Clinical Assessment: Legal and Ethical Issues

Common Testing Misconception

• Tests do not measure creativity and individuality

• Tests are only used to label people • Tests invade personal privacy• Tests give inconsistent results• Tests are often grossly misinterpreted• Tests are unfair or biased

Delicate Nature of Testing

• Testing and assessment are counselor activities that typically stretch the boundaries of traditionally held beliefs on client rights.

• Due to the “weight” that test results often hold, the practice of testing is closely regulated both ethically and legally.

Ethical? Legal? Or Both?

• Ethics refer to what one should or should not do, according to principles and norms of conduct.

• Laws are what– Mandatory Ethics– Aspirational Ethics