Issues in Psychological Testing
Issues in Psychological Testing
PSY/475
October 24, 2011
Issues in Psychological Testing What are at least two ethical issues associated with psychological testing? What impact do these issues have on the field of psychological testing? Informed consent involves the process by which a psychologist gain an individual’s voluntary consent prior to the administration of an assessment or test. As stated by Hogan (2007), “The psychologist is responsible for informing the person about the nature and purpose of the assessment” (p. 591). When providing this information it is imperative that the psychologist do so in a manner that is understandable to the examinee, it needs to be communicated on his or her level. If the patient or examinee is under the legal age of consent or in unable to authorize consent for another reason; parents, a legal guardian, or appropriate substitute must then provide consent. It is important that the psychologist convey that consent can be withdrawn at any time during the assessment process (Hogan, 2007). Exceptions to this rule exist including assessments mandated by the court or other government regulation in which case the psychologist need only explain the nature and purpose of the test as well as any limitations to the rule of confidentiality (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Implied consent is another exception and applies to assessments administered during the job application process and “institutional testing programs” such as school assessments (Hogan, 2007, p. 591). Test security is another ethical issue related to psychological testing. The administrator for a test must ensure that materials and scored results are kept in a secure location and not easily accessed by unauthorized persons. Care should be taken to refrain from revealing the content of a test (test items) publicly through media outlets or even casual conversations. Both of these issues are significant to the process of
PSY/475
October 24, 2011
Issues in Psychological Testing What are at least two ethical issues associated with psychological testing? What impact do these issues have on the field of psychological testing? Informed consent involves the process by which a psychologist gain an individual’s voluntary consent prior to the administration of an assessment or test. As stated by Hogan (2007), “The psychologist is responsible for informing the person about the nature and purpose of the assessment” (p. 591). When providing this information it is imperative that the psychologist do so in a manner that is understandable to the examinee, it needs to be communicated on his or her level. If the patient or examinee is under the legal age of consent or in unable to authorize consent for another reason; parents, a legal guardian, or appropriate substitute must then provide consent. It is important that the psychologist convey that consent can be withdrawn at any time during the assessment process (Hogan, 2007). Exceptions to this rule exist including assessments mandated by the court or other government regulation in which case the psychologist need only explain the nature and purpose of the test as well as any limitations to the rule of confidentiality (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Implied consent is another exception and applies to assessments administered during the job application process and “institutional testing programs” such as school assessments (Hogan, 2007, p. 591). Test security is another ethical issue related to psychological testing. The administrator for a test must ensure that materials and scored results are kept in a secure location and not easily accessed by unauthorized persons. Care should be taken to refrain from revealing the content of a test (test items) publicly through media outlets or even casual conversations. Both of these issues are significant to the process of
References: American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct: 2010 Amendments. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Soroka v. Dayton Hudson Corp., dba Target Stores. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/amicus/soroka.aspx Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Saterfiel and Associates. (2003). Legality Issues Supporting the Use of Pre-Employment Testing. Retrieved from http://www.employment-testing.com/legality.htm