Transcript Ethical Issue in Psychological Assessment in School Settings

Ethical Issues in
Psychological Assessment
in School Settings
Linda K. Knauss
Journal of Personality Assessment
77(2), 231-241
Presented by:
Nilo Dutton
Alex Lima
Luky Pongquan
Edna Davoudi
Boubulina Lozano
Topics
Informed Consent
Projective Personality
Assessment
Non Discriminatory
Assessment
Computerized
Psychological Testing
Conclusions
Critical Reviews
Informed Consent
Informed Consent vs. Notice
Informed consent: Requires affirmative
permission before actions can be taken.
• Reasons for assessment
• Type of tests and evaluation procedures to be used
• Utilization of results, accessibility to results.
Notice: School supplies information about
impending actions.
• Notice is insufficient before taking action
Informed Consent
Student Rights
Testing must be discussed w/student in order to enlist
their cooperation.
Students should know reason for testing, what tests will
be given, and how results will be used.
Assessment should be explained in a language/mode
that suits the students needs.
Non-Discriminatory Assessment
Psychologists are ethically obligated to
select nonbiased test instruments &
procedures
Psychologist must also administer&
interpret them in a way that is not racially
discriminating.
Non-Discriminatory Assessment
Considerations in providing
nondiscriminatory assessment for students
whose native language is not English
Assessment of skills in English may lead to validity
inconsistencies.
Poor or impossible translations may lead to contextual
misunderstandings.
Effect of cultural values on test performance.
Awareness of test bias for each test being administered.
Are academic problems merely the result of a lack of
fluency in the English language?
Projective Personality
Assessment
Allows for the assessment of particular
personality traits and emotional disorders.
Results allow for further understanding of
student’s learning
Projective Personality
Assessment
Controversial Aspects
Results may go beyond what psychologists
intended
Invasion of privacy for student
Indirect tests may contain information not
applicable to learning disability
Competency of the interpreter
Validity of projective tests
Computerized Psychological
Testing
Main ethical problems w/computerized systems.
Psychologists may simply trust the results of the
computer without examining them in detail.
Delegation of the supervisory aspect of these tests may
go to those not qualified to perform that role.
False results may be supplied.
Lack of individuality and validity.
Arguments are now centered on whether clinicians
should just trust the results of computers or use
them inn tandem w/clinical diagnosis.
Computerized Psychological
Testing
APA concluded that psychologists are
ultimately responsible for the results and
interpretation of tests.
They have no problem with the
computerized testing, but cautioned that it
must be accurately interpreted.
Conclusions
Psychological assessment is a major ethical
responsibility for psychologists who work
in a school setting.
They must make sure that procedures
protect student rights and that they have
appropriate parental consent.
Critical Review
Author gives only a brief con list about each
kinds of test.
Too superficial in regards to ability to
understand and detect learning disabilities
Although the author summarizes a variety
of tests, there is no information as to
whether these tests are commonly used.