Psychologist Testing

According to Brown (1988), psychological testing is psychological measurement. It is a method for systematically observing a person's behavior. Brown states that there are three important conceptual dimensions to psychological testing:

First, as any test is only a sample of all possible items or behaviors, whether the test items adequately sample the wider range of possible items becomes of prime concern. Second, most testing procedures compare one person's performance with that of other people. Thus, psychological measurement is relative being primarily concerned with differences between people. . .Third, we must always be concerned that we are, in fact, measuring the characteristics that we presume to be measuring. (p.2)

The conceptual dimensions delineated by Brown point to some of the methodological concerns in psychological testing. However, another area of concern is that of ethics. Psychological testing is testing of people and people have the right to be treated with both dignity and respect. This paper examines a sampling of important ethical issues in psychological testing.

Ethical Issues in Psychological Testing

Peterson and Nisenholz (1987) have stated that there are five basic testing issues, each of which must be addressed if psychological testing is to be fully ethical. These issues are:

(1) Each person's uniqueness must be valued; appropriate use of individual assignment and appraisal procedures takes individuality into account.

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mpetence and the limitations of their techniques. They only provide services and only use techniques for which they are qualified by training and experience. One of the problems in realizing the objective of only qualified persons administering tests is that the qualifications vary with the type of tests. Some tests (e.g. the Rorschach) require a long period of intensive training while other tests (e.g. vocational proficiency tests) require very little training for proper admission. Most states supply assistance in attaining the goal of qualified test administrators through state licensing and certification laws. Kaplan and Saccuzzo (1982) have discussed the importance of state licensing laws and professional ethical codes in terms of protecting the public from testing abuses. The authors note that these laws and codes are essentially designed to prevent tests from being used by people other than those who are qualified, and to prohibit highly trained specialists from using procedures beyond their competence. Also, Kaplan and Saccuzzo suggest that despite the existence of these codes and laws, there needs to be an on-going vigilance and concern on the part of all involved in testing. Specifically, the authors state that:

Category: Psychology - P