Of the many ethical issues surrounding psychological testing, two have received particularly prolonged public scrutiny: the issues of privacy and confidentiality. Widespread public concern about psychological testing began just after World War I, when many psychologists attempted to adapt military group tests for use in civilian life, but fears didn't peak until the late 1950s with the proliferation of large-scale psychological testing in schools, the increased use of personality and ability tests in the military, in government, and in business, and a series of sensational articles and books on the subject (Cohen, Montague, Nathanson & Swerdik, 1988).
In this paper we will take a closer look at the concepts of privacy and confidentiality as they relate to psychological testing. We will also examine some of the guidelines within the psychological community, as well as some of the relevant legislation and litigation.
The right to privacy has been defined as an individuals right to choose the extent to which he discloses his attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and actions to another person (Anastasi, 1982; Cohen et al., 1988). Thus, to the extent that some psychological tests are constructed in such a way that the individual taking them may not be aware that he is revealing certain information about himself, the tests are clearly an invasion of that person's privacy. However, it must be noted that we all unwittingly or unwillingly reveal information about ourselves in less formal situations and to less professional people everyday. For instance, a blush or stammer in a casual conversation may tell the other person of our shyness or embarrassment--a fact which we may well have preferred to keep hidden. Similarly, the way we dress or our speech habits may communicate things to others without our knowing it or deliberately choosing it.
Therefore, it is obvious that psychological tests are by no means exceptional cases of invasion o...