Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment

In recent years there has been increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP), and as is true in most health care professions, the primary focus of EBPP has been on treatment. Comparatively little attention has been devoted to applying the principles of EBPP to psychological assessment, despite the fact that assessment plays a central role in myriad domains of empirical and applied psychology (e.g., research, forensics, behavioral health, risk management, diagnosis and classification in mental health settings, documentation of neuropsychological impairment and recovery, personnel selection and placement in organizational contexts). This article outlines the central elements of evidence-based psychological assessment (EBPA), using the American Psychological Association's tripartite definition of EBPP as integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences. After discussing strategies for conceptualizing and operationalizing evidence-based testing and evidence-based assessment, 6 core skills and 3 meta-skills that underlie proficiency in psychological assessment are described. The integration of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences is discussed in terms of the complex interaction of patient and assessor identities and values throughout the assessment process. A preliminary framework for implementing EBPA is offered, and avenues for continued refinement and growth are described.     

经典真分数理论与概化理论信度观评析

经典真分数理论信度观和概化理论信度观是当代心理测量学中的两大信度理论。该文简要地介绍了两种信度观的基本思想,并在此基础上,对两种信度理论的特征进行系统的分析和比较。文章认为：概化理论信度观在理论假设、测量误差源的综合分析技术、测量条件的推广研究等方面,比经典真分数理论具有更多的优越性,但概化理论信度观注重所测心理特质的单维性和方差分量估计上的负值现象等局限性,大大限制了概化理论在实际测量中的应用。文章指出,就目前的发展现状而言,没有哪一种信度理论能够包容或取代另一种信度理论,由此提出了当代信度理论合理使用的几点建议。     

Some Considerations for Enhancing Psychological Assessment

The field of psychological assessment appears to be bogged down in recent decades on refining existing measures and techniques to the detriment of real change. This article attempts to highlight some of the changes that need to take place in psychological assessment in the next few decades if real progress is to be achieved: (a) developing guidelines for psychological tests and measures; (b) establishing explicit criteria for training; (c) establishing guidelines for competencies; (d) recognizing the impact of marketing; (e) embracing electronic technology; and (f) implementing computer adaptive testing.     

心理测验在人才测评中的应用

本文探讨了心理测验在人才测评中应用价值和存在的问题,讨论了科学的人才测评与心理测验的关系,期望可以科学的把心理测验应用到人才测评工作中,提高人才测评的有效性和可靠性。     

Psychological Assessment of an Artist and Impostor

A Rorschach record and a narrative poem are examined to determine how imagination expresses the psychological trauma of being exposed as an impostor. The subject had been trained as a medical corpsman and deceived people under the grandiose fantasy of being a doctor. The role of the impostor physician is seen as an imaginative identity that was designed with an adaptive purpose. A Jungian analysis of his suicide attempt and the Rorschach suggest that the impostor role was a masculine compensatory fantasy that served as a counterforce to negative maternal imagery, linked to death, that is present in his imagination.     

Catatonic signs in medical and psychiatric catatonias

Patients with psychiatric catatonias vs those with medical catatonias may differ in catatonic phenomenology. To determine if these could be distinguished, the following methods were used: 1) a review of the literature; 2) a chart review; and 3) a prospective series. The literature review of 467 reports of medical catatonias yielded 240 cases that met research criteria. A chart review of 47 episodes of catatonia revealed a higher frequency of negativism in patients with medical catatonias. Prospective data obtained from rating scales revealed an increased frequency of echophenomena in patients with medical catatonias; however, no discriminate pattern of catatonic signs for medical catatonias arose. Overall, catatonic signs appear to share a similar distribution. These findings suggest that psychiatric and medical catatonias are indistinguishable based upon catatonic sign.     

Optimism as an Indicator of Psychological Health: Using Psychological Assessment Wisely

Healthy aspects of psychological functioning are often overlooked in traditional psychological assessment. When this happens, the client may become discouraged with his or her testing results, or perhaps worse, may feel that the assessor was not interested in obtaining a complete picture of who he or she is. Assessing healthy aspects of psychological functioning can be problematic, however; adding new instruments that only speak to one aspect of psychological functioning is not practical. A system is proposed in which one aspect of healthy psychological functioning--optimism--can be assessed using a standard projective test. Use of this scale can aid the assessor in conceptualizing the client's functioning and can also be a helpful tool to draw on in the course of treatment.     

Psychological Assessment in Japan in These Decades

On recense dans cet article les méthodes et les centres d'intérêt de l'évaluation psychologique au Japon. Quatre rubriques ont été retenues: (1) le développement des aptitudes et la construction des échelles; (2) la personnalité et les comparaispns interculturelles; (3) la motivation et la mesure des attitudes, et (4) les relations humaines.
Research on means and modes of psychological assessment in Japan are reviewed here. This research is treated under four sections: (1) scale construction and ability development, (2) personality measurement and cross-cultural comparison, (3) motivation and attitude measurement, and (4) human relations.     

