What are the “standards for educational and psychological testing?
The “Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing” were approved as APA policy by the APA Council of Representatives in August 2013. The 2014 edition of the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" is now available. The Testing Standards are a product of the American Educational Research Association,...
How do we measure the quality of psychological measures?
In evaluating the quality of psychological measures we are traditionally concerned primarily with test reliability (i.e., consistency), validity (i.e., accuracy of interpretations and use), and fairness (i.e., equivalence of usage across groups).
Who is responsible for appropriate use of psychological tests?
The test user is generally considered the person responsible for appropriate use of psychological tests, including selection, administration, interpretation, and use of results ( AERA et al., 2014 ).
What are the basic foundations of psychological tests?
This chapter has identified some of the basic foundations underlying the use of psychological tests including basic psychometric principles and issues regarding test fairness. Applications of tests can inform disability determinations.
Is the GAF scale in the DSM-5?
While doctors still use the GAF score, it doesn't appear in the latest edition of the manual, the DSM-5. The newest edition replaced the GAF score with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2 (WHODAS 2.0).
How do you score the GAF scale?
The scale ranges from 0 to 100, with scores on the lower end indicating that the individual is having severe difficulty with daily activities and functions and may be a danger to themselves or others, and higher scores representing an individual with minimal difficulty in daily functions.
What is GAF score in mental health?
The Global Assessment of Functioning, or GAF, scale is used to rate how serious a mental illness may be. It measures how much a person's symptoms affect their day-to-day life on a scale of 0 to 100. It's designed to help mental health providers understand how well the person can do everyday activities.
What does the WHO 5 measure?
"The WHO-5 Well-Being Index is a questionnaire that measures current mental well-being (time frame the previous two weeks)." Originally developed to assess both positive and negative well-being, this five question version use only positively phrased questions to avoid symptom-related language.
What is Axis V Current GAF?
Axis V is for reporting the clinician's judgment of the individual's overall level of functioning. This information is useful in planning treatment and measuring its impact, and in predicting outcome. The reporting of overall functioning on Axis V can be done using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale.
What does a GAF score of 58 mean?
60 – 51: Moderate symptoms, or moderate difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning. 50 – 41: Serious symptoms, or any serious impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning.
What is Axis 4 of the DSM?
According to DSM-IV (see Text Box), “Axis IV is for reporting psychosocial and environmental problems that may affect the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of mental disorders” (DSM-IV, p. 31).
What is Bprs assessment?
The BPRS is a rating scale which a clinician or researcher may use to measure psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, hallucinations, psychosis and unusual behaviour. The scale is one of the oldest, most widely used scales to measure psychotic symptoms.
Who created the GAF scale?
Development and exclusion from DSM-5 Interest in a quantifiable global rating of functioning dates back to as early as 1962 with the publication of the Health-Sickness Rating Scale (which was rated 0 to 100) by Luborsky et al.
What is WHO scale?
The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a short and generic global rating scale measuring subjective well-being. The WHO-5 was derived from the WHO-10 [6], which in turn was derived from a 28-item rating scale [7] used in a WHO multicentre study in 8 different European countries [8].
How do you measure mental health?
The gold standard, diagnostic, definitive assessment of a person's mental health status comes from rigorous psychiatric interview by trained clinicians, in most countries, a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist.
How do you score Swemwbs?
Scoring. The 14-item scale WEMWBS is very simple to score. The total score is obtained by summing the score for each of the 14 items. The scoring range for each item is from 1 – 5 and the total score is from 14-70.
What is the purpose of psychological testing?
Common purposes for psychological testing include: screening for the presence or absence of common mental health conditions; making a formal diagnosis of a mental health condition; assessment of changes in symptom severity;
What is screening measure?
Screening measures are often questionnaires completed by clients. Screening tends are quick to administer but results are only indicative: if a positive result is found on a screening test then the screening test can be followed up by a more definitive test.
What are the APA standards for testing?
The “Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing” were approved as APA policy by the APA Council of Representatives in August 2013. The 2014 edition of the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" is now available. The Testing Standards are a product of the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association and the National Council on Measurement in Education. Published collaboratively by the three organizations since 1966, it represents the gold standard in guidance on testing in the United States and in many other countries.
When was the Gold Standard published?
Published collaboratively by the three organizations since 1966, it represents the gold standard in guidance on testing in the United States and in many other countries. Spanish translation now available.
What is the most widely used psychometric test for measuring mental health ailments?
First published in 1989, the MMPI-2 is the world’s most widely used psychometric test for measuring mental health ailments that feature as forms of psychopathology (Rogers, Robinson, & Jackson, 2016).
What is assessment in psychology?
While tests are typically thought of as pen-and-paper or computer-based tools for considering differences between people, the term ‘assessment’ acknowledges the wide variety of other approaches a psychologist may use to evaluate these differences.
How many items are in the Beck Depression Inventory?
Finally, a standard complement to the Beck Anxiety Inventory is the Beck Depression Inventory. Again, this inventory consists of 21 items and contains detailed scoring information to indicate whether symptoms are in a normal range or severe.
What is dissociation in mental health?
Dissociation is a common characteristic of a range of mental health disorders, including post -traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder (Hariri et al., 2015). Therefore, when clients show signs of dissociation, it may be wise to administer an assessment.
What is Beck anxiety test?
This inventory is a brief self-report test used to assess the severity of symptoms of anxiety.
Can a therapist administer a Beck Depression Inventory?
For instance, therapists can choose to administer a single test, such as the Beck Depression Inventory (pictured here) or administer a sequence of tests as part of an ongoing assessment.
What is the purpose of the APA guidelines for psychometric assessment?
