ASSESSING COMPETENCE IN
PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
LICENSING OF PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THE
UNITED STATES & CANADA
JAMES E. MADDUX
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WELL-BEING
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
JMADDUX@GMU.EDU
START WITH FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTION
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LICENSING
OF PROFESSIONALS OF ANY KIND?
DOCTOR?
DENTIST?
LAWYER?
HAIRDRESSER?
MASSEUSE?
Purpose of Licensure
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Protect the public
BY LimitING practice to qualified PERSONS.
BY ESTABLISHING STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL
CONDUCT.
AND PUNISHING violatORS of standards of
professional conduct
BUT. . WHAT IS A “QUALIFIED” INDIVIDUAL?
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO IS “QUALIFIED?
WHAT “QUALFIED” PSYCHOLOGIST
MEANS IN THE US
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DOCTORAL DEGREE—PHD OR PSYD.
EDUCATION—SPECIFIC COURSWORK (APA
ACCREDITED PROGRAM OR EQUIVALENT).
SUPERVISION CLINICAL EXPERIENCE (PRE- AND
POST-DOCTORAL—USUALLY 3000 HOURS)
KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHOLOGY REGULATIONS IN
SPECIFIC STATE.
PASSING SCORE ON THE EXAMINATION FOR THE
PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY—EPPP
MAYBE PASSING AN ESSAY EXAM.
MAYBE PASSING AN ORAL EXAM.
WHAT DOES LICENSING REGULATE IN
THE U.S.?
1.
1.
1.
USE OF THE TERM “PSYCHOLOGIST”
CERTAIN “PSYCHOLOGICAL”
ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES.
ACCEPTING DIRECT FEE FOR
SERVICES.
BUT WHO ELSE CAN DO
PSYCHOTHERAPY?
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SOCIAL WORKERS—LICENESED WITH
MASTER’S DEGREE.
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS—
LICENSED WITH MASTER’S DEGREE.
PSYCHIATRIC NURSES—LICENSED
WITH MASTER’S DEGREE.
IT HELPS TO UNDERSTAND THE US
CONSTITUTION

LIMITS POWERS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
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GIVES A LOT OF POWER TO STATES & PROVINCES
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PRO—50 + 10 LABORATORIES FOR INNVATION
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CON—DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP CONSENSUS AND
CONSISTENCY
FOR THIS REASON . . .
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A NATIONAL LICENSING LAW WAS
NEVER REALLY A POSSIBILITY
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LEFT TO RESPONSIBILITY OF STATES
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AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Historical Development
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Rapid growth of the practice of psychology
after ww2
Greatly expanded training opportunities,
e.g., through funding from the us Veteran’s
Administration
Growing concerns in us & canada regarding
standards of professional practice of
psychology
Needed consistency
National governments had no power to act.
FROM ACCREDITATION TO LICENSURE

EARLY 1940s—STATES BEGIN CONSIDERING
CERTIFICATION OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND
REGULATION OF PRACTICE
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LOOKED TO APA ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES TO
DEVELOP REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE.
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1945—CONNECTICUT—FIRST STATE CERTIFICATION
LAW
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1946—VIRGINIA—FIRST STATE TO REQUIRE A PHD
Entry to Independent Practice:
U.S & Canada
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Most (49) states require a doctoral degree for
licensure as a Psychologist
Canada & EU—master’s only is enougH.
One (1) state (West Virginia) requires a
masters degree for licensure as a Psychologist
Two (2) states also license at masters level for
independent practice, different title:
 Oregon: Psychological Associate
 Vermont: Psychologist – Master
11
1967—APA GUIDELINES FOR
LICENSURE

