COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is limited to graduate students in psychology who have completed an undergraduate course in tests and measures and/or who have my consent to enroll. According to the ISU graduate catalogue, this course is about the "clinical application of representative techniques of objective measurement. Selection, integration, and interpretation of tests will be included." In this course, we will explore how objective assessment can assist the work of practitioners. Specifically, we will become competent and confident in assessing interests, personality, and psychopathology with widely used assessment instruments (e.g., the Strong Interest Inventory, NEO Personality Inventory - Revised, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Revised). We will also sample, albeit more superficially, behavioral, intellectual, and neuropsychological; I will not provide in-depth coverage of these approaches as they are emphasized in other courses.
COURSE GOALS
I anticipate that you will attain the following goals as a result of taking this course:
1. Understanding of the purposes of testing and assessment, the ways in which testing and assessment can facilitate or impede psychotherapy, and the legal and ethical issues surrounding testing and assessment.
2. Understanding of how various assessment instruments are constructed and the ability to evaluate the psychometric qualities of those instruments as well as their appropriateness when used with diverse populations.
3. Proficiency in the administration, scoring, interpretation, and clinical application of the SII, NEO-PI, and MMPI-2.
4. Ability to synthesize assessment data in a conceptually meaningful way, convey that synthesis in writing, and generate clinical inferences and treatment recommendations based on the data. By writing psychological reports on self-administered tests, I hope that you will also acquire a more psychologically sophisticated self-awareness which will facilitate your professional growth.
READINGS
required:
Groth-Marnat, G. (2003). Handbook of psychological assessment (4th ed.). New York: Wiley.
recommended:
Goodyear, R. K. (1990). Research on the effects of test interpretation: A review. Counseling Psychologist, 18, 240-257.
Graham, J. R. (2000). MMPI-2: Assessing personality and psychopathology (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Harmon, L. W., Hanson, J. C., Borgen, F. H., & Hammer, A. L. (1994). Strong Interest Inventory: Applications and technical guide. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Harvey, V. S. (1997). Improving readability of psychological reports. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 271-274.
Makover, R. B. (1992). Training psychotherapists in hierarchical treatment planning. Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 1, 337-350.
Malgady, R. G. (1996). The question of cultural bias in assessment and diagnosis of ethnic minority clients: Let's reject the null hypothesis. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27, 73-77.
Piedmont, R. (1998). The revised NEO Personality Inventory: Clinical and research applications. New York: Plenum.
on line resources:
Association of Test Publishers - http://www.testpublishers.org/
Buros Institute of Mental Measurements - http://www.unl.edu/buros/
Science Directorate, American Psychological Association (n.d.). FAQ/Finding information about psychological tests. Retrieved October 5, 2007, from http://www.apa.org/science/faq-findtests.html
Science Directorate, American Psychological Association (n.d.). Testing information clearinghouse. Retrieved October 5, 2007, from http://www.apa.org/science/testclearinghs.html
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADES
You may see your grades by clicking on the link "GRADES" above and then logging on to a secure webpage. Your grade in this course will be based on the absolute (not curved) sum of the following assignments:
Two assessment reports 200 points (100 points each)
Midterm exam 100 points
Final exam
100 points
Test summary
50
points
Class participation
50 points
Total
500
points
I expect you to attend every class. I value punctuality.
Excessive
lateness or absences, whether legitimate or not, are
unacceptable. Excessive
lateness or absences will lower your course grade. Likewise, it
is
not appropriate to leave class early due to obligations which begin
after
class; class will end promptly at 10:50 PM. I also value
courtesy; therefore,
kindly notify a colleague or me of any anticipated lateness or absence.
Assessment Reports
You are required to write two assessment reports based on the results of any of the three, self-administered tests: the SII, NEO-PI, and MMPI-2. Reports on a specific assessment are due as follows: SII on Thursday, March 6th; NEO-PI on Thursday, April 3rd; and MMPI-2 on Tuesday, April 29th. I have provided an outline for preparing assessment reports and an example of a report, and will be available to assist you in generating coherent, insightful, and useful interpretations. I will evaluate reports on the following dimensions: accuracy, coherence, thoroughness, psychological sophistication, and writing style. Each assessment report is worth 100 points for a total of 200 possible points, and should not exceed six double-spaced pages.
