Assessment in counseling chapter 5

Selection, Administration, Scoring, and Communicating Assessment Results Chapter 5... ∗ Identify:∗ information needed for specific client ∗ general information clinicians in an organiza

Selection, Administration, Scoring, and Communicating

Assessment Results

Chapter 5

1 Determine what information is needed

2 Analyze strategies for obtaining information

3 Search assessment resources

4 Evaluate assessment strategies

5 Select an assessment instrument or strategy

Selection of Assessment Instruments/Strategies

∗ Identify:

∗ information needed for specific client

∗ general information clinicians in an organization need about clients

∗ Consider information that is already available

Determine Information Needed

∗ Formal or informal techniques

∗ Consider which assessment method would be best suited to client(s)

∗ Consider professional limitations & which instruments counselor can ethically administer and interpret

Analyze Strategies for Obtaining

Information

∗ Resources:

∗ Mental Measurements Yearbook

∗ Educational Testing Service (ETS) Test Link

∗ Tests in Print

∗ Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business

∗ Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures

Search Assessment Resources

∗ Consider:

∗ Test purpose

∗ Instrument development

∗ Appropriate selection of norming group or criterion

∗ Reliability

∗ Validity

Evaluate Assessment Strategies

∗ Bias

∗ Interpretation and scoring materials

∗ User qualifications

∗ Level A

∗ Level B

∗ Level C

∗ Practical issues

Evaluate Assessment Strategies

(cont.)

∗ Read administration materials ahead of time

∗ Know precise instructions for administration

∗ Attend to time limits, be familiar with testing

materials/equipment

∗ Know boundaries of what is acceptable

∗ Use administration checklist, if helpful

Administering Assessment Instruments

∗ Hand-, computer-, or Internet-scored

∗ Some assessments can be self-scored

∗ Before using computer scoring, investigate

integrity of scoring service and steps used to

develop program

∗ Some assessments require clinician judgment as part of scoring

Scoring

∗ Involve performance of “real,” authentic applications, rather than proxies

∗ Objectivity in scoring is more difficult to achieve

∗ Scoring is enhanced if:

∗ Assessment has specific focus

∗ Scoring plan is based on qualities that can be directly

observed

∗ Scoring is designed to reflect intended target

∗ The setting for assessment is appropriate

∗ Observers use checklists or rating scales

∗ Scoring procedures have been field-tested before use

Oosterhof, 2000

Scoring Authentic/Performance

Assessments

∗ Often one of the most important parts of assessment

process

∗ Surprisingly, little research related to communication of results

∗ Clients who receive test interpretation experience greater gains than those who do not (Goodyear, 1990)

∗ Tentative interpretations more helpful than absolute

(Jones & Gelso, 1988)

∗ Clients prefer individual interpretation (Goodyear, 1990)

Communicating Results

∗ Some tips:

∗ Know information in manual (especially validity information)

∗ “Optimize” the power of the test

∗ Use effective general counseling skills

∗ Develop multiple methods of explaining results

∗ Use visual aids to explain technical terms

∗ Use descriptive terms rather than numerical scores

∗ Provide range of scores and rationale for assessment

Guidelines for Communicating

Results

∗ Some tips:

∗ Use probabilities rather than certainties, tentative

interpretations rather than absolutes

∗ Discuss results in context of other information

∗ Involve clients in interpretation

∗ Monitor client reactions during interpretation

∗ Encourage client to ask questions

∗ Discuss limitations of assessment in non-technical terms

∗ Ensure do not leave confused or ill-informed about results

∗ Summarize results

Guidelines for Communicating

Results

(cont.)

∗ Be prepared to answer questions and explain results

∗ Results may need to be discussed more than once

∗ Counselor should understand testing used and

symptoms of child’s disorder (if applicable)

∗ Help parents adjust to diagnosis

∗ Be prepared to use a variety of techniques

∗ Focus on active, coping approach

∗ Acknowledge parents’ emotions

Communicating Results to Parents

∗ Purpose: To disseminate assessment information to parents or other professionals

∗ Evaluate quality of reports before implementing

suggested interventions

∗ Expect a comprehensive overview of client and

interpretation of results in contextual manner

∗ Should be carefully crafted with attention to detail

∗ Be alert for typographical errors, use of vague jargon, careless mistakes, lack of detail

Psychological Reports

∗ Common areas:

 Identifying Information

 Reason for Referral

 Background Information

 Behavioral Observations

 Assessment Results and Interpretations

 Diagnostic Impressions & Summary

 Recommendations

 Signature

Psychological Reports (cont.)