Module 1: Landscape of Testing and Assessment

Question 1

What are cognitive ability tests designed to measure?

Answer 1

Designed to assess cognitive function, such as memory, spatial visualisation, abstract thinking, problem solving
Integral in identifying client’s strengths and weaknesses, this guides recommendations in treatment. May need to adapt treatment to their cognitive strengths and compensatory strategies.

Question 2

How are cognitive ability tests administered?

Answer 2

In clinical settings, tests of mental ability are administered in individual format to characterise a client’ level of functioning and develop recommendations/supports e.g., Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale (WAIS)

Question 3

What is an example of a cognitive ability test?

Answer 3

Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale (WAIS)

Question 4

What is achievement testing?

Answer 4

• Measures previous learning and can be useful for diagnostic purposes. E.g., Wechsler Individual Achievement test (WIAT). Very common because good at diagnosing particular learning difficulties and creating a treatment plan
• Academic achievement, assess a person’s level of knowledge or skill e.g. spelling, comprehension

Question 5

Personality testing?

Answer 5

• Traits, temperament, and dispositions. E.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Provides profile which essentially compares clients responses to groups of clinical responses.
• Can explain past, present, and future behaviour, helpful for targets in treatment
• Tests of human personality- emotional and behavioural dispositions
• Objective test: scored on true or false items (MMIP)
• Projective techniques: simple but unstructured task e.g. raw shark inkblot test

Question 6

Mental Health testing

Answer 6

• Nature and severity of psychiatric symptoms/psychopathology
  o Self-report inventories e.g., depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS)- 4 point severity scales, need to rate extent to which they’ve experienced psychological state over the last week. 42 or 21 items
  o Structured Clinical Interview Schedules. E.g., Structured clinical interview for DSM-5 Disorders. They achieve relevant info is covered and assessed for.

Question 7

Explain the difference between self-report and performance tests

Answer 7

Self report: A psychological test that requires clients to report their behaviour or experience using some type of questionnaire; these tests can be administered in individually or in a group. E.g., MMPI- requires client to indicate by marking yes or no. These tests are concerned with how a person behaves. Focused on the client’s typical behaviour- what they say they can do.
Performance test: A test that requires clients to respond by answering questions or solving problems; they are usually administered individually. In some cases, this requires the client to manipulate the test that is provided. It is assessing the limits of what people can do, concerned with quantifying the client’s skills and abilities as measured by the test.

Question 8

Explain the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests

Answer 8

Norm-referenced: comparing client to the average performance of a group of people that have previously taken that test. The comparison group of individuals should also be similar in age, and educational level of the client. Standardisation sample. (WAISS) is an example of this- interesting in understanding client’s ability in comparison to the norm
Criterion referenced: Compared to clearly defined criterion, regardless of how other people went on the test.

Question 9

Outline the four reasonably distinct assumptions that underpin psychological testing.

Answer 9

1. People differ in important traits: we have recognising traits- verbal ability, extraversion, depression, assume they describe potentially important aspects in people.
2. We can measure these traits- we can quantify people along a continuum. The continuum corresponds to the trait we are studying. This quantification assumption gives rise to the term measure in testing.
3. The traits are reasonably stable
4. Measures (i.e., tests) of the trait relate to actual behaviour. Very important in clinical practise- they have relevance to the client’s real-world functioning.

Question 10

What is the differential perspective?

Answer 10

• In social sciences, we attempt to formulate laws or generalisations that, more or less, apply to everyone. E.g., does psychoanalysis cure phobias?
• The differential perspective assumes that the answer may differ for different people
  this perspective pervades the world of psychological testing!

Question 11

Define psychological testing, with reference to the six common elements of a psychological test.