Midterm Exam
The midterm will be an in-class, closed-book, exam scheduled for Tuesday, February 26th. The exam will cover all material through February 21st. The format of the exam will be a combination of definitions and short essay questions. I will evaluate essays on the following dimensions: accuracy, clarity, organization, thoughtfulness, and thoroughness. I have provided a study guide consisting of sample questions. The midterm is worth 100 points.
Final Exam
The final exam will be an in-class, closed-book, exam held during
the
week of finals on Wednesday, May 8th from
10-11:15 a.m. The exam will cover all material from
February 28th
through the end of the semester. The format of the exam will be a
combination
of definitions and short essay questions. I will evaluate essays
on
the following dimensions: accuracy, clarity, organization,
thoughtfulness,
and thoroughness. I have provided a study
guide consisting of sample questions. The final exam is worth
100 points.
Test Summary
Prepare a two-page, single-spaced summary of a psychometric
instrument,
one that is commercially available or published in a reputable
psychology
journal. The summary should include the name of the test, its
author(s),
its publisher, copyright year, number of forms, appropriate age level,
and
costs; description; administration, scoring, and interpretation;
reliability;
validity; and applicability and evaluation. You may use the
online resources
listed above (e.g., Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, the Science
Directorate
of the APA) and/or references materials available through Milner
library
(e.g., Mental Measurements Yearbook, Tests in Print,
PsycINFO)
to identify a suitable test and report on its properties and uses.
I
have provided a sample summary
written by
a former student. The summary is worth 50 points and will be
evaluated
on its accuracy, clarity, coherence, and thoroughness. You may
turn
in your summary any time during the semester, but no later than May
1st,
the last day of class.
Class Participation
As graduate students, you should be prepared to participate meaningfully, coherently, and often; active participation will facilitate your learning and professional growth. I expect you to prepare for class by reading the assignment literature and generating questions or issues for discussion. Class participation is worth up to 50 points. The grading criteria are as follows:
50 points: The student spoke thoughtfully more than once in every
class
period.
45 points: The student spoke thoughtfully once every class period.
40 points: The student spoke thoughtfully in over 50% of the class
periods.
35 points: The student spoke thoughtfully in less than 50% the class
periods.
30 points: The student seldom spoke thoughtfully.
25 points: The student never spoke thoughtfully.
I do not give make-up exams except in a bona fide emergency (e.g., serious illness); job conflicts, family vacations, transportation problems, and feeling indisposed do not qualify as emergencies. You are responsible for resolving unavoidable conflicts as soon as possible so that you can take the exam early; you need to negotiate specific arrangements with me at least one week before the date of the scheduled exam. I also expect you to turn in all assignments on time. I will not accept reports turned in late.
Grading will be done on a strict percentage system:
451 - 500 points = A
401 - 450 points = B
351 - 400 points = C
301 - 350 points = D
< 301 points = F
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
By all means, collaborate on interpreting assessment results. Collaboration with colleagues is a proven way to become an effective clinician. However, be mindful of the difference between collaboration and plagiarism. According to the Student Judicial Office, "plagiarism is the unacknowledged appropriation of another's work, words, or ideas in any themes, outlines, papers, reports, or computer programs." Plagiarism includes copying sentences from sources without paraphrasing them. Paraphrasing, on the other hand, is when you summarize someone else's work in your own words. For more information on the distinction between plagiarism and paraphrasing, consult the Publication Manual (APA, 2001) which is available in the reference section of Milner Library. If it becomes apparent that you have plagiarized, I will give you an F for the course and initiate a referral to the Student Judicial Office where the matter will be further adjudicated. Likewise, cheating on exams will result in a course grade of F and referral to the Student Judicial Office. In addition, exams are not intended for distribution to the University community; taking an exam is stealing.
Users of materials housed in the Psychology Resource Center (DEG 17) are bound by the policies of the Psychology Resource Center and Psychology Department. With the exception of the SII, all other assessment instruments must be administered, scored, and profiled in the PRC during its hours of operation. Removing reusable test materials from the Psychology Resource Center without my permission will result in restricted access to such material and an F for the course. Click on the Center's web page for important details.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
If you need to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability, contact Disability Concerns at FEL 350, 438-5833 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD). If you find that you have problems taking notes and tests or if you suffer from test anxiety, the University Center for Learning Assistance (UCLA) and Student Counseling Services (SCS), respectively, can assist you. The UCLA is located in STV 113 (438-7100) and the SCS is located in the SSB 320 (438-3655).
CLASS SCHEDULE