Psychological report writing

DEFINITION

* It reflects a process that starts with a referral source.

* Since the referral source can originate from different areas and level of
expertise. The psychologist needs to keep in mind that the final report must be
written in a manner that is understandable to the person who will be reading it.
* This means that the same report CANNOT be sent to a parents, therapist or
teacher.
* The problem of the patient may be critical and the referral person helping with
the must be able to utilize the psychologist’s input. Hence, the psychologist
responsible for testing and report writing must always respond to the needs of the
patient as well as to the needs of the particular referral source.
* It is the document written as a means of understanding certain features about
the person and current life circumstances in order to make decision and to
intervene positively in a problem situation.
* It is an end product of the assessment procedure.
* It is a communication that must be written in a way that corresponds to the
reader’s level of understanding and training. PORPOSE
* To communicate information this will serve as the basis for personnel decision,
treatment and prognosis.
* It serves as a record for future reference.

CRITERIA

* It should be written on a specific language.

* It should be convincing and free of statements that are uncommunicative
because they are too general.
* It requires understanding and appreciation of the reader’s concern, which is
transformed into presentation of the report.
* It should be presented digestible materials. One of doing this is to use shorter
rather than longer sentences.
* It turns the complex data into a recognizable form that has been constructed out
of clear, rather than diffuse statements.
* In reporting about patients/students/ or referral in general. It is important to
remember that we are dealing with real people whose problem needs to be
meaningfully understood.
MEANINGFULNESS OF THE REPORT

* The words and ideas must clear.

* The use of jargons, adjective stringing, and generalization are handicaps to
clarifying ideas and reduces meaning.
* It is basic to keep a sharp focus on the client’s specific problem.
* It needs to written in a way that includes section logically and relevantly related
to each other.

SYNTHESIS

* Integration of the report means that the initial behavior or experiential problem
of the patient has been given a context that serve s as a sort of map in which
relevant details of the problem can be made visible and related to each other.
* The fundamental/relevant details of the problem/issue are encapsulated into
large concepts which are the organized to one another.
* In the report the presenting symptom/complaint is explained and understood.
* The report reveals the meaning of the presenting symptoms and provides
information as well as guidance’s in the management and treatment of the overall
problem.
* A psychological report can be viewed as a communication about the logic of a
specific personality. Aspects of personality are logically related and thus the
structure of the report must from a relevant synthesis; that is the parts of the will
reflect different aspects of the same personality.

GUIDELINES FOR REPORT WRITINGS

1. There is no standard form or cutline for report writing. Content and style
should depend on.

a. Purpose
b. Recipients: It should be the needs. Interest and background of the
recipients.

2. Content of the report should follow directly from the purpose of the testing
as specified in the “Reason for Referral”

a. From the mass of data gathered, one selects whatever is relevant to

answering the initial questions/issue raised.
b. It should be action-oriented.
 c. It should be directed toward recommendations or decisions regarding
instructional programs, occupational choice or other appropriate
actions.

3. The report should be focus on:

a. High and low points

b. Uniqueness of the person
c. Avoid general, stereotyped statements that apply to most people.

4. The primary focus of the report should be on the interpretations and

conclusions.

*Specific data are cited only to illustrate or clarify a point.

*Report should be carefully organized/integrated.
*If the data contain inconsistence, this to be included and the interpreter
should call attention to it and if possible, suggest reason for it.

5. The goal of psychological report writing is to communicate, not confuse and

therefore

The writer must remember to:

a. Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete
to the abstract.
b. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarify.
c. Avoid fancy words.
d. Omit needless words, Make every word tell.
e. Express coordinate ideas in similar form. Use a clear of presentation so
the ideas can be followed.
f. Do not overstate (avoid generalization, over interpretations).
g. Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating noncommittal
language.
h. Write from the reader’s point of view.
i. Avoid the use of qualifiers such as rather, very little, pretty.