MOST STATE LAWS BASED ON APA
ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES
GOOD EXAMPLE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND
GOVERNMENT.
1. REQUIRE DOCTORAL DEGREE FOR LICENSURE
(FIRST SUGGESTED IN THE 1920s)
2. APA ETHICAL PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE
WRITTEN INTO STATE LAW
3. EXEMPTIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS IN
INSTITUTIONAL & ACADEMIC SETTINGS.
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1940s & 1950s—GROWING NEED FOR
CONSISTENCY IN LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
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CONSISTENCY NEEDED ACROSS THE STATES AND
PROVINCES.
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U.S. & CANADA ARE MOBILE SOCIETIES.
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LIMITED POWERS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS.
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NO NATIONAL LICENSING LAW IN U.S. OR CANADA
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BUT—A LOT OF VOLUNTARY COORDINATION AMONG
THE STATE (US) AND PROVINCIAL (CANADA)
PSYCHOLOGY LICENSING BOARDS.
November 1959 meeting in Chicago
decided
• Written exam needed to ensure adequate
knowledge for practice
• An organizational structure necessary to oversee
development of an exam
• The American Association of State Psychology
Boards (AASPB) was formed, with 29 charter
members
• Held first meeting in 1961
• later changed NAME to the Association of State
and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)
(ONTARIO JOINED)
1961—ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND
PROVINCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BOARDS (ASPPB)
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FORMED BY THE PSYCHOLOGY BOARDS OF A
NUMBER OF US STATES AND ONTARIO.
GOAL—BRING SOME CONSISTENCY TO
LICENSING LAWS IN THE US AND CANADA.
FORUM FOR SHARING IDEAS
ASPPB MISSION STATEMENT
To enhance services and support its member
jurisdictions in fulfilling their goal of advancing
public protection by:
Offering examination & credentialing programs.
serving as the source for the current and accurate
information about the regulation of psychologists.
contributing to the critical consumer protection
perspective in the on-going development of the
profession.
FIRST TASK—STANDARDIZED TEST OF
BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHOLOGY.
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WHAT INFORMATION IS NECESSARY FOR THE
COMPETENT AND ETHICAL PRACTICE OF
PSYCHOLOGY?.
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EXAMINATION FOR THE PRACTICE OF
PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY—EPPP.
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EXAMPLE OF INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOMETRIC
TRADITION.
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GOALS: ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, CONSISTENCY,
OBJECTIVITY, FAIRNESS.
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MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM: WHY? PROS? CONS?
Historical & Current Developments
• First form of EPPP administered IN 1965 to 27
candidates in eight states.
(B.F. SKINNER WROTE ITEMS FOR FIRST EXAM)
• By 1978 4000 candidates were being tested each
year
• In 2012 5400 candidates were tested in 62
jurisdictions in U.S. & Canada.
Purposes of the EPPP
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Assist licensing boards in evaluating candidates for
licensure
Ensure that licensed psychologists have acquired a
broad, basic knowledge of psychology.
ENSURE SOME CONSISTENCY ACROSS
JURISDICTIONS.
Never intended as the only measure of readiness for
practice
EPPP
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USED IN ALL US STATES AND CANADIAN PROVINCES.
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FRENCH VERSION IN QUEBEC & SPANISH VERSION IN
PUERTO RICO
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MAINTAINED AND ADMINISTERED BY A PRIVATE,
NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMPANY.
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REVIEWED AND REVISED AT VARIOUS STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT BY ASPPB EXAMINATION COMMITTEE,
WHICH MEETS TWICE YEARLY.
CONSISTS OF TEN MEMBERS FROM THE US AND
CANADA REPRESENTING EXPERTISE ON THE VARIOUS
DOMAINS REPRESENTED ON THE EXAM.
EPPP
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175 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS.
CONTENT IS THE RESULT OF A PERIODIC SURVEY.
THOUSANDS OF PRACTICING PSYCHOLOGISTS
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO THEY BELIEVE IS NECESSARY
FOR COMPETENT PRACTICE?
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY EXAM, NOT JUST CLINICAL
Computer administered at local sites throughout
calendar year
Candidate must be approved by regulatory
board/college to take exam
Fee = $500?
EIGHT MAJOR DOMAINS
(CLOSELY MATCHING APA ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES)
1-BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR (12%)
2-COGNITIVE-AFFECTIVE BASES (13%)
3-SOCIAL & MULTICULTURAL BASES (12%)
4 -DEVELOPMENTAL (12%)
5 -ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS (14%)
6 -TREATMENT & PREVENTION (14%)
7 -RESEARCH METHODS & STATISTICS
(8%)
8 -ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES (15%)
Developing the EPPP - II
ITEM-DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
TEAM OF ITEM WRITERS ALWAYS WRITING ITEMS.
Pro-exam assembles pretest items into domains.
Pro-exam assembles examination forms
Examination Committee (ExC) reviews & revises
pre-test ITEMS.
ExC reviews & revises examination forms
Examinations administered
Pro-exam and ExC review pretest and test question
statistics
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Central Guidelines
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Item tests knowledge important for entry level
practice.
Knowledge of the item content relevant to
protection of the public
• Would not knowing this information cause less
competent practice that might result in harm to
the public?
items should be based on:
• Current research or
• Best practice, preferably with research base
The content of the test helps to define the field of
professional psychology
Research on the EPPP
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Numerous studies supporting reliability & validity of
EPPP
Data suggest best to take EPPP within 3 years of
graduation
Correlation education and performance on EPPP
 Those with more or better education perform
better on the EPPP
 Those rated more highly by faculty and
supervisors do better on the EPPP
 The correlations in scores between the various
areas (domains) are high
CONTENT VALIDITY: PRACTICE
ANALYSIS
Practicing psychologists surveyed and
focus groups
 What do entry levelKNOWLEDGE DO
psychologists need to know?
 What knowledge is important for
protection of the public?
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Most Recent Practice Analysis
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4 Task Force Meetings, April 2008, Nov. 2008, July
2009, and Nov. 2009.
2 rounds of independent subject matter expert
reviews (30 reviewers)
2 focus panels to refine delineation (Aug.-Sept. 2008)
Large-scale validation survey of 8,000 psychologists
2 focus panels and additional interviews to explore
competency assessment
FOOD FOR THOUGHT . . .
HOW IS THIS SIMILAR TO OR
DIFFERENT FROM HOW COMPETENCE
FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IS
DETERMINED IN URUGUAY?
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PROS & CONS?
EPPP CONTROVERSIES

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IS A MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM A GOOD WAY
TO DETERMINE COMPETENCE?
DOES THE CONTENT TRULY REFLECT WHAT A
PRACTITIONER NEEDS TO KNOW?
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NOT ENOUGH “CLINICAL” CONTENT.
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NOT SUFFICIENTLY BASED ON RESEARCH.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
BIG QUESTION MISSING . . .
•DOES THE EXAM PREDICT
COMPETENCE AS A PRACTITIONER?
•HOW WOULD YOU DO THIS?
•HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE YOUR
OWN COMPETENCE?
STOP HERE