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How to Write and Evaluate Psychological Reports
of: Karl Westhoff, Marie-Luise Kluck
Pabst Science Publishers, 2012
ISBN: 9783899677737 , 238 Pages
Format: PDF, Read online
Copy protection: DRM
Contents
7
Chapter 1 Introduction
13
1.1 Goals
13
1.2 Overview
14
1.3 Notes on using this book
16
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of our approach
17
2.1 Decision-oriented psychological assessment
17
2.2 Our view of psychology
20
2.3 Goals of decision-oriented assessment
21
2.4 Conditions for psychological assessment
22
2.5 General criteria for evaluating psychological reports
24
Chapter 3 The client’s question
26
3.1 Deciding for or against a client’s question
26
3.2 Required assumptions
28
3.3 Requirement profile
29
3.4 Required knowledge for assessment work
31
3.5 Prediction of individual behavior
32
3.6 Citing the client’s question in the psychological report
33
Chapter 4 Selection of variables
34
4.1 Behavioral equation
34
4.2 Environment variables
36
4.3 Organism variables
37
4.4 Cognitive variables
39
4.5 Emotional variables
41
4.6 Motivational variables
43
4.7 Social variables
45
4.8 Three classes of information for the explanation and prediction of
46
4.9 Criteria for the selection of variables
47
Chapter 5 Psychological Questions (= Hypotheses)
49
5.1 The function of psychological questions
49
5.2 Constructing psychological questions
50
5.3 Formulating psychological questions
50
5.4 Number of psychological questions
52
Chapter 6 Workthrough of example clients’ questions
54
6.1 Client‘s question
54
6.2 Information available before the beginning of the assessment
55
6.3 Requirement profile
56
6.4 Psychological questions
57
6.4.1 Grouping the psychological questions according to the behavioral equation
57
6.4.2 Psychological questions relating to motivational conditions
58
6.4.3 Psychological questions relating to intellectual conditions
58
6.4.4 Psychological questions relating to the ability to withstand emotional and physical strain
58
6.4.5 Psychological questions relating to social conditions
59
6.4.6 Alternative ways of structuring psychological questions
60
6.4.7 Decision-oriented construction of hypotheses for judicial questions regarding parental custody
60
6.4.7.1 Goals of decision-oriented assessment in custody questions
60
6.4.7.2 The requirement profile
61
6.4.7.3 Selection of the relevant variables
63
6.4.7.4 The formulation of psychological questions
63
6.4.7.5 Shortened psychological questions
66
Chapter 7 Planning the assessment
67
7.1 Role of the assessment plan
67
7.2 Broad plan of the assessment
68
7.3 Detailed plan of the assessment
69
7.4 Ratio of costs to benefits as a criterion for planning a
70
Chapter 8 Analysis of the a-priori strategy
72
8.1 Analysis of the a-priori strategy for single-case questions
72
8.2 Qualitative analysis of the a-priori strategy
73
8.3 Optimizing the assessment strategy
74
8.4 Quantitative analysis of the a-priori strategy for institutional
75
8.5 Analysis of the a-priori strategy for institutional questions
75
Chapter 9 Features of assessment information sources
77
9.1 Functions of the features of assessment information sources
77
9.2 Nature of the observer
78
9.3 Contents of the observation
80
9.4 Time and duration of the observation
81
9.5 Nature of the observation
82
Chapter 10 Standardized assessment procedures
84
10.1 Criteria for the selection of standardized assessment procedures
84
10.2 A theory definition for psychological work
85
10.3 Functions of theories for assessment procedures
86
10.4 Objectivity of standardized procedures
87
10.4.1 Objectivity in execution
87
10.4.2 Measures for increasing the objectivity in execution
88
10.4.3 Objectivity in scoring
89
10.4.4 Objectivity of interpretation
91
10.5 Reliability of standardized procedures
93
10.5.1 Deciding on a type of reliability
94
10.5.2 Evaluating the reliability
94
10.6 Validity of standardized procedures
95
10.7 Some comments on the size of validity coefficients
97
Chapter 11 Part I of the assessment plan for the example client’s question relating to aptitude assessment
99
11.1 Standardized procedures
99
11.2 Decisions when selecting standardized procedures
100
11.3 Selection of standardized procedures
102
11.4 Description of the standardized procedures in the psychological
103
Chapter 12 Decision-oriented interviewing
105
12.1 Definition
105
12.2 Aims of various types of interview
106
12.3 Interview guide for the decision-oriented interview
107
12.4 Function of interview guides
108
12.5 Characteristics of interview guides
110
12.6 Broad structure of an interview guide
111
12.7 Detailed structure of an interview guide
113
12.8 Features of efficient questions
114
12.9 Poor questions
116
12.10 Degree of openness of a question
117
12.11 Degree of directness of a question
118
12.12 Preconditions for carrying out decision-oriented interviews
119
12.13 Conditions for a successful assessment interview
120
Chapter 13 Part II of the assessment plan for the example of a client‘s question concerning aptitude assessment
122
13.1 Interview guide for the decision-oriented interview
122
13.2 Selection of the partly-standardized and non-standardized
127
13.3 Description of the partly-standardized and non-standardized
128
Chapter 14 Person perception and assessment judgments
130
14.1 Person perception in daily life and assessment judgments
130
14.2 The importance of social psychological research into person
131
14.3 Individual differences in assessment judgments
133
Chapter 15 Errors and biases in the process of forming assessment judgments
134
15.1 Description of errors and biases in the process of forming
134
15.2 Errors and biases in psychological questions
135
15.3 Errors and biases of judgment when planning assessments
138
15.4 Errors and biases of judgment when presenting the results of the
139
15.5 Errors and biases of judgment in the conclusions
140
