PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Meaning of Terms
• Assessment is the process of
obtaining information for
diagnosis process
• Information are collected by both
informal and formal techniques

1. Diagnostic interview
2. Mental status examination
3. Behavioral observation
4. Personality measures
5. Standardized test
6. Reports (parents, friends, spouses,
medical, educational, social, legal,
etc)
Diagnosis
Diagnosis means the data are
interpreted through diagnostic
classification system. It is
matching of client's symptoms
with the categories.
Diagnosis involves matching signs
and symptoms of the client with
a known cluster of symptoms (a
syndrome)
The purpose is to allow the
counselor to intervene in the
most effective way possible (a
more difficult and complex since
client is a part of wider systems)
 Treatment planning
means diagnosis supported
counseling goals, duration,
techniques to assist the client

All these processes are

intertwined in all six stages of
counseling process
It has:
1. Counseling goal
2. Plan and strategies
3. Method and tool
4. The number of sessions
History
A glance
 Glimpse of History
• 2200 BC. Chinese emperor examined individual
fitness for public office
• Late 1700s century civil service test employed in
Chinese pattern
• 1883 US used tests for screening for civil service
jobs
• 1904-5 Binet and Simon developed test for
assessing ability
• WW I and II – tests developed for clinical use
• 1940s – Wechsler developed test for adult
• Now several tests for intelligence, personality, etc
are available
• At present time consumption for assessment has
reduced significantly
• In 1950s psychologists spent 44% of total time in
assessing
• In 1998 it reduced to 16% of total time
• Assessment important in educational and clinical
setting
• Assessment facilitate effective psychological
intervention
 SETTINGS for Assessment

1. Child Mental Health

2. Adult Mental Health
3. Geriatric
4. Industrial/Organizational
5. Forensic
6. Medical
7. Correctional
8. Educational
TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
 TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
1. Cognitive/Intellectual Assessment
2. Interests Assessment
3. Neuropsychological Assessment
4. Assessment of Personality and
Psychopathology
5. Assessment Interviews
6. Behavioral Assessment
7. Assessment through Projective
Approaches
8. Assessment through Self-Report
Approaches
 
GOAL OF ASSESSMENT
 Goal of Counselor’s in
Assessment
• Main goal of assessment:

1. To describe and predict human

behavior
2. To explain that behavior, and
3. To develop effective methods of
treatment for individuals who are
distressed

Assessment is an evaluation of
another person or judgment based on
information gathered
 GUIDELINES FOR HUMAN
ASSESSMENT
1. Each individual human being is unique and
this uniqueness is to be valued. Uniqueness
sets apart one to others.
2. It expects direct participation of the person
in his or her own assessment: input of
client, feedback, clarification, interpretation
and self evaluation is important.
3. Accurate human assessment is limited by
instruments and personnel: limitation of
client, counselor in using test to
interpretation, instrument, unwillingness
and inability of client.
4. Acceptation of positive aspects:
5. Human assessment follows established
professional guidelines: follow ethical
guidelines established by professional
organization
IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT
 IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT
1. It begins with initial interview (intake form) to
the whole process of counseling
2. Develop knowledge about client
3. Use systematic steps,
4. theoretically guided knowledge
5. In making decision: needed counseling or not;
refer or not, sent hospital or home, problem is
central or peripheral,
6. Identifying problems,
7. coping strategies,
8. Strengths & weaknesses,
9. potentialities,
10.developing a psychological portrait,
11.finally planning to solve the current problem and
developing skills to deal with future challenges.

• Clinical assessment is the process by which

clinicians gain understanding of the patient
necessary for making informed decisions.
DEFINITIONS
 What is assessment?

• A psychological assessment is the

attempt of a skilled professional,
usually a psychologist, to use the
techniques and tools of
psychology to learn either general
or specific facts about another
person, either to inform others of
how they function now, or to
predict their behavior and
functioning in the future
(http://www.psychpage.com/lear
ning/library/assess/assess.html).
 What is Assessment?

Assessments/Evaluations
refer to the collection and
analysis of information
gathered through
interviews,
questionnaires, and
standardized tests.
• Psychological assessment is the
process of gathering information
about a client or subject to gain a
better understanding of the person.

