Abstract
In their professional roles, psychologists often use tests to make decisions that significantly impact their clients’ lives. Moreover, tests are commonly used in research that affects science, public policy, and law. It is therefore imperative that psychologists and other test users ensure that the assessments they use are developed, administered, scored, and interpreted in a technically, ethically, and legally sound manner. This chapter presents guidelines based on existing professional codes of ethics and standards of professional practice to help assure professionals use tests responsibly. These guidelines address test development, selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation, as well the reporting of assessment results. The chapter concludes with a discussion of test taker responsibilities and a summary of assessment behaviors that professionals should avoid.
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Suggested Reading
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: AERA This is the source for technical information on the development and use of tests in educational and psychological settings.
Internet Sites of Interest
http://www.apa.org This is the home of the American Psychological Association, a scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. It offers a wealth of information on various psychological disorders, as well as references to numerous guidelines and standards that professionals must adhere to (e.g., Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education; Responsible Test Use: Case Studies for Assessing Human Behavior; Rights and Responsibilities of Test Takers: Guidelines and Expectations; etc.).
http://www.nanonline.org This is the home of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN), a nonprofit professional association for experts in assessment and treatment of brain injuries and disorders. It offers a Professional Resources section that provides a number of helpful resources related to testing and test use.
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Reynolds, C.R., Altmann, R.A., Allen, D.N. (2021). Best Practices: Legal and Ethical Issues. In: Mastering Modern Psychological Testing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59455-8_17
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