 146

practitioner’s training,

experience, personal preferences, and familiarity with relevant literature

Question 147

Issues with tests

Answer 147

Faking = malingering (inconsistent effort). Some speciality instruments are designed to detect faking.

Time and cost - shorter forms of instruments can be used (this is not valid for cognitive tests)

Question 148

Statistical formulas

Answer 148

personnel decisions, academic predictions, and some clinical decisions (recidivism rate, suicide risk), clinicians may be advised to use statistical formulas. The two basic approaches for combining test results are multiple regression equations and multiple cutoff scores. Multiple regression equations are developed by correlating each test or subtest with a criterion. The higher the correlation, the greater the weight in the equation. The correlation of the entire battery with the criterion measure gives an indication of the battery’s highest predictive validity.

Question 149

Computer-assisted assessment

Answer 149

Use of computers can
save valuable professional time, potentially improve reliability and fidelity to standardized administration, reduce possible tester bias, and reduce the cost to the consumer by improving efficiency

Question 150

Limitations of computer-assisted assessment

Answer 150

Butcher et al.
(2004) concluded 60% of the interpretations were appropriate. Although this finding generally supports the use of computer-based interpretations, the fact that 40% or more of interpretations were not considered accurate means that the computer-based interpretations should be carefully evaluated.

Question 151

practitioners should not blindly accept computer-based narrative statements but rather should ensure

Answer 151

statements are both linked to empirically based research and placed in the context of the unique history and unique situation of the client.

Question 152

APS - Position statement - The interpretation of the results of a psychological test and the integration of these results with other assessment information (e.g., interviews, observations)

Answer 152

must be undertaken by psychologists who have a sound knowledge of the administration, scoring and interpretation of the particular test instrument being used and of the psychological theory and test theory underlying that test,and the context in which the test is used.

Question 153

The administration and scoring of a psychological test is

Answer 153

undertaken by a psychologist who is fully familiar with the test or can be undertaken by a person with training in the administration and scoring of tests working under the direct supervision of a psychologist.

Question 154

Psychologists ensure that they select and use psychological tests that are based soundly on

Answer 154

theory, have adequate psychometric properties, are appropriate to the testing situation, and take account of client characteristics including age, gender, cultural background, language ability, and mental state to ensure that the testing will yield meaningful information about the individual or individuals being tested.

Question 155

Psychological tests and test materials are stored securely in accordance with legislative requirements.

Answer 155

Protection from inappropriate public exposure to psychological tests and test materials, including test protocols or record forms, is the responsibility of the psychologist.

Question 156

Aboriginals and assessment

Answer 156

the misuse of assessment has perpetuated stereotypes based on race, culture and ethnicity.

Question 157

Much of the suspicion that Aboriginal people have regarding assessment derives from

Answer 157

its political nature as a process of social and cultural control.

Question 158

Historically assessments of Aboriginal peoples have been

Answer 158

deeply rooted in a power differential (coloniser vs colonized)

Question 159

What is the assessment? Aboriginal context

Answer 159

Australia has a Western medical model focused on the individual. This model leads to poor outcomes for Aboriginal populations.

Question 160

The need for culturally appropriate assessment

Answer 160

For Aboriginal people, mental health is holistic - social, emotional, spiritual, and cultural life of people and communities. Wellbeing = strong body, mind and spirit.

Question 161

Psychologists should

Answer 161

use culturally appropriate assessments, take into account cultural issues and comply with principles and practices relevant in national, state, and local guidelines, policies, and frameworks.

Question 162

Assessment guidelines and standards acknowledge that

Answer 162

assessment should be systemic taking into account individual, family, and community factors to avoid misdiagnosis.

Question 163

DSM 5 contains

Answer 163

questions that acknowledge the intersection of conceptions of race and mental illness that can affect the overall SEWB and mental health of groups/individuals.

Question 164

Reports show that

Answer 164

Aboriginals with a disability face multiple layers of discrimination resulting in underrepresentation in receiving a positive diagnosis, treatment and care.

Question 165

Criticism of the DSM guidelines

Answer 165

pathologizes the ordinary. Focuses on deficits and problems at the expense of personal achievements, resources, and aspects of functioning or wellbeing. Risks of overdiagnosis, discrimination, stigma - undermining self-efficacy and motivation (APS).