Illinois School of Professional Psychology
at Argosy University, Chicago
COURSE SYLLABUS
Objective Personality Assessment
PP7371
Spring 2012
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: Jean (Yuh-Jin) Tzou, Ph.D.
Contact Information:
Office Phone Number: 312-813-2111
E-Mail: jean.tzou@gmail.com
Office Hours: Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm; and by appointment.
Brief Faculty Bio: Dr. Tzou received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University
of Kentucky and is currently the assistant director of the Student Health and Wellness Center at
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Tzou has extensive experience working in college
counseling centers, community mental health, substance abuse residential treatment facility, and
psychiatric hospital settings in a variety of capacities. Dr. Tzou’s clinical areas of interest include
trauma, risk assessment, crisis management, psychological assessment, consultation and
training/supervision.
Course Catalogue Description:
This course introduces the student to the major approaches and techniques for objective
personality assessment in adults. Topics covered include general principles and issues in
objective assessment, and techniques of personality assessment. The primary emphasis is on the
MMPI-2, with an overview of other commonly used measures of objective personality
assessment. The class includes a laboratory in which skills in administration and interpretation
can be practiced.
Course Pre-requisites: an undergraduate tests and measures course
Required Texts:
Groth-Marnat, G. (2009). Handbook of Psychological Assessment (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Weiner, I.B. & Greeene, R. L. (2008). Handbook of Personality Assessment. John Wiley &
Sons.
Nichols, D. S. (2001). Essentials of MMPI-2 assessment.John Wiley & Sons.
MMPI – 2 Scoring Sheets and Profile Forms*
PAI Response forms and Profile Forms*
MCMI Response and Profile Forms*
*Note – These forms are available for purchase from the library.
Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office: Acrobat
(full version); Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08;
Norton Antivirus.
Course Length: 15 weeks
Course Hours: 45
Credit Value: 3.0
Course Objectives:
Course Objectives
Correctly administer and score the MMPI2, MCMI, PAI, BDI.
Synthesize information derived from test
scores with background data, behavioral
observations, and interview data to arrive
at clinically meaningful conclusions.
Program Goals
Goal 1 - Assessment
Goal 1 - Assessment
Understand and apply ethical guidelines
governing test administration.
Goal 1 – Intervention
Goal 3 - Diversity
Produce reports that clearly communicate
the conclusions of the assessments, the
logical processes that lead to those
conclusions, and the degree of certainty
warranted by the test data.
Select appropriate test instruments based
upon their clinical, psychometric, and
logistical suitability.
Critically evaluate instruments based upon
an understanding of psychometrics.
Goal 1 – Intervention
Goal 3 - Diversity
Goal 1 - Assessment
Goal 1 - Assessment
Method of Assessment
In-class demonstrations and
in-class work projects.
Three assessment projects
including video tape mock
interviews and written
assessment report for each
project.
Video tape mock
assessment interviews (3).
In-class discussion.
Three assessment projects
including video tape mock
interviews and written
assessment report for each
project.
In class discussions and inclass work projects .
In class discussions and inclass work projects.
Instructional Contact Hours/Credit
Students can expect 15 hours of instructional engagement for every 1 semester credit hour of a
course. Instructional engagement activities include lectures, presentations, discussions, groupwork, and other activities that would normally occur during class time
In addition to instructional engagement, students can expect to complete 30 hours of outside
work for every 1 semester credit hour of a course. Outside work includes preparing for and
completing readings and assignments. Such outside work includes, but is not limited to, all
research associated with completing assignments, work with others to complete a group project,
participation in tutorials, labs, simulations and other electronic activities that are not a part of the
instructional engagement, as well as any activities related to preparation for instructional
engagement.
At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph above shall be applied for other
academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships,
practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Instructional Format:
The course will consist of lecture, discussion, demonstration, and practice. These activities will
be divided between the weekly lectures and a required TA section that will meet six times over
the course of the semester. Students will score, and plot the MMPI-2, PAI, MMCI-III and Beck
scales themselves (no collaboration with other students). and produce report papers based on the
assigned testing samples provided by the instructor.
The field of psychological assessment does carry risks for client/patients, students, and those
related to test security and supervision of graduate students. Because of these risks, failure to
comply with all requirements - particularly with exclusionary criteria may result in serious
consequences to the student. Other consequences, including failure of the course and/or referral
to the Ethics Committee, may also apply. If you have questions regarding the appropriateness of
testing a given participant, ask your supervisor and Argosy advisor. Do not test a participant
about whom you are unsure unless you have checked it out!
Requirements:
1. Attend and actively participate in all class sessions. Be prepared with appropriate materials
and reading completed.
2. Complete three assessment reports based upon sample data provided by the instructor. This
includes completing a taped mock clinical interview with a class peer for one of the three
reports, including a typescript. A role-play outline will be provided to all students in order to
conduct the role-play of a “mock” client. Comply with the exclusionary criteria outlined in
the “instructional format” section.
3. A take home final exam due on Monday of the final exam week.
Special Policies Related to Assessment
In Assessment courses, it is permissible to discuss test results with peers to get consultation on
scoring and interpretation. It is not permissible to share reports with peers, to “template” them or
use each other’s wording, other than those templates provided by instructors. It is not
permissible to copy paragraphs from sample reports on the website, other than those paragraphs
that are in the report templates for that purpose. It is never permissible to copy interpretive
statements from scoring and interpretation software, or descriptive or interpretive statements
from test manuals or other texts except where the author has given explicit permission to do so.
Violation of any of these rules will result in a failing grade for the course.
It is never permissible to photocopy test materials, including stimuli, manuals, and record forms
for your use. (Instructors may provide copied forms for instructional purposes if the word
“Sample” is overlaid or watermarked on the form, or if they present subject responses for
discussion, scoring by students, or other instructional purposes. Students must purchase and use
original record forms for class assignments.)
