Abstract
Summary: Current existing or proposed standards and guidelines in the field of psychological assessment are confined to psychological tests and psychological testing. But tests constitute only one category of psychological assessment procedures, and testing is only one of many available strategies or classes of actions in the course of the assessment process. Tests and testing are closely linked to a certain approach to psychological assessment, i. e., the psychometric one. This is one reason why it is relatively easy to formulate and establish standards or guidelines in the case of psychological tests and testing. The much more comprehensive assessment process is an indispensable part of any approach to psychological assessment, even of those that do not use psychometric tests. This makes the formulation of guidelines for the assessment process an ambitious and very difficult enterprise. But it can be done, at least at the level of recommendations that could help the assessor to cope with the complexities and demands of assessment processes in various contexts of psychological assessment. The European Association of Psychological Assessment (EAPA) decided to sponsor the development of Guidelines for the Assessment Process (GAP), setting up a Task Force for this specific purpose. The GAP introduced in this paper are intended as a first proposal to initiate a broad discussion about how to improve the practice of psychological assessment and the education and training of psychological assessors.
References
References
Adarraga, P. Zacagnini, J.L. (1992). DAI: A knowledge-based system for diagnosing autism. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 8, 25– 461999). Standards for educational and psychological tests . Washington, DC: APA
(Bartram, D. (1997). International guidelines for the development of test-user performance standards . Unpublished manuscriptBartram, D. (2001). Guidelines for test users: A review of national and international initiatives. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 17, 3Berman, P.S. (1997). Case conceptualization and treatment planning: Exercises for integrating theory with clinical practice . Thousand Oaks, CA: SageBrehmer, B. Joyce, C.R.B. (1988). Human judgment: The SJT view . Amsterdam: ElsevierClark, D.A. (1992). Human expertise, statistical models, and knowledge-based systems. In G. Wright & F. Bolger (Eds.), Expertise and decision making. New York: PlenumCohen, R.J. Swerdik, M.E. Phillips, S.M. (1996). Psychological testing and assessment . Mountain View, CA: MayfieldCronbach, J.L. (1990). Psychological testing (5th ed.). New York: Harper & RowDe Bruyn, E.E.J. (1992). A normative-prescriptive view on clinical psychodiagnostic decision making. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 8, 163– 171De Bruyn, E.E.J. Godoy, A. (1998). Psychological assessment and testing . Paper read at the XXIV International Congress of Applied Psychology in San FranciscoEignor, D. (2001). Standards for the development and use of tests: The standards for educational and psychological testing. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 17, 3Fernández-Ballesteros, R. (1980). Psicodiagnóstico [Psychodiagnostics]. Madrid: Cincel-KapeluszFernández-Ballesteros, R. (1985). Psychological assessment and evaluation. Psychological Assessment: An International Journal, 1, 5– 22Fernández-Ballesteros, R. (1999). Psychological assessment: Futures, challenges and progresses. European Psychologist, 4, 248– 262Fernández-Ballesteros, R. Staats, A.W. (1992). Paradigmatic behavioral assessment, treatment and evaluation: Answering the crisis in behavioral assessment. Advances in Behavior Research and Therapy, 14, 1– 27Fremer, J. (1997). Elaboration of rights of test-takers . Paper presented at the Michigan School Testing Conference, Ann Arbor, MichiganHambleton, R.J. (1994). Guidelines for adapting educational and psychological tests. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 10, 229– 244Hambleton, R.J. (2001). Guidelines for test translation/adaptation. European Journal Psychological Assessment, 17, 3Hempel, C.G. (1973). Philosophy of natural sciences . New York: Grune & StrattonJohnson, P.E. (1982). Cognitive models of medical problem-solvers. In D.P. Connelly & D. Fenderson (Eds.), Clinical decisions and laboratory use. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press1994). The program evaluation standards . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
(Maloney, M.P. Ward, M.P. (1976). Psychological assessment. A conceptual approach . New York: Oxford University PressMcReynolds, P. (1971). Introduction. In P. McReynolds (Ed.), Advances in psychological Assessment. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior BooksMontgomery, H. (1989). From cognition to action: The search for dominance in decision making. In H. Montgomery & O. Svenson (Eds.), Process and structure in human decision making. Chichester: WileyMuñiz, J. et al. (2001). Testing practices in European countries. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 17, 3Scriven, M. (1991). Evaluation thesaurus (4th ed.). London: SageShapiro, M.B. (1951). An experimental approach to diagnostic testing. Journal of Mental Sciences, 97, 748– 764Shapiro, M.B. (1970). Intensive assessment of the single case: An inductive-deductive approach. In P. Mittler (Ed.), The psychological assessment of mental and physical handicaps. London: MethuenSloves, R.E. Doherty, E.M. Schneider, K.C. (1979). A scientific problem-solving model of psychological assessment. Professional Psychology, 1, 28– 35Sundberg, N. (1977). Assessment of persons . New York: Prentice-HallWestmeyer, H. (1975). The diagnostic process as a statistical-causal analysis. Theory and Decision, 6, 57– 86Westmeyer, H. Hageboeck, J. (1992). Computer-assisted assessment: A normative perspective. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 8, 1– 16