15.5.1 Generally observable errors and biases of judgment in the conclusions
140
15.5.2 Errors and biases of judgment in the conclusions which are determined by the personality of the assessing psychologist
142
Chapter 16 Possibilities of minimizing errors and biases in assessment decision-making
144
16.1 Extending knowledge
144
16.2 Initial conditions
145
16.3 Combining statements
147
16.4 Decision criteria
148
16.5 Attributing traits to people
148
16.5.1 Four types of behavioral description
148
16.5.2 Features of personality traits
149
16.6 Development of documented assessment plans
150
Chapter 17 Evaluating behavioral observations
151
17.1 Types of behavioral observation
151
17.2 Scoring tests
152
17.3 Presenting the test results
154
17.4 Decision-oriented interviews: analysis
156
17.5 Interview results: presentation
156
17.6 Presentation of interview results in indirect speech
158
Chapter 18 The data section of the example psychological report
159
18.1 Aptitude assessment sample case: 4. Data Section
159
Chapter 19 The results section
166
19.1 Aims of the assessor in the results section
166
19.2 Procedure of the assessor in the results section
167
19.3 Recommendations and suggestions in the psychological report
169
19.4 Formulations in the results section
170
Chapter 20 Results section of the example psychological report
172
Chapter 21 Foundations of a theory of decision-oriented psychological assessment
183
21.1 Assumptions of the theory
183
21.2 Beliefs as cognitions directing actions
184
21.3 Expectations as cognitions directing actions
186
21.4 On the testability of the theory
188
21.5 First results of empirical tests of the theory of decision-oriented
189
21.5.1 Assessment in family law: how it is and how it can be
189
21.5.2 On the development of assessment strategies
190
21.5.3 Decision-oriented interviewing in psychological assessment
190
21.5.4 Training in psychological assessment
191
21.5.5 Guidelines for the Assessment Process (GAP)
192
21.6 Decision-oriented assessment – a useful technology
192
21.6.1 A technology – a necessity in psychological assessment
192
21.6.2 Utility as the highest criterion of a technology
193
21.6.3 Optimization of assessment strategies
193
Chapter 22 Aids for the evaluation of psychological reports by non-psychologists
195
22.1 Structure of a psychological report
196
22.2 Transparency of the psychological report
197
22.3 Formulations in the psychological report
197
22.4 Client’s question
198
22.5 Formulation of psychological questions
198
22.6 Description of the assessment plan in the psychological report
199
22.7 Scoring and analyzing tests and questionnaires in the data
200
22.8 Description and analysis of interviews and non-standardized
201
22.9 Results section of a psychological report
202
22.10 Recommendations and suggestions in the psychological report
204
Chapter 23 Checklists to support the psychological assessor during the assessment process and the writing of a psychological report
206
Unknown
1
23.1 Checklist: The client’s question
206
23.2 Checklist: Profile of requirements
206
23.3 Checklist: Knowledge
207
23.4 Checklist: Selection of groups of variables
207
23.5 Checklist: Selection of environment variables
207
23.6 Checklist: Selection of organism variables
208
23.7 Checklist: Selection of cognitive variables
208
23.8 Checklist: Selection of emotional variables
209
23.9 Checklist: Selection of motivational variables
209
23.10 Checklist: Selection of social variables
210
23.11 Checklist: Criteria for the selection of variables
210
23.12 Checklist: Formulating psychological questions (= hypotheses)
210
23.13 Checklist: Selection of sources of information
211
23.14 Checklist: Detailed planning of the assessment
211
23.15 Checklist: Costs and benefits of every source of information
211
23.16 Checklist: Evaluation of an observer
212
23.17 Checklist: Contents of observations
212
23.18 Checklist: Characteristics of scientific behavioral observations
212
23.19 Checklist: Criteria for the selection of standardized procedures
213
23.20 Checklist: Objectivity of execution of psychological assessment
213
23.21 Checklist: Criteria for scoring and analyzing psychological
213
23.22 Checklist: Conditions for the highest possible degree of
214
23.23 Checklist: Reliability of standardized psychological assessment
214
23.24 Checklist: Validity of standardized psychological assessment
214
23.25 Checklist: Planning a decision-oriented interview (DOI)
215
23.26 Checklist: Broad structure of an interview guide
215
23.27 Checklist: Detailed structure of an interview guide
216
23.28 Checklist: Formulating “good” questions
216
23.29 Checklist: Suggestive questions
217
23.30 Checklist: Conditions for decision-oriented interviews
217
23.31 Checklist: Presenting the plan of the assessment in the
218
23.32 Checklist: Scoring of tests and questionnaires and presenting the
218
23.33 Checklist: Analysis and presentation of information from
219
23.34 Checklist: The results section of a psychological report
219
23.35 Checklist: Recommendations and suggestions in a psychological
220
23.36 Checklist: Formulations in the results section of a psychological
221
23.37 Checklist: Structure of a psychological report
221
Chapter 24 Checklists for the evaluation of psychological reports by non-psychologists
222
24.1 Structure of a psychological report
222
24.2 Transparency of the psychological report
222
24.3 Formulations in the psychological report
222
24.4 Client’s question
223
24.5 Formulation of psychological questions
223
24.6 Description of the assessment plan in the psychological report
223
24.7 Scoring and analysis of tests and questionnaires in the data section
223
24.8 Analysis and presentation of information from interviews and non-standardized
224
24.9 Results section of a psychological report
224
24.10 Recommendations and suggestions in the psychological report
225
References
226
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