Grading
Grading will be based upon class participation; the accuracy with which tests and clinical
interviews are scored and reported; the quality of the interpretations and reports based upon the
sample data, performance on the exams, and completion of the problem sets. Class participation
will be assessed informally unless it appears as though students are not completing the readings
as assigned. If this should be the case, the instructor reserves the right to use response papers in
lieu of informal assessment of students’ readiness to contribute to the class. In addition, regular
attendance by each student is required to protect the learning environment of all of the students.
Thus, anything less than full attendance may affect your grade in the course. Anything less than
80% attendance will result in a failing grade.
The final exam and midterm will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. All of
the material presented in lectures, readings, and TA sessions may be tested in the final exam.
No late papers will be accepted without prior approval.
Lecture and Assignment Schedule
All reading is to be done prior to the corresponding class date. All assignments are due at the
beginning of the following class unless otherwise noted.
Course Schedule:
Week Topics
1
Introduction to personality
assessment and psychometrics.
1/12 History of Personality
Assessment.
2
1/19
3
Readings
G-M: Ch. 1 – Introduction, 2 –
Context of Clinical Assessment
W & G: Ch. 1- History of
Personality Assessment
Selecting Psychological Tests
G-M: Ch. 2- Context of Clinical
Psychometrics. Test validity and Assessment
reliability
W & G: Ch. 3- Psychometric
Foundations of Assessment
Ethical Guidelines in
Personality Assessment
1/26
Mental Status Examination
APA (2002) Ethical Principles of
Psychologists and Code of
Conduct
W&G: Ch. 4- Ethical
Consideration in Personality
Assessment
G-M: Ch. 3- The Assessment
Interview
4
2/02
Brief instruments: Symptom
Checklist-90-R (SCI-90-R)
Beck Depression Inventory
State Trait Anxiety Inventory
G-M Ch. 13 Brief Instruments for
Treatment Planning Monitoring,
and Outcome Assessment
Assignments
5
2/09
6
2/16
7
2/23
8
MMPI-2: History, development.
Validity scales, clinical scales,
and code types. Validity and
malingering in psychological
assessment
MMPI-2 content scales and
supplementary scales.
Administration and Scoring
Procedure
MMPI-2 Score interpretation-I
W & G: Ch. 6 MMPI-2
G-M: Ch. 7- Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality
Inventory
Nichols: Essentials of MMPI-2
Assessment
First Report
assignment
issued
Mid-Term exam
MMPI-2 Score interpretation-II
3/1
Integrating assessment data.
9
Psychological Report
Assessment of suicide risk.
W & G: Appendix A – Computer
Generated Interpretive Reports
G-M: Ch. 15 – Psychological
Report
First Report due
3/08
10
3/15
11
3/22
12
3/29
13
4/05
Introduction to the PAI
History, psychometric
foundations, and applications.
W&G: Ch. 9 Personality
Assessment Inventory
PAI Administration, scoring,
and interpretation.
PAI Manual
Introduction to Millon Clinical
Multiaxial Inventroy-III
History, Psychometric
Foundations, and Applications
MCMI-III: Administration,
scoring, validity, and
interpretation
W&G: Ch. 8 MCMI-III
G-M: Ch. 8- MCMI
Second Report
Assignment
issued
Second Report
Assignment due
Third Report
issued
MCMI-III Manual
14
04/12
Issues of diversity, Test Bias.
Delivery of assessment results.
Forensic assessment.
Review and Wrap-Up
Third Report due
Final exam case
scenario issued
15
04/19
Final exam project presentation
Final exam paper
due
Recommended Readings
American Psychological Association, Practice and Science Directorates (2000). Report of the
Task Force on Test User Qualifications. Available online at http://www.apa.org/science/tuq.pdf.
American Psychological Association (1998). Rights and Responsibilities of Test Takers:
Guidelines and Expectations. Washington, D.C.: APA. Available online at
http://www.apa.org/science/ttrr.html.
American Psychological Association (2002). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of
Conduct (Pdf File), Retrieved from www.apa.org/ethics/.
Trull, T. J., Widiger, T. A. & Burr, R. (2001) A structured interview for the assessment of the
five-factor Model of personality: Facet-level relations to the Axis II personality disorders.
Journal of Personality, 69(2), 175-198
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
100 – 93
92 – 90
89 – 88
87 – 83
82 – 80
79 – 78
77 – 73
72 – 70
69 and below
Grading Requirements
Grading requirements
Attendance/participation
Mid-term Exam
MMPI/BDI report (and
typescript)
MMPI/BDI/PAI report (and
typescript)
Final Assessment Report (and
typescript)
Final Exam
Total Score
10%
15%
10%
20%
30%
15%
100%
Library
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The
campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.
Argosy University’s core online collection features more than 21,000 full-text journals, 23,000
electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business &
Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science,
Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. All electronic
resources can be accessed through the library’s website at www.auchicagolib.org. User IDs and
passwords are distributed during orientation, but can also be obtained at the circulation desk,
calling 312-777-7653, or by e-mail at auchilibrary@argosyu.edu.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of
subject-specific research materials searchable in the Library Online Catalog. Catalog searching is
easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined
collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and
reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach
fundamental and transferable research skills, including selecting sources appropriate for
academic-level research, searching periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluating and
citing information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through
interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive
immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the
tutorial at http://library.argosyu.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during
the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments
represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through
normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC:
American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper
format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become
familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information
regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning
environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and
plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be
asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online
resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases
of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and
provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share
common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students
with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student
with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services.
Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable
accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for
accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive
accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her
discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student
Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may
not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic,
and educational experiences. Both the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an
environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with
people from a wide range of backgrounds.