Within this process, the clinician

1. selects the assessment method,
2. conducts the assessment,
3. examines and interprets the
resulting information,
4. summarizes the relevant
conclusions (if appropriate) for the
client,
5. and communicates the results to
other professionals.
 What is Assessment?

Psychological assessment is a process of

testing that uses a combination of
techniques to help arrive at some
hypotheses about a person and their
behavior, personality and capabilities.

1. Nearly always performed by a

licensed psychologist, or a psychology
trainee (such as an intern).
2. Psychologists are the only profession
that is expertly trained to perform
and interpret psychological tests.
 Clinical assessment

Clinical assessment is a process of gaining

information about the client, may used
variety of tests, and interviews to develop
“working image or model of the person”
(sundberg and Tyler, 1962)
1. Many procedures may use to tap
multiple level of functioning
2. Conceptualizes questions to be answer,
techniques to be used, to develop
coherent whole
3. Depending on knowledge, skill and
wisdom is important.
CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IS BOTH ART
AND SCIENCE.
WHY ASSESSMENT IS IMPORTANT?

Information collected when analyzed

and interpreted lays a foundation
on which counseling process is built

(Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan,

2008)
 Why assessment?
1. Clients with textbook symptoms
are rare
2. Few clients have single, discrete
symptoms
3. There is no ready made solution
for problem
4. There is no ‘circular explanation’
in counseling
5. There is no ‘one size fit all’
approach in counseling
6. There is tailor made treatment
package in counseling
7. Most of the
psychological/counseling
interventions have cognitive
approach (source treatment)
8. Selection of therapy and counselor
depends on assessment
 Diagnosis in psychiatry
and counseling
• Psychiatric nosological entity
(disease) is narrow
• clinician’s diagnosis is
characterological diagnosis (not
symptomatic diagnosis) that
ranges from patient’s personality
structure and dynamics, his assets
as well as failings, demands and
copings…
PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT
 PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT

1. Since initial interview, it is to establish

an effective relationship between
client and counselor
2. Evaluate the client
3. To determine the status of person's
psychological life... (conditions or
factors) blocking their ability to think
or move more appropriate or
constructive manner.
4. Assessment does not always
necessarily pinpoint the precise cause
but gives cues that can help.
 PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT
1. PLAN TREATMENT
1. Person with text book symptoms is rare.
Each person is unique
2. Causes of problems are manifold
3. Assessment provides a general picture
of one aspect of their behavior
2. DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF TREATMENT IS
APPLICABLE AND HOW IT SHOULD BE
CONDUCTED.
(Client’s strengths, weaknesses, severity of
psychological problems before, during, and
after intervention, measure the progress
of improvement)
3. TO MAKE INFORMED DECISION.
4. TO CONDUCT RESEARCH (PROVIDING
INFORMATION TO INCREASE
UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR).
 Important facts about Psy
assessment (see purpose)
1. The purpose is often diagnosis or
classification: placing a person in
strict or loose category

2. Such act allows to understand

client in general.

3. Helps in treatment planning

AREAS FOCUSED IN
THE ASSESSMENT
 ASPECTS FOCUSED

1. Focus on individual’s dysfunctions

(highlighting the problems,
abnormalities or deficits in the
person’s thoughts, emotions, or
actions).
2. Focus on source of problems
• (Person, family, relations, others)
3. Focus on the client’s strengths
(with outstanding abilities, skills,
or sensitivities being targeted for
evaluation).
4. Evaluate and describe the
personality of the subject.
5. Finds coping strategies
4 COMPONENTS OF ASSESSMENT
 FOUR COMPONENTS OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT:

• 1. Interviews
• 2. Norm referenced tests
• 3. Observations
• 4. Informal assessment
 1. NORM REFERENCED TESTS

• Tests should be given

understandard, set conditions to
gain person's knowlede, skill or
personality
• considered as yardsticks,
objective and quantitative,
considered fair
• norm reference test reflect a rank
within the norm group in various
area.
• they provide valuable information
about a person's level of
functioning in the area covered by
tests.
 2. INTERVIEW
• Interview is a way of getting
valuable information, provides
opportunity to convey thoughts and
feeling in their own words.