The purpose of the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines for Psychological Assessment and Evaluation (PAE) is to assist and inform psychologists of best practice when psychological instruments, including psychometric tests and collateral information, are used within the practice of psychological assessment and/or evaluation. As the discipline of psy-chology has expanded, the application of psychological assessment has also developed in response to new areas of practice. Integrated medical and primary care, online assessment and scoring, and global initiatives are examples of these new areas. Since the last publication of test user qualifications guidelines (APA, 2001), neuropsychology, forensic psychology, cognitive science, consulting, industrial/organizational, integrated health, and other fields have evolved into more defined and recognized specific areas of practice with developing professional practice guidelines, standards of practice, and identified consistency with the APA Ethics Code (APA, 2017a). Commensurate with the growth and varied expertise in the assessment field is the need for (a) core knowledge and skills that are essential for all psy-chologists whose assessment services impact individuals, groups, organizations, and the public and (b) specific domains of expertise within the field requiring additional knowledge, skills, and clinical experience to address the expansion of assessment service delivery across new populations and settings. These guidelines focus on the core knowledge and skills that psychologists, including those in specialty areas of practice, should strive to possess to deliver assessment services competently. Additionally, the purpose of these guidelines is to inform clients/patients, the public, other professionals collaborating with psychologists, reg-ulatory bodies, and training programs of the qualification expected to acquire professional competency as defined by the APA Ethics Code and to maintain high professional standards of practice. The guidelines apply to standardized tests of ability, aptitude, achievement, atti-tudes, interests, personality, cognitive functioning, mental health, and other construct domains.
What is individual performance on psychological tests?
Individual performance on psychological tests is only one piece of assessment and is conceptualized in a context of presenting concerns, reason for referral, background, course of illness, influential factors, and pop-ulation-specific contributions that are secured from multiple sources. These may include clinical interview with the examinee, clinical interview with sources other than the examinee, completion of valid self-report and third-party report measures, observa-tion of behavior, and review of relevant records. Additionally, psychologists strive to recognize that more than one reliable and valid measure is appropriate to assess all relevant domains of functioning to examine convergence and deviation of findings. Convergence and divergence of information from multiple sources informs the assess-ment process and increases confidence in and appropriate utility of test results (AERA et al., 2014). Information from multiple resources is valuable and useful but may not be feasible in some situations.
What do psychologists strive to gain?
Psychologists strive to gain knowledge of the cultural identities of their clients and the state-of-the-art literature regarding the best fit of the client with assessment proce-dures and instruments. Psychologists strive to consider how test administration, results,
What is validity of a psychological test?
Psychological tests are used in a variety of settings for a variety of purposes. Validity is not a unitary property of the test instrument. Rather, validity evidence is evaluated within the context of these multiple settings and purposes. In addition, most tests are devel-oped within a cultural or regional context where the test developer has an intended target population of test takers for a specific purpose. The psychologist, however, strives to recognize when the selection and use of this instrument deviates from the expected or intended purpose and recognize the signifi-cance and implications of such deviations. The psychologist considers these deviations when interpreting test results for a particular client and reporting results for a specific pur-pose and within a specific context. These deviations can include not only using a test in a setting for which it was not designed (e.g., a broad assessment of academic achievement intended as a screening tool for adults used for diagnostic assessment of a child’s learn-ing difficulties) but also using a test designed, developed, and normed in one country or region of the world in a different country or region. The psychologist strives to under-stand the significance of such cultural and linguistic deviations and to acknowledge possible influences, including limitations and potential errors, in their use and interpreta-tion of tests.
What is the role of a psychologist in psy-chological assessment?
Psychologists strive to understand and maintain their competence in the selection, administration, and interpretation of psy-chological tests as well as their client’s ability to engage in and understand fully the assessment process including the potential risks and negative outcomes that could result in addition to any positive benefits they may be seeking. Psychological tests are continually changing through test revi-sions, research findings about appropriate or inappropriate applications or unantici-pated complications, or threats to validity in using the test with a particular client popu-lation or for a particular purpose or in a particular setting. Psychologists assume an appropriate degree of responsibility to understand the strengths and weaknesses of all assessment procedures they employ, to use the latest versions or forms of all tests and procedures, and to seek informa-tion and understanding about any limita-tions or concerns in using the tests they have selected with the client in the setting and for the purpose of their assessment.
What are the ethical obligations of a psychologist?
Psychologists recognize their ethical and, in some situations, legal obligations regarding the prevention of negative impact that could result from their selection, adminis-tration, interpretation, or reporting of results from psychological tests and measurements. The exception to this may be forensic evalu-ations, which often require an independent opinion that may negatively impact the examinee. Existing ethical and legal obliga-tions to prevent negative impact stems from the recognition that all tests and measure-ment procedures have both appropriate and inappropriate uses depending on purpose and setting of the assessment, the limita-tions of the test or assessment procedure to address that purpose in that setting, the characteristics of the test taker in relation to the normative sample that supports the valid interpretation of the test results, and the human confidence that can be placed in the interpretation of the results obtained for that client in that setting for that purpose. In addition, psychologists remain alert to any ethical and, in some cases, legal obligation to protect the client from misuse or misrep-resentation of the data. Further, psycholo-gists may find themselves called upon to guard against reports generated by untrained individuals who could misunder-stand or misuse this information in such a way that could harm a client, a recipient of test results such as an employer, a court, or
What is psycholo-gist evaluation?
Psychological testing, assessment, and evaluation is a core compo-nent of psychological practice, treatment planning, and subsequent decisions regarding those served. Psychologists are guided by pro-fessional standards of practice in engaging in psychological testing, assessment, and evaluation to be compliant with competency expectations and to avoid harm to clients. Guidelines for psycholog-ical assessment and evaluation are important for use by psycholo-gists to aspire to fair, respectful, and competent service delivery and treatment of examinees.