Knauss, L.K. (2001). Ethical issues in psychological assessment in school settings. Journal of Personality Assessment 77(2), 231-241. Ethical Issues in

Knauss, L.K. (2001). Ethical issues in psychological assessment in school settings. Journal of Personality Assessment 77(2), 231-241.

Ethical Issues in Ethical Issues in Psychological Assessment in Psychological Assessment in

School SettingsSchool SettingsLinda K. KnaussLinda K. Knauss

Ethical Issues in Ethical Issues in Psychological Assessment in Psychological Assessment in

School SettingsSchool SettingsLinda K. KnaussLinda K. Knauss

Ed Cruz, Melissa Guzman, Nicole Ed Cruz, Melissa Guzman, Nicole Murph, Gabriela PelaezMurph, Gabriela Pelaez


Most Frequent Ethical Issues Psychologists

Confront

• 1) Process of parental consent and involvement.• 2) Obligation to select nonbiased test

instruments and use them in a way that is not racially or culturally biased.

• 3) Appropriate administration and interpretation of projective tests in school settings.

• 4) Use of computerized psychological assessment.


Where Ethical Dilemmas Arise From

• Dilemmas arise from needs.

• Psychologists need to aware of ethical standards.


Informed Consent

• “Hot” Ethical Issue• Definition: • Consent requires “affirmative

permission before actions can be taken” (Knauss, 2001).


Informed Consent (Con’t)

Elements of Informed Consent Agreements

–Must be presented in a clear and understandable manner to both the student & parent.

–Reason for the test administration.

–tests and evaluations procedures to be used.

–How assessment scores will be used.

–Who will have access to the results.


Informed Consent (Con’t)

• Written informed consent must be obtained from the student’s parents, guardian or the student (if he or she has already reached ‘legal’ age).


Informed Consent

• For students who have an educational disability:

–Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

–School mediation.


Parents & Informed Consent

• Initial contact with parents & the school is crucial.

• Conveying results to the parents is extremely important.

• Parents, guardians and students must share in the autonomy of making treatment decisions.


Nondiscriminatory Assessment

Definition—Larry P. V Riles.

• Psychologists are obligated to be culturally sensitive in administering tests to pupils.



• Impact of assessing pupils without utilizing their native language.

• Impact of discrepancies caused by translators.



• Effects of cultural factors on test performance.

• What can a psychologist do to obtain valid results of the pupil?



• The need to separate personality issues from language issues.

• Ensure pupil’s ability to read prior to test administration.

• Is ‘language’ the root of the pupil’s academic problems?



• The importance of carefully selecting testing instruments:

otest biasofair and appropriate instruments

• Implications of using biased tests


Factors that determine the Factors that determine the use of Projective use of Projective

AssessmentAssessment

• No definite answer about using projective tests for evaluating students.

• What will they gain from the projective test?

• Questioning the appropriateness of the testing instrument.


Projective Personality Assessment

• A problem with informed consent:– Responding to questions– Questions in the informed consent

procedure• Confidentiality

– Access of school records



Concern with “unwarranted invasion of privacy” in projective testing.

• Questions in projective testing– Student responses



• Other concerns:– Examiner competence

•Adequate training •Supervised experience •competent of emotional issues

– Test validity•Determining validity and its

usefulness


Computerized Psychological Testing

Ethical issues in the use of computerized testing:

• accountability for the psychological assessment. • appropriate application, interpretation, and use

of assessment instruments.• disparity between automated report and the

psychologist’s clinical impression of the client.



• Individuality of computer report v. hand written report. – should not be use to extend the

boundaries of one’s competence

• Test administration procedures and supervision of assistants. – familiarity with the instruments to be

used.



• Questions regarding the validity of computer-assisted assessment – lack of demonstrated validity for the printed

interpretations they generate. – test developer should establish validity and

reliability of the test and resulting interpretations should be done with a professional review.

• A school psychologist should review and edit the narrative report done by the computer, so that it is specific to the individual who was tested.



• Computer programs are not a substitute for supervision because they are not designed to teach testing skills to the individual who uses these programs. – must be used in conjunction with the clinical

judgment of well-trained professionals– psychologists are responsible in determining

whether the test results are valid for a particular individual


Our ThoughtsWhat we found particularly

interesting:-This article was not argumentative.• sending a note home is not informed consent.• inadequate training of psychologists in the use of

projective techniques.• interns sign computer generated reports and file

them in a students permanent record.

Problems with the article• the author did not make a strong case on

how to use non-bias in testing.


Thank You for your time

•Any questions, comments or concerns?


Discussion

• The author discussed a lot about the creditability of school psychologists, but what do you think about the creditability of teachers, since they are the first to interact with the students (i.e. being trained in recognizing students who may have an

educational disability)? • Which ethical issue do you feel contributes the

most to inaccurate assessment?


Reference• Knauss, L.K. (2001). Ethical issues

in psychological assessment in school settings. Journal of Personality Assessment 77(2), 231-241.

Documents

Knauss, L.K. (2001). Ethical issues in psychological assessment in school settings. Journal of Personality Assessment 77(2), 231-241. Ethical Issues in