Answer 11

1. A procedure or device
2. Yields information
3. Behaviour or cognitive process
4. Sample of
5. Standardised
6. quantified

A standardised process or device that yields information about a sample of behaviour or cognitive process in a quantified manner

Question 12

Identify and describe at least three criteria for a “good” quality psychological test

Answer 12

• Reliability – concerned with the consistency of the measurement. Never administer a test with a reliability coefficient of less than .8.
• Validity – concerned with the extent to which a test measures what it was intended to measure. Use literature to determine a tests validity if there is no manual.
• Utility – the extent to which the test yields actionable results that will ultimately benefit individual test-takers or society at large.
• Adequate normative data – from a representative standardisation sample. Samples of less than 100 should be treated with caution and are likely to be less representative. Demographic characteristics in sample are very important.

Question 13

What are the key steps involved in the pre-assessment phase?

Answer 13

• Initial referral
• Clarify referral information
• Initial hypotheses
• Test selection
• Case history data
• Clinical interview
• Clinical observation
• Psychological testing

Question 14

What is an initial referral?

Answer 14

• Diagnostic referral
• Cognitive strengths and weaknesses- many people with long term mental health issue will have cognitive impairment.
• Treatment referral
• Often this may be from a child’s paediatrician for clarification around potential learning or intellectual disability or ADHD.
• Pre treatment baseline

Question 15

What does it mean to clarify the initial referral question?

Answer 15

• Often you will need to clarify the nature and scope which can be problematic.
• Can be used to touch base with the referrer to confirm receipt of the referrer and give a timeline

Question 16

Initial hypotheses

Answer 16

• Hypotheses are one of several factors that helps guide the selection of suitable assessment methods
• Develop hypotheses based on available information including referral letter and case history data
• Adopt a broad lens

Question 17

Test selection

Answer 17

• Referral question and hypotheses
• Scientific quality of the tests; reliability, validity, normative data
• Client factors, particularly age, education level, and culture

Question 18

Case history data

Answer 18

• Includes medical records, transcripts, and other psychological reports
• Clinical interview used to ascertain information about client’s past and present functioning and factors relevant to presenting problem/s.
• Case history often obtained from other sources. E.g., partner or family member with good knowledge of client. Need to make sure we are acting within ethical guidelines, need consent from client to do this.

Question 19

Clinical interview

Answer 19

• Establish rapport with client, identify assessment, goals and priorities
• Open and closed-ended questions that are relevant to the presenting problem/s and referral question.
• History info help with background and help to answer the psychologist.
• Questioning should be purposeful and hypothesis-driven

Question 20

Clinical Observations

Answer 20

• Used to assess emotional and mental state
• Body language
• Display of emotions (affect), including facial expression
• Degree of eye contact
• Alternes and level of concentration
• Tone of voice and pacing of speech
• Willingness to cooperate
• Dress and hygiene

Question 21

What are psychological tests design to measure ad what do they tell us?

Answer 21

Psychological tests designed to measure’s psychological constructs relevant to the referral question:
- Intelligence and cognitive ability
- Personality
- Mental Health/Psychopathology
Test results help to conceptualise a client’s strengths and difficulties and assist to answer aspects of the referral questions

Question 22

Identify the key factors in an integrative approach

Answer 22

• Are the test results consistent with client background information, including presenting problem?
• Consider low test scores with reference to the clinical observations of test-taking behaviour
• Consider client’s emotional experience during testing – moderate-severe anxiety can interfere with performance and lead to underestimation of client ability

Question 23

What is SEM?

Answer 23

Standard error of measurement- the most useful index of reliability for interpretation of individual test scores.
Sem is used to derive a confidence inter (CI) around and observed test score. The wider the CI, the lower the reliability of the test score.

Question 24

Identify and describe the key components of a case formulation

Answer 24

Case formulation (CF) involves answering the referral question and summarizing the following key information:

• Client’s presentation and presenting problem/s
• Clients current level functioning, including their strengths and difficulties measured by the tests and assessment procedures
• Diagnoses (where relevant)
• Factors which contribute to and maintain and the client’s everyday difficulties, which may represent targets for treatment and management

CF is communicated to client and referral agent in a formal psychological report and face-to face feedback session.

CF provides a clear rationale for treatment and management recommendations which should be clear, specific, reasonable, and evidence-based.