PSY404 Psychological Assessment – Assessment 2: Scoring and interpretation tasks INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION TASKS You will need to score and interpret the psychometric tests administered to Jane in the case study. These scores will be used to answer questions in Section B of assessment 2. You will also be using these scores and interpretations when writing your psychological report for Jane in assessment 3. These tasks will need to be completed BEFORE you start the online test for assessment 2 (May 13, 2022). We recommend that you try to complete these tasks at least one week prior to the test to ensure that you are prepared. Please remember that you are NOT permitted to share your scores with other students (including on the forum or social media). If you have any questions about scoring, you may ask about procedures, but should not post/ask about the scores you have obtained. WHAT YOU WILL NEED In the assessment 2 folder, you will find the following files that you will need to use for this assessment: • • • • • WAIS-IV scores WIAT-III scores DASS-21 scores HADS scores Conners 3 parent score You will also need to use the information in the clinical case document to assist you with interpreting Jane’s and Rachel’s psychometric test scores. Below, you will find instructions for you what you need to do with scoring and interpreting each of these tests. More information on these tests will be provided in topics 5-7. In online meetings during those weeks, we will be covering some of these psychometric tests and will be doing some practice tasks to assist you with scoring and there will also be opportunity for Q&A for this assessment. The readings and resources list will also include some useful articles that may help you. However, you may also wish to look through the literature and the Internet for additional resources to help you with scoring and interpreting the scales. THE WAIS-IV We will cover the scoring and interpretation of the WAIS-IV in topic 5. In the online meeting during week 5, the guest lecturer will provide a demonstration of scoring and interpreting the scale. Scoring the WAIS-IV 1. Open the WAIS-IV scores file in the assessment 2 folder. 2. In the “calculate examinee’s age” table, you will need to complete the information highlighted in the orange squares. That is, you will need to calculate Jane’s test age using the information provided in the clinical case information document and referral letter. 3. In the “scaled scores”, you will need to enter the percentile for each subtest score (highlighted in orange). This information can be found online and in the topic 5 readings. 4. In the “sum of scaled scores to composite score conversion” table at the bottom of the document, you will need to fill in the orange highlighted boxes. Specifically: a. calculate the sum of scaled scores. To do this, you will need to use the information from topic 5 to determine which subtests and supplemental tests contribute to each index score. Once you have identified the subtests, you will tally the scaled scores from the scaled scores table (the middle table on the page) for each index. b. You will also need to enter the percentile that Jane falls into for each of the index scores in the bottom table. To do this, you will need to use information from topic 5. Interpreting the WAIS-IV For this subject’s assessment tasks, we are keeping interpretation VERY simple. That is, we will not be doing complex interpretations as outlined in the essentials of WAIS-IV assessment (e.g., looking at discrepancies, global ability indexes, base rates et cetera). Instead, we will be focusing on the interpretation and understanding of the main index scores, percentiles, and confidence intervals. Things that you should understand in the information you will need for assessment 2 include: • • • • • • • • Jane’s test age Jane’s percentiles on each of the subtests An understanding of which subtests load onto which index. The sum of scaled scores for each index. An understanding of what each index measures. An understanding of what composite scores are and how they are interpreted (e.g., what constitutes average IQ)? Here, you need to know the qualitative descriptors of IQ ranges. The percentile for each index. Confidence intervals for each index and an understanding of how these are interpreted. THE WIAT-III The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (https://www.pearsonclinical.com.au/products/view/588) is used in a variety of clinical, school, and research contexts identify academic strengths and weaknesses, informed decisions about educational placements, or diagnose specific learning disabilities, and to plan interventions. More information on this test will be provided in topic 6, with the online meeting that week focusing on WIAT assessment and interpretation. Scoring the WIAT Good news. We have actually done the scoring for you here so there’s nothing you need to do. :-) Interpreting the WIAT-III 1. Open the WIAT scores file in the assessment 2 folder. Here, you will see a table of standard scores for 7 indices of achievement. There is also a total achievement score. 2. These achievement standards scores are interpreted in the exact same way that you would interpret Wechsler IQ deviation scores (i.e., a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15). Therefore, for this scale, what you need to know/interpret is: • • • An understanding of what each subscale measures (topic 6 will help with this). An understanding of the range that Jane falls in for each index (e.g., is it average, borderline, above-average). Here, you need to use the same Wechsler qualitative descriptors as you would use for IQ tests. How Jane’s scores on the WIAT-III relate to information provided in the case study. How do you interpret these findings? What do these findings say about her achievement? THE DASS-21 The DASS-21 is a short form version of the 42-item depression anxiety, and stress scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995; http://www2.psy.unsw.edu.au/dass/) We will be covering this scale in the “behavioural assessment” topic and will practice scoring in that week’s online meeting. Scoring the DASS-21 1. Open the DASS-21 score file in the assessment 2 folder. This file contains the DASS-21 filled out by hand by Jane during the psychological assessment. 2. You will need to calculate subscale scores for depression, anxiety, and stress. To do this, you will need to identify which items load onto each subscale. The behavioural assessment topic and Internet resources will help you determine which items should be scored in which scale. 