Ethical and Social Considerations in Testing Jemellene Baluyot Department of Behavioral Sciences University of the Philippines Manila

Ethical Considerations  In both their research and practical applications of their procedures, psychologists have long been concerned with questions of professional ethics.  A concrete example of this concern is the systematic empirical program followed in the early 1950s to develop the first formal code of ethics for the profession, which resulted in the preparation of a set of standards that was officially adopted by the American Psychological Association (APA) and first published in  These standards undergo continual review and refinement, of which revised editions and periodically published.

Ethical Issues in Psych Testing and Assessment  Since the 1970s there has been a heightened concern not only with ethical problems but also with broader questions of values in all fields on both theoretical and applied psychology.  In the testing area, thoughtful and provocative analyses of the role of values and of the underlying ethical rationale of various practices have been presented.

Ethical Issues in Psych Testing and Assessment  The APA Ethics Code contains much that is applicable to psychological testing.  One of the standards – Evaluation, Assessment, or Intervention – is directly concerned with the development and use of psychological assessment techniques.  Another one – Forensic Activities – contains a section devoted specifically to assessments in legal contexts.

Ethical Issues in Psych Testing and Assessment  In addition, the ethical standard on Privacy and Confidentiality, although broader in scope, is also highly relevant to testing, as are most other general principles and several of the ethics standards.

Ethical Issues in Psych Testing and Assessment  Besides the APA, other related professional groups and associations have developed their own ethics codes and guidelines.  Responsibilities of Users of Standardized Tests (the “RUST” Statement), adopted in 1989 by the American counseling Association (ACA)  Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures developed by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP – 1987) for a more specified purpose

Ethical Issues in Psych Testing and Assessment  A significant event in clarifying the place of testing in modern society was the publication of Ability Testing: Uses, Consequences, and Controversies (Wigdor and Garner, 1982).  This two-volume book is the final report of a four-year project that examined the use of standardized ability tests in schools, in admission to higher education, and in employment testing.

Ethical Issues in Psych Testing and Assessment  Board on Testing and Assessment (BoTA)  Established in 1993 with the support of the US departments of Defense, Education, and Labor  Its main objective are to help policy makers understand and evaluate tests and other appraisal instruments used as tools of public policy.

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  The Ethics Code principle on competence states that psychologists “provide only those services and use only those techniques for which they are qualified by education, training, or experience.”  The requirement that they be used only by appropriate qualified examiners is one step toward protecting the test taker against the improper use of tests.

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  Thus, a relatively long period intensive training and supervised experience is required for the proper use of individual intelligence tests and most personality tests, whereas mush less specified psychological training is needed for tests of educational achievement or job proficiency.  It should be noted that students who take tests in class for instructional purposes are not usually equipped to administer the tests to others or interpret the scores properly.

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  Well-trained examiners choose tests that are appropriate for both the particular purpose for which they are testing and the persons to be examined.  In administering the test, they are sensitive the many conditions that may affect test performance.  They draw conclusions or make recommendations only after considering the test score (or scores) in the light of other pertinent information about the individual.

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  Above all, they should be sufficiently knowledgeable about the science of human behavior to guard against unwarranted inferences in their interpretations of test scores.  When tests are administered by psychological assistants, or by persons who lack professional training in psychometric principles and proper assessment practices, it is essential that adequately qualified psychologist be available, at least as a consultant, to provide the needed perspective for a proper interpretation of the test score.

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  Who is a qualified psychologist?  Obviously, with the diversification of the discipline and the consequent specialization of training, no psychologist is equally qualified in all areas, even within the narrower field of psychological testing and assessment.  In recognition to this fact, the Ethics Code calls for psychologists to “recognize the boundaries of their particular competencies and the limitations of their expertise.”

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  A significant step, both in upgrading professional standards and in helping the public to identify qualified psychologists, was the enactment of state licensing and certification laws for psychologists.  Although the terms “licensing” and “certification” are often used interchangeably, in psychology…  Certification typically refers to legal protection of the title “psychologist”; whereas  Licensing controls the practice of psychology regardless of the title by which the practitioner is identified.

User Qualifications and Professional Competence  In either type, the requirements are generally a doctorate in psychology, a specified amount of supervised experience, an satisfactory performance on a qualifying exam.  Licensing statutes typically include grounds for disciplinary actions against psychologists, which can range from fines and reprimands to the suspension and revocation of the license.

Responsibilities of Test Publishers  The purchase of tests is generally restricted to persons who meet certain minimal qualifications. Catalogs of major test publishers specify requirements that must be met by purchasers.  Usually, individuals with a master’s degree in psychology or its equivalent qualify.

Responsibilities of Test Publishers  Some publishers classify their tests into levels with reference to user qualifications, ranging from educational achievement to vocational proficiency tests, through group intelligence tests and interest inventories, to such clinical instruments as individual intelligence tests and most personality tests.

Responsibilities of Test Publishers  Graduate students who may need a particular test for a class assignment or for research must have the purchase order countersigned by the psychology professor, who assumes responsibility for the proper use of the test.

Responsibilities of Test Publishers  Efforts to restrict the distribution of tests have a dual objective: security of test materials and prevention of misuse.  It should be noted, however, that while test distributors may make sincere efforts to implement these objectives, the control they may be able to exert is necessarily limited.  In some cases, it may not be feasible to investigate and verify the alleged qualifications of purchasers.

Responsibilities of Test Publishers  Moreover, the formal qualifications provide only a rough screening device. For instance, an MA or PhD do not necessarily signify that the individual is qualified to use a particular test or that his or her training is relevant to the proper interpretation of the results obtained with the test.  The major responsibility for the proper use of tests ultimately resides in the individual user or institution concerned.

Responsibilities of Test Publishers