Chapter 2: Methods and Sources of Assessment Information

Methods of recording observations

-event recording -duration recording -time sampling -rating scales -anecdotal records -self-monitoring

Area of assessment

-intellectual ability tests -aptitude tests -achievement tests -career or employment inventories -personality inventories

Interview guidelines to be considered

1. Be concerned about the physical setting for the interview 2. Explain the purpose of the interview and how the session will proceed 3. Describe the confidential nature of the interview and the limits of confidentiality 4. If conducting a standardized semi-structured or a structured interview, abide by published administration procedures 5. If conducting an unstructured interview, begin with open-ended questions and use more direct (closed) questions to fill in gaps 6. Be alert to the nonverbal as well as verbal behavior of the interviewee

Collateral sources

Personal sources, professional sources, records

initial interview

Probably the single most important means of collecting information in the assessment process is the ______.

Direct observation

a firsthand account of actual behavior as it occurs

Validity

accuracy to measure what the instrument is designed to measure

Intellectual ability tests

assess variables related to intelligence and cognitive abilities, such as verbal ability, numeric ability, reasoning, memory, and processing speed

Reliability

consistency of scores

Aptitude tests

estimate a person's potential to succeed in an activity requiring certain skills

Personal sources

family members spouse/partner roommates employers/coworkers neighbors

Group tests

given to multiple individuals simultaneously generally more efficient

Tests are utilized for a variety of purposes including:

-screening for emotional, behavioral, or learning problems -classifying an individual into a certain descriptive category -selecting or placing individuals into certain training, educational, or vocational programs -assisting in the diagnosis of a mental disorder -assisting in intervention or treatment planning -evaluating the effectiveness of a particular intervention or course of action -hypothesis testing in research studies

educational and psychological

In the helping profession, ______ and ______ tests are used to provide a measure of various individual attributes, such as cognitive function, knowledge, skills, abilities, or personality traits.

content

The ______ (subject matter) of a test varies depending on the purpose or focus of the particular test

format

The ______ of a test pertains to the type, structure, and number of items on the test.

purpose of the interview, population, and setting

The degree of structure in an interview depends on the ______, the ______, and the ______.

the purpose of the assessment, the setting in which the assessment takes place, the needs of the client, and the availability and utility of the methods and sources of information.

The methods and sources of information can vary considerable from assessment to assessment, depending upon ______, ______, ______, and ______.

Anecdotal record

a brief, descriptive narrative of an individual's behavior that is recorded after the behavior occurs

Battery

a group of tests or subtests administered to one person at a time

Formal observation

a highly structured process in which the observer decides ahead of time who will be observed, what behavior will be observed, and how the behavior will be recorded

Norm group

a reference group of people who participated in the standardization of the test, to which researchers and professionals can compare the performance of their subjects/clients

Objective test

a structured test contains selected-response items with a single correct or best answer

Scales can refer to any of the following:

a) a whole test made up of several parts b) a whole test focusing on a single characteristic c) a subtest which is a set of items within a test that measures specific characteristics d) a group of subtests that share some common characteristic e) a numerical system used to rate or categorize some measured dimension

Computer adaptive tests

adapt (questions may get harder or easier) based on how questions are being answered

Contrived setting

also known as analogue assessment; occur in a laboratory aims to evaluate behavior in a theoretical situation that mimics real-life

Unstructured interviews

an informal assessment that may follow a general format used most frequently very flexible

Career or employment inventories

assess an individual's interests and help classify those interests in terms of jobs and careers

Scale

commonly used in connection with tests

Subjective test

consist of constructed response items that require judgmental decisions by the examiner to score the test

Time sampling

divides observation periods into specific time intervals then behaviors are coded as being either present or absent during each time interval

typical performance tests

elicit information about one's opinions and preferences and are used to appraise an individual's motivations, attitudes, interests, and opinions

Participant observation

entails the observer both watching and interacting with the individual as part of the observational situation

Psychometric soundness

generally has proven reliability and validity and is standardized on a relevant norm group

Individual tests

given to a single examinee at a time used for diagnostic decision making

Semi-structured interviews

have a scripted set of questions (like structured interviews) more flexible not completely standardized interviewers may probe and expand on questions

Tests can be administered in the following ways:

individually, to a group, self-administered, computer administered, video/audio administered, and non-verbally administered

nonstandardized tests

informally constructed tests without proven reliability or validity and have limited use and application

Personality inventories

measure a wide range of stable and unique personality traits, states, and attitudes, as well as emotional problems or psychological disorders

Achievement test

measure an individual's level of knowledge in a particular area

Test

measuring device or procedure

Professional sources

mental health professionals teachers/school personnel medical professionals probation/parole officers

Records

mental health records school records medical records court records military records criminal history records

Observation

monitoring the actions of others or oneself in a particular context and making a record of what is observed

Informal observation

much less structured and occurs whenever professionals make notes of a client's behavior

Unobtrusive observation

no interaction between the observer and those being observed

Nonverbal tests

reduce or completely eliminate the need for examinees to use language when taking the test

Computer-based testing

refers to using computers for test administration, scoring, and interpretation as well as for generating narratives and written reports

Verbal tests

rely heavily on language usage, particularly oral or written responses

Indirect observation

rely on reported observations of behaviors by others who have direct contact with the individual

Selected response items

require respondents to indicate which of two or more statements is correct also called forced-choice items examples are multiple choice, true/false, matching

Constructed response items

require test takers to supply their own responses rather than selecting a given response examples are fill-in-the blank, sentence completion, or essay questions

Naturalistic observation

take place in naturally occurring settings like work or school

Self-monitoring

the act of systematically observing and recording aspects of one's own behavior and/or events related to that behavior used for assessment and intervention

Psychometrics

the field of study concerned with educational and psychological measurement

Structured interviews

the most rigorous and the least flexible interview format very formal no deviation in procedure often used in research settings

Event recording

the simplest of the observation data collection methods requires an observer to observe, count, and record the number of times a behavior has occurred also called frequency recording

Standardized tests

those that have structured test materials, specific instructions for administration, and specific scoring methods must follow procedures carefully

Rating scales

used to describe and evaluate an individual's specific behaviors

Duration recording

used when it is more important to know how long a behavior occurs rather than the frequency of the behavior

maximum performance tests

usually used to appraise some aspect of a person's knowledge, skills or abilities