3. Calculate the total score for each scale by tallying the scores on each item of the scale (i.e., you should have 3 scores: depression, anxiety, and stress). There is no reverse scoring on this scale. Remember these are scores for the short form of the DASS. Therefore, if you needed to compare the score with norms for the 42 item DASS, you would need to double the scores for each scale. However, for this assessment, we will only be using scores for the 21 item version of the scale (no need to double). Interpreting DASS-21 scores For assessment 2, you will need to have the following information. You should write this information in your notes and have it handy for the online test: • • • • • • Depression, anxiety, and stress scores (for the 21 item version of the scale) What cut-off scores/category relate to Jane’s scores on these 3 scales What construct (i.e., what aspect of depression, anxiety, and stress) these 3 scales measure How the DASS scores relate to scores on the HADS How does the information provided in these test scores relate to the information provided in the case study notes? The scope to which these findings can be interpreted (e.g., an understanding of what the scale does/does not measure and how it can be interpreted for Jane). THE HADS The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) is a 14 item scale. We will be covering this scale in the “behavioural assessment” topic and will practice scoring in that week’s online meeting. Information from assessment 1 will also help you with this task. Scoring the HADS 4. Open the HADS score file in the assessment 2 folder. This file contains the HADS filled out by hand by Jane during the psychological assessment. Note: due to copyright, we have not been able to include the actual questions in this file (only item numbers). However, the items have been published on Google elsewhere if you are interested. 5. You will need to calculate subscale scores for depression and anxiety. To do this, you will need to identify which items load onto each subscale. The behavioural assessment topic and Internet resources will help you determine which items should be scored in which scale. NOTE: as you may have discovered in assessment 1, various factor structures have been identified for the HADS. For this assessment, we will be using the original 2 factor model. 6. Calculate the total score for each scale by adding the scores for each of the items on that scale (i.e., you should have 2 scores: depression and stress). NOTE: each item is scored 0 (the top option) to 3 (the bottom option). There is no reverse scoring on this scale. Interpreting HADS scores For assessment 2, you will need to have the following information. You should write this information in your notes and have it handy for the online test: • • • • • • Depression and anxiety subscale scores. What cut-off scores/category relate to Jane’s scores on these scales. Here, you should use adolescent data from White (1999). What construct (i.e., what aspect of depression and anxiety) do these scales measure. How the DASS scores relate to scores on the HADS. How does the information provided in these test scores relate to the information provided in the case study notes? The scope to which these findings can be interpreted (e.g., an understanding of what the scale does/does not measure and how it can be interpreted for Jane). CONNERS 3 PARENT FORM The Conners 3 (https://www.pearsonclinical.com.au/products/view/92) is commonly used in the assessment of ADHD and associated comorbid disorders in children aged 6-18 years. The Conners 3 includes 3 different forms that can be completed by: 1. the child/student 2. the teacher 3. the parent In Jane’s case study, neither Jane nor the teacher completed the Conners 3. Instead, only Rachel (Jane’s mother) filled out the parent form of the Conners 3. It is this parent form that you will be scoring and interpreting for assessment 2 and assessment 3. In the online meeting in week 9, we will cover the Conners 3 in more detail and carry out some practice scoring activities to help you with scoring this parent form. Instructions for scoring the Conners 3 parent form 1. open the Conners 3 parent score file in the assessment 2 folder 2. In this file, you will see table that looks like the table below. This table includes the subscales/indices of the Conners 3, Rachel’s raw total score (the sum of individual items on that scale), and the standardised T score for each scale. You will need to fill in the blank sections of this table (highlighted in orange and green). 3. For the percentile for each index (highlighted in orange), you will need to use the “percentiles” table on the 2nd page of the file to convert the T-scores in this table into percentiles. Once you have converted the T score into a percentile for each index, insert that percentile into the orange highlighted section of the table. 4. For the classification for each index (in green), you should use the “score classification table” in the Conners 3 parent scores file to identify the classification that matches Rachel’s T score and percentile rank. Enter these classifications into the highlighted green section of the table. 5. For the PI, NI, IncX validity scales (the bottom 3 rows of the table), you will need to use the “validity indices” table to determine whether the raw score classifies Rachel’s responses as probably valid or invalid. 6. You have now completed the scoring for the Conners 3 parent form. Index IN HY LP EF AG PR AN AH CD OD PI NI IncX Name Inattention Hyperactive/Impulsive Learning Problems Executive Functioning Aggression Peer Relations ADHD Inattentive ADHD Hyperactive-Impulsive Conduct Disorder Oppositional Defiant Disorder Positive Impression Negative Impression Inconsistency Raw Total 15 9 11 13 5 7 16 8 2 1 1 1 2 T-Score 75 59 64 63 55 62 76 56 53 46 N/A N/A N/A Percentile N/A N/A N/A Classification Interpreting the Conners 3 parent form For assessment 2 and 3, you will need to understand/have interpreted the following based on the scores you have calculated. You should take notes and have these handy for the online test: • • • • • • Where each index T score fits within the T score distribution (e.g., how many SD from the mean are Rachel’s T-scores on each scale)? How the T-scores relate to Z scores (you will need to convert these using info from topic 3). How the T-scores relate to/correspond to percentiles (and vice versa). Whether Rachel’s scores are classified as average, elevated, or low. Whether Rachel’s scores are valid and what the implications of these scores mean. Using the clinical case study info, consider how Rachel’s scores relate to the information provided during the assessment in the notes. How do you interpret these scores in relation to this information?
