State University of New York @ New Paltz
PSY 458, Spring 2014, Lecture Center 113
Introduction to
Psychological Testing and Assessment
Instructor:
Lenore Strocchia-Rivera, Ph. D.
Office Hours:
By Appointment
Email:
strocchl@newpaltz.edu
Office Hours:
By Appointment
Class Time:
Tuesdays and Fridays, 9:25 am to 10:40 am
Course Objectives:
Professionals working in the mental health field often are called upon to conduct evaluations and
assessments of individuals for a variety of reasons. Students in this class will be afforded the following
learning opportunities, with the expectation that they will meet these learning objectives.
1.
To become familiar with the general model of psychological assessment, including how it differs
from evaluations and testing, in general;
2. To understand the standards and guidelines as they relate to specific kinds of assessments and
evaluations and to be familiar with what they include;
3. To understand the psychometric and statistical issues involved in assessment and how to find
out about a particular test’s benefits and limitations (e.g. reliability, validity, sensitivity, and
specificity);
4. To become familiar with the administration, scoring, and interpretation of a few of the
commonly used cognitive and personality instruments; and,
5. To learn about the ethical and multicultural issues involved in all stages of an evaluation or
assessment.
The goal of this course is to provide basic and applied knowledge with regard to each of the
above.
Required Readings:
1. Cohen, Ronald Jay, Swerdlik, Mark E., and Sturman, Edward (2013). Psychological testing and
assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement, Eighth Edition. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
2. Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (anticipated publication Spring 2014).
3. Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, American Psychologist, v. 68, number 1.
4. Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters, American Psychologist, v.
68, number 1.
5. Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan (2013). Clinical interviewing, Fifth Edition. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley & Sons.
6. Sattler, Jerome M. (2008). Assessment of children: Cognitive Foundations, Fifth Edition. San
Diego, CA: Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher, Inc. Following chapters only:
Chapter 1: Challenges in Assessing Children: The Process
Chapter 2: Challenges in Assessing Children: The Context
7. Heilbrun, K., Grisso, T., and Goldstein, A. M. (2009). Foundations of forensic mental health
assessment. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.
8. Finn, Stephen E. (2007). In our clients’ shoes: Theory and techniques of therapeutic assessment.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
9. Phelps, Richard P. (Ed.) (2009), Correcting fallacies about educational and psychological testing.
Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association. Following chapter only:
Chapter 1: Logical Fallacies Used to Dismiss the Evidence on Intelligence Testing.
Recommended Readings:
10. Sattler, Jerome M. (2008). Assessment of children: Cognitive Foundations, Fifth Edition. San
Diego, CA: Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher, Inc. Following chapters:
Chapter 3: Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues
Chapter 4: A Primer on Statistics and Psychometrics
11. Strocchia-Rivera, Lenore (2009). A Strength-Based Approach to Assessment, In D. Crenshaw
(Ed.), Reverence in healing: Honoring strengths without trivializing suffering. (New York, NY:
Jason Aronson).
12. Melton, G. B., Petrila, J., Poythress, N. G., Slobogin, C. (2007). Psychological evaluations for the
courts: A handbook for mental health professionals and lawyers, Third Edition. New York, NY:
The Guilford Press.
Course Requirements & Grading
Out-of-class Assignments – 30% total
Please type, double space, and proofread all your work. If you will miss class on the day the assignment
is due, your partner must submit it. If you and your partner will miss class on the day that an
assignment is due, I must receive a hard copy of your assignment in my mailbox in the psychology
department or an electronic attachment of your assignment in my email inbox before 9 am on the due
date. If you submit your assignment electronically, you also must submit a hard copy of your
assignment by the next class. Communication between you and your partner is critical, but you each
will be getting the exact same grade. Except in the case of extreme, university-approved, and
documented circumstances of which I am notified prior to the deadline (when possible), late
assignments generally will not be accepted.
Clinical Interview/Mental Status Exam-20%
a. Pair up with classmate and conduct a clinical interview and mental status exam (MSE) on
that individual, assessing all the areas discussed in class. Write up the clinical interview by
section; then write a brief Mental Status Exam. This paper will comprise 10% of your grade.
b. Write a reaction paper, reflecting on your experience of conducting the clinical interview
and MSE. While the first paper (the interview and MSE) will focus exclusively on the other
person, this paper should focus on you (your thoughts and feelings during the interview),
including how much information you think you received, how confident you are about the
veracity and completeness of the information, and how well you think you know the person
you interviewed (based on the one interview). Include how confident you would be to
conceptualize what is going on for that person from the interview. This paper should be no
more than five pages. This paper will comprise 10% of your grade.
Test Selection Exercise – 10 %
a. Team up with a classmate. Select two tests that could be used to screen or diagnose for one
of the following (or other pre-approved) DSM-V disorders. Describe the standardization
sample for each test. State and discuss the reliability and validity of each test. State and
discuss the utility (i.e. specificity and sensitivity) of these tests. Taking into account all of
these issues (reliability, validity, standardization sample, and utility), discuss and decide with
your partner which test of these two tests you would recommend for a Black individual
living in an urban Northeastern area. Each team member gets the same grade. The
collaboratively written paper should not exceed 5 pages.
