Pittsburg State University
Department of Psychology and Counseling
808.01 Child Personality Assessment
Spring 2010
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
E-mail:
Sean A. Lauderdale, Ph.D.
207A Whitesitt Hall
620 235 4526
slauderd@pittstate.edu
Time: 6:30-9:20 pm
Days: Monday
Room: 202 Whitesitt Hall
Office Hours:
Day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
By appointment as needed
Time
10:00am-12:00pm
10:00am-12:00pm
10:00am-12:00pm
Time
1:00pm-3:00pm
1:00pm-3:00pm
Texts:
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders-Text Revision (4th ed.). Author: Arlington, VA.
Weis, R. (2008). An introduction to abnormal child and adolescent psychology. Sage: Los
Angeles.
Kamphaus, R.W., & Campbell, J.M. (2006). Psychodianostic assessment of children:
Dimensional and categorical approaches. Wiley: New York.
Course Prerequisites:
1) PSYCH 722 Fundamentals of Tests and Measurement
2) PSYCH 803 Intellectual Assessment
3) Permission of instructor
Course Description:
This course is designed to provide the foundations of child psychopathology as well as
administration, scoring, and interpretation of emotional and behavioral measures designed for
children. Assessment measures will include self-report and rating scale techniques appropriate
for children.
Course Requirements: For evaluation of course progress, students will complete reports and
exams. Some reports will be brief and only require completion of a test interpretation section.
These reports will be graded on the quality of interpretation of validity scales, clinical\adaptive
behavior scales, and any other scales associated with the measure. Other reports, completed with
volunteers from the CARRD program, will include the following elements:
Background Information (History of symptoms, discipline\parenting strategies,
alcohol\drug history, developmental history, academic history, medical history, family
composition and functioning, social history)
Test interpretation
Summary
Diagnostic Impressions (for clinicians in training)
Recommendations
Pittsburg State University
Department of Psychology and Counseling
808.01 Child Personality Assessment
Spring 2010
Grading Criteria for CARRD reports:
Background Information
Behavioral observations
Test interpretation
Summary
Diagnostic Impressions
Recommendations
30% 15
5% 2.5
30% 15
10% 5
20% 10
5% 2.5
4 Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC-2) Reports:
3 Reports will use data provided by the instructor and include:
1 Teacher Rating Scale
1 Parent Rating Scale
1 Self-Report of Personality
Each report worth 25 points (Total 75 points)
1 Report will use parent and child volunteers from various sources (e.g., CARRD). These
reports will include:
Clinical History
1 BASC-2 Structured Developmental History
1 Self Report of Personality
1 Parent Rating Scale
1 Teacher Rating Scale (if available)
This report worth 50 points (Total 50 points)
1 Scales of Independent Behaviors-Revised
This report is worth 25 points (Total 25 points)
2 Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) Reports:
Both reports will be based on information provided by the instructor. One report will
include data on a child 1.5-5 years of age. The other will have data regarding a child who
is 6-18 years of age.
1 Child Behavior Checklist (1.5-5 years)
1 Caregiver-Teacher Report Form
1 Child Behavior Checklist (6-18 years)
1 Teacher Report Form (6-18 years)
1 Youth Self-Report Form (11-18 years)
Each report will be worth 25 points (Total 50 points)
2 Depression Scale Interpretations and Reports:
Both reports will be based on information provided by the instructor. One report will be
for a child, the other for an adolescent.
1 Reynolds’ Child Depression Scale
1 Reynolds’ Adolescent Depression Scale
Pittsburg State University
Department of Psychology and Counseling
808.01 Child Personality Assessment
Spring 2010
Each report will be worth 25 points (Total 50 points)
2 Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale Interpretations and Reports:
Both reports will be based on information provided by the instructor.
Each report will be worth 25 points (Total 50 points)
Examinations: There will be one mid-term and final examination. Each examination will be
open-book and worth 25 points.
Grading: There are a possible total of 350 points for this class. The following grading scale will
be used:
350-314 = A
313-279 = B
278-244 = C
243-209 = D
< 208 = F
Late reports will be decreased by one letter grade every day the report is late. Please note, reports
submitted after class as began is considered a day late. All requests for deviations from this
policy must be submitted to Dr. Lauderdale in writing (electronically via email is preferred).
Class attendance and full participation is expected of all students. Please notify instructor if you
will be absent. Assignments will be due even if students are absent. Grades will be lowered
and\or student will be dismissed from the class for absences.
Reading\Lecture Schedule:
Pittsburg State University
Department of Psychology and Counseling
808.01 Child Personality Assessment
Spring 2010
January 18
 No Class 
January 25
Syllabus, Chp. 1 Science and Practice of Abnormal Child
Psychology (Weis)
February 1
Chp. 2 Interpretation of Findings (Kamphaus), Interview Methods
with Parents and Teachers
February 8
Interview Methods with Children
February 15
Behavior Assessment System for Children-2
February 22
Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment
March 1
Scales for Independent Behaviors-Revised (SIB-R)
March 8
Chp. 7 Learning Disorders (Weis); Chp. 4 Learning Disorders
(Kamphaus)
March 15
☼☺Spring Break♫
March 22
Chp. 5 Mental Retardation\Intellectual Disabilities (Weis); Chp. 3
Mental Retardation\Intellectual Disabilities (Kampaus)
March 29
Chp. 13 Anxiety Disorders (Weis); Chp. 7 Anxiety Disorders
(Kamphaus)
April 5
Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale; Chp. 11 Depressive Disorders
(Weis)
April 12
Chp. 11 Depressive Disorders (Weis); Chp. 6 Depressive
Disorders (Kamphaus)
April 19
Chp. 12 Bipolar Disorder; Reynold’s Child Depression Scale,
Reynold’s Adolescent Depression Scale
April 26
Chp. 8 ADHD (Weis); Chp. 10 ADHD (Kamphaus)
May 3
Dead Week; Chp. 9 Conduct Problems; Chp. 11 Conduct
Disorder (Kamphaus)
May 10
Monday, May 10, 2010 @ 6:30pm-9:20pm
Angel: The syllabus and any pertinent announcements or supplemental course materials will be
posted on Angel over the course of the semester. Power Point presentations of presentation
materials will also be available on Angel. To view materials posted on Angel (e.g., Power Point
slides, Microsoft Word documents), students must have the same software on their computer. If
unavailable, a viewer for Power Point and Microsoft Word can be downloaded from
http://www.microsoft.com/office/000/viewers.asp . Students should also ensure that their
preferred e-mail address is listed on Angel to receive any e-mails or announcements. Due to the
Pittsburg State University
Department of Psychology and Counseling
808.01 Child Personality Assessment
Spring 2010
multitude of available word processing program available, students must submit all electronic
documents as either an RTF or PDF.
Conduct: Both the instructor and students are expected to maintain a respectful toward others at
all times. Both the instructors and students are expected to be on time to class as well as not
allow the use of cellular phones to interrupt in-class discussions and presentations. Students are
expected to be aware and follow without deviation PSU guidelines regarding conduct, academic
dishonesty, plagiarism, and class withdrawal. Students engaging in academic dishonesty will
receive a failing grade for the course. For further information, the Code of Student Rights and
Responsibilities can be found in the PSU catalog or at www.pittstate.edu/pubs/stucode.html .
Student Assistance: Students needing assistance due to physical, emotional, or mental and\or
multiple disabilities should contact Jamie Brooksher, Director of Equal Opportunity at 218 Russ
Hall (620 235 4185). Students with learning disabilities should contact Kelly Heiskell, Center for
Student Accommodations (620 235 4309), University Counseling Services. No accommodations
will be made until the instructor has received written notification from Ms. Brooksher or Ms.
Heiskell.
Lab Fees: There is a $50 lab fee for the class to cover costs of test materials. This is due at the
beginning of the semester. Checks should be made payable to the Department of Psychology and
Counseling.