Psychological Assessment Training in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs

We surveyed American Psychological Association–accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs' (n = 83) training in psychological assessment—specifically, their coverage of various assessment topics and tests in courses and practica, and whether the training was optional or required. We report results overall and separately per training model (clinical science, scientist-practitioner, and practitioner-focused). Overall, our results suggest that psychological assessment training is as active, or even more active, than in previous years. Areas of increased emphasis include clinical interviewing and psychometrics; multimethod, outcomes, health, and collaborative or therapeutic assessment; and different types of cognitive and self-report personality tests. All or almost all practice-focused programs offered training with the Thematic Apperception Test and Rorschach compared to about half of the scientist-practitioner programs and a third of the clinical science programs. Although almost all programs reported teaching multimethod assessment, what constitutes different methods of assessing psychopathology should be clarified in future studies because many programs appear to rely on one method—self-report (especially clinical science programs). Although doctoral programs covered many assessment topics and tests in didactic courses, there appears to be a shortage of program-run opportunities for students to obtain applied assessment training. Finally, we encourage doctoral programs to be familiar with (a) internships' assessment expectations and opportunities, (b) the professional guidelines for assessment training, and (c) the American Psychological Association's requirements for preinternship assessment competencies.     

Therapeutic Assessment in Psychological Triage Using the PAI

This case illustrates the utility of incorporating therapeutic assessment in a triage context that typically involves a focus on gathering information. A man referred to our clinic by a local mental health center was seen by our assessment team for a triage that includes the administration of a single psychological test, the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Although this triage must rapidly gather information to determine client suitability and treatment assignment, we still attempt to work with clients to collaboratively develop goals for this assessment that include addressing questions that are central concerns for the clients. In this case, the test results suggested a severe disorder that accounted for many phenomena that he had been experiencing but had apparently been reluctant to share. The information gathered led to a referral to a different treatment program that could provide pharmacological and more intensive forms of treatment. However, the collaborative bond formed between the assessor and the client during this triage was sufficiently strong that it was our assessor to whom the client turned in a subsequent crisis precipitated by a symptomatic exacerbation. This case illustrates complementary information gathering and therapeutic goals of assessment even in the context of a brief assessment.     

Rorschach Assessment of Psychological Functioning in Sexually Abused Girls

We measured psychological functioning in a group of 79 Black females between the ages of 5 and 16 and a comparison group of nonabused girls using the Rorschach. In addition to Exner's (1985) Comprehensive System, the Elizur (1949) Rorschach Content Test Scale (RCT), the Mutuality of Autonomy Scale (MOA; Urist, 1977, Urist & Shill, 1982), and the Barrier and Penetration Scales (Fisher & Cleveland, 1968) were used. Sexually abused girls were found to show more disturbed thinking, to experience a higher level of stress relative to their adaptive abilities, to describe human relationships more negatively, and to show more preoccupation with sexuality than the comparison group. The distress experienced by the victimized children was more related to internal mediating variables then to abuse characteristics. Sexually abused girls who are cognitively and emotionally active also experienced high levels of distress compared to abused girls who are psychologically constricted.     

Teaching Psychological Assessment: Training issues and Teaching Approaches

Clinical psychology graduate programs need to pay attention to important issues involved in teaching psychological assessment, if graduate students are to be adequately prepared. Recent studies have suggested a gap between academic training in psychological assessment and internship expectations. Graduate students are not as well prepared as many internship settings would like. In addition to learning the fundamentals, students need help in dealing with issues of categorizing individuals, using tests in helpful ways, taking responsibility for decision-making, and developing a balance between critical evaluation of tests and appreciation of their usefulness. Teaching approaches for dealing with these issues are discussed. The importance of academic and clinical agencies working together is stressed. Goals for graduate training in assessment are suggested.     

Schizophrenia

ABSTRACT— Theoretical conceptualizations of schizophrenia have undergone significant change in the past century. Through the application of behavioral science methodology, psychologists have played a major role in the pivotal scientific advances that have led us to contemporary models. The field has moved from simplistic conceptualizations of mind–brain distinctions to models that encompass complex gene–environment interactions and neural pathways that mediate the relation between psychosocial events and brain dysfunction.     

躯体变形障碍与美容整形术前心理评估

躯体变形障碍是一种并不罕见的精神障碍,其临床表现的特殊性使大多数患者以普通求术者的身份出现在美容整形科医生面前。然而,关容整形手术非但不能解决患者的心理问题,更可能引发复杂的医疗纠纷。基于躯体变形障碍在美容整形科呈高发生率的特点,文章对美容整形术前心理评估的必要性和现状进行分析,并列举了有效的评估工具以提高心理评估的准确性。     

Assessee and Assessor Experiences of Significant Events in Psychological Assessment Feedback

Although a growing body of scholarly work explores the unique utility and therapeutic uses of psychological assessment, less work has focused specifically on feedback, with few studies that have explored empirically the underlying processes that may describe the role of feedback in a successful assessment. The purpose of this project was to add to the discourse on this topic by engaging in an empirical study exploring assessee and assessor experiences of significant events in psychological assessment feedback. The methodology is qualitative and modeled after significant events research in the study of psychotherapy process. I analyze the accounts of 6 assessment clients and 6 assessment clinicians regarding key events in their experience of feedback.