 Major Depressive Disorder
 Autism Spectrum Disorder
 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Attendance – 5%
In this class, we learn from each other. I have just as much to learn from you as you do from me. You
help me learn by speaking up when a topic or idea is not fully clear, question the material, respond
thoughtfully to the issues raised, share your new insights, etc. In return, I will do my best to help you
learn about the exciting world of evaluations and assessments, based on my 25 years of experience in
the field. We become a learning community when we show up regularly and participate with our full
minds, hearts, and souls. Out of fairness and consideration for one another, not showing up for class
will be penalized. One point will be deducted from the final grade (for a maximum of 5 points) for each
absence beyond the fifth that is not due to extreme, university-approved circumstances or officially
documented (e.g. a signed doctor’s note).
Quizzes – 25%
Quizzes will be administered at the beginning of virtually every class. They will cover the
readings that are due to be completed on or before that day.
I expect you to read actively using a two-step process. Step one: Use different colored
highlighters for main topic headings, subtopic headings, and key words/definitions.
Alternatively, rewrite the chapter(s) in outline form. These systems allow you to organize the
new information in your mind. Then, Step two: Use a pen to write in the margin of your
textbook or on a sticky note. You should be writing down information that relates to what you
already know. A real-life example is best. Using a mnemonic is second best. These writings
help you elaborate on the new information you are learning. Organization and Elaboration are
the two ways you can learn new declarative knowledge (i.e. knowing about something). When
you come to class and hear a lecture or participate in an exercise, you now will know where that
information fits into your pre-existing schema and you will have the opportunity to further
elaborate on what you already know.
Your responsibility is to buy or rent the 4 textbooks: Cohen et. al., Sommers-Flanagan, Heilbrun,
and Finn. I will arrange to have the chapters and articles posted on Blackboard.
Beginning on 2/21/14, please bring a calculator to class that is capable of performing a square
root function. You also will need to bring a calculator to class for the Mid-Term Exam.
Exams-40% total
You will have a Mid-Term and Final Exam, administered in class. Make-up exams generally will not be
permitted except in extreme, university-approved, and documented circumstances of which I am
notified prior to the scheduled exam (when possible). The final exam time may not be moved for any
student without university approval.

Mid-Term Exam – 20% total.
This exam will be held in class and will cover both assigned readings and in-class material.

Final Exam – 20% total
This exam will be held in class and will cover both assigned readings and in-class material. It will
be cumulative in nature. Items will include short-answer (e.g. definitions), multiple-choice,
calculation and interpretation of data/statistical test scores, and essay questions. A list of
possible exam items from which a number of actual exam questions will be selected will be
handed out one week prior to the exam.
Extra Credit Opportunities
My hope is that you will want to learn more about testing and assessments outside the classroom.
Several exciting opportunities are listed in this syllabus, and completion of these opportunities will be
rewarded. One point will be added to your final grade (for a maximum of 5 points) for each completed
activity that has been signed off on by a pre-approved authority and a 500-word reaction paper. In lieu
of the reaction paper, you may share your experience via an oral presentation to the class during the
last week of the semester.
1. A pre-approved volunteer experience related to testing and assessment;
2. Attendance at the 2014 Society for Personality Assessment Conference (held in Arlington, VA,
March 19-23, 2014)*
3. A pre-approved APA Continuing Education Program in the area of assessment;
4. A pre-approved assessment-related webinar hosted by a commercial test publisher (e.g.
Pearson, PAR)
5. Aptitude testing experience at the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation, 39 Broadway, New
York, New York ($750; need-based scholarships may be available; contact ny@jocrf.org).
* Student volunteers must pay a $55 registration fee. If interested, contact Bonnie E. Rice at
manager@spaonline.org. If you become an undergraduate student affiliate of SPA and are a member
of an underrepresented group, you may apply for a Diversity Support Grant ($500). Deadline to apply is
January 31, 2014.
A
AB+
B
BC+
94-100
90-93
87-89
83-86
80-83
77-79
C
CD+
D
DF
74-76
70-73
67-69
64-66
60-63
< or = 59
Statement of Academic Integrity
From the Student Handbook:
“Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty in their College work. Cheating,
forgery, and plagiarism are serious offenses, and students found guilty of any form of academic
dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action” (page 14).
The minimum consequence for violating this policy will be a score of 0 on that exam, paper, or
assignment. Suspected violations also will be reported to the Psychology Department Chairperson and
the Dean. Please consult the Sojourner Truth Library’s website which offers an excellent overview of
how to avoid plagiarism: http://lib.newpaltz.edu/assistance/plag.html.
Students with Disabilities
Students with documented disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in
the Student Union Building, Room 205 (phone # 845-257-3020) to discuss receiving appropriate test and
classroom accommodations. The DRC will provide you with a form that verifies your need for
accommodations. Bring this form to me as early in the semester as possible, preferably by our first class
meeting. Once I receive this form, I can put appropriate accommodations in place.
Dropping/Withdrawing from the Course
Please be aware of two very important deadlines:
1.
February 3 for dropping the course, contingent on receiving my approval. Dropping the course
on or before this date means that no record of enrollment in the course will appear on your
transcript.
2.
March 31 for withdrawing from the course. Withdrawing from the course between February 4th
and March 31st means that a grade of “W” will appear on your transcript.
Student Evaluation of Instruction
I would appreciate receiving feedback with regard to my teaching, for teaching is a skill that can improve
with practice and feedback. I encourage you to share positive and negative feedback with me
throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, you will have an opportunity to put it in writing.
Week
1
Date
1/21/14
1/24/14
2
3
4
Topic
Course Overview
Presented by Dr. Geher
Intro to Psychological Testing,
Evaluations and Assessments
1/28/14
1/31/14
NO CLASS
Clinical Interviewