Week 7: Ethics and Professional Issues Flashcards
Define psychological assessment
The collection and integration of psychological data for psychological evaluation through the use of tests, interviews, case studies, and behavioural observation
Why are tests used for psychological assessment
To derive inferences about someone’s behaviour or attributes based on their results
What kind of information can you get from psychological tests?
- intelligence
- aptitude
- personality (objective and subjective)
- self-esteem
- mental health
- feelings, attitudes and behaviour
What does an achievement test measure?
How much students have learned
What do aptitude and interest tests measure?
Whether a person is suited for certain occupations
What do personality tests measure?
The psychological traits that make up a person’s personality
What do behaviour-rating scales measure?
Behaviour in such places as classrooms and hospitals
Self reports
Rely on answers from people about their feelings and experiences
Define psychological testing
Process of measuring psych related variables by means of devices or procedures to get a sample of human behaviour
Who was the first to create mental ability tests and questionnaires?
Francis Galton
Define psychometrics
Field of study related to the theory and techniques of psychological measurement and involves testing, measurement, assessment and related activities
Name three psychometric qualities
- validity
- reliability
- norms
What was Alfred Binet’s contribution to psychology?
- created test for French school kids to assign to classes based on aptitude
- first IQ test
- designed for recruiting men into armies during WW1 and 2
What is a psychological construct?
An informed, scientific idea developed or generated to describe or explain behaviour
Define test norms
Established standards of performance that set averages
Define norm group
A large group of test takers that are similar to those for whom the test is intended
Define ethics
The moral principles and guiding conduct which are held by a group or even a profession
List the 5 ethical standards outlined by the APA? B F M J R
- Beneficence and non- maleficence
- Fidelity and responsibility
- Maintain integrity
- Justice for all clients
- Respect for people’s rights and dignity
List 6 sources of ethics P T P C M L
- Personal
- Theoretical model
- Policy of the agent
- Code of ethics
- Moral philosophy
- Law and legal rules
What is ethical practice before psych assessment?
- resolving conflict between assessee and referrer
- obtain informed consent
- ensure your competency in administering the test
- planning evaluation, clarifying goals and limitations
- evaluate validity of tests and scales
- cultural appropriateness
- suitability of reference norms
What is ethical practice during psych assessment?
- ensure a good test environment
- allowing others to be present
- adhere to test procedure and protocol
- prepare written report
- provide professional interpretation of a test and analysis of the score
What is ethical practice after psych assessment?
- provide feedback to the assessee
- dealing with requests to alter or modify the report
- releasing test data to 3rd party for re evaluation
What are some issues for a test taker? T C D R P S
- test anxiety
- capacity and willingness to cooperate
- distractors
- response bias
- prior coaching on test
- social desirability
What are some issues for a test user? A C O S R N
- should be appropriate
- content should be protected
- only administered by trained people
- need to be familiar with test
- suitable conditions for test taker
- rapport between user and taker
- need to be able to interpret test results
What makes a good test?
- validity
- standardised
- reliability
- practicality
- usability
- uniformity
- minimal bias
Beneficence and non-maleficence
Do no harm - do the benefits of the test outweigh the harm?
Fidelity and responsibility
Responsibility to society, behaving appropriately, professional conduct and not bringing the profession into disrepute
Maintain integrity
Promote honesty and accuracy in the teaching, science and practice of psychology
Justice for all clients
Regardless of SES, IQ, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc
Respect for people’s rights and dignity
Awareness and sensitivity regarding cultural issues, religion, gender, and sexuality issues
What do objective tests of personality assume
Personality is consciously accessible and can be measured by self report
What do projective tests of personaltiy assume
Personality is unconscious and not directly accessible
Describe personal sources of ethics
Ethical principles and values that evolve from persona life experience of the psychologist
Describe the policy of the agency as a source of ethics
Certain limits might be imposed by the agency in which the psychologist works
Describe codes of ethics as sources of ethics
The starting point for ethical decision making and a formal framework wherein ethical practices can be assessed