• Formal clinical interview is often

conducted before the start of any
counseling assessment or testing...it
is about personal history including
experiences, work, school history
and family background.

• There are two kind of interview

 2. INTERVIEW
There are two kind of interview

1. structured: is the Structured Clinical

Interview for the DSM-III-R having
"yes/no" or "definitely/somewhat/not at
all" forced choice format..."when did this
problem begin? was there any particular
stressor going on at that time? (set of
questionnaire or MSE)
2. Unstructured: It allows client more
control over the topic and direction of
the interview. It is better suited for
general information gathering provides
opportunity for explanation and
elaboration..."What was happening in
your life when this problem started?
HOw did you feel then? How did this all
start?"
 OBSERVATION

Conducted in natural setting

especially for the child and see
the reactions.

BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONS:
action, nervous, calm, maintain
eye contact? sitting position...use
for both clinical and research
purpose.
 Integration, Analysis, Pattern,
Diagnosis
From all these information
psychologist weaves a
comprehensive and complete
working picture of the person.
The result is based on other
recommendation also that helps
to understand client's behavior in
different setting. Major
discrepancies should be sorted
out before any final diagnostic
decision or recommendation for
treatment.
 Note:

1. Counseling assessment is never

focused on a single test score or
number.
2. Each person has a problem or
competencies in multiple
level...thus should be evaluated
through a number of methods.
3. It should not only evaluate the
limitations but also the strengths
of the client.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
ASSESSMENT
AND
ASSESSMENT TESTING
 DIFFERENCES: ASSESSMENT AND
TESTING
• Psychological assessment is a process
that involves the integration of
information from multiple sources,
such as tests of normal and abnormal
personality, tests of ability or
intelligence, tests of interests or
attitudes, as well as information from
personal interviews.
• Collateral or supportive information is
also collected about personal,
occupational, or medical history, such
as from records or from interviews
with parents, spouses, teachers, or
previous therapists or physicians.
• Sometimes, interview and testing is
also called two forms of assessment
 DIFFERENCES: ASSESSMENT AND
TESTING
• A psychological test is one of the sources of
data used within the process of assessment;
• More than one test is used
• Psychological assessment is a more complex,
detailed, in-depth process.
• It provides a diagnosis for treatment settings;
• Identify and assess some traits or symptoms
through checklist
• For school setting - Assess a particular area of
functioning or disability
• Help select type of treatment or to assess
treatment outcomes;
• Help courts decide issues such as child
custody or competency to stand trial;
• Help assess job applicants or employees and
provide career development counseling or
training
 CRITIQUE

Example:
For aboriginal Australians asking
questions is considered impolite
and questions are asked only
when you do not know the
answer and impolite to ask the
question when client do not know
the answer (Kearins, 1980).

In some techniques, assessment

is not regarded proper (e.g.,
family therapy, person-centered
counseling)
 RECAP

Contact

Initial Intake interview (protocol)

Sources of information

1. Data supplied by client

(interview)
2. Counselor’s observation
3. Information supplied by significant
others
4. Medical History
5. Use of test
 PRACTICE CONT…

INTERVIEW
&
TESTING

Intake interviews are the most common type

of interview in clinical psychology. They
occur when a client first comes to seek help
from a clinician. The intake interview is
important in clinical psychology because it
is the first interaction that occurs between
the client and the clinician.
A Brief checklist (outline) for a semistructured Counseling
Interview

1. Presenting problem or chief complaint

2. History of the problem
3. Family and social history
4. Employment history
5. Mental health and substance abuse history
6. Medical history
7. Important patient characteristics
a. Functional impairment
b. Subjective distress
c. Problem complexity
d. Readiness to change
e. Potential to resist therapeutic influence
f. Social support
g. Coping style
8. Patient strengths
9. Mental status
10. Risk of harm to self and others
11. Diagnosis and related considerations
12. Treatment goals
a. Patient-identified goals b. Third-party goals
13. Motivation to change

Task:
1. Timeline assessment & Genogram
 Reference
1. Yuh-Jen Guo, Shu-Ching Wang, and Veronica
Johnson. Clinical Assessment in the Counseling
Process: A Teaching Model (if interested to read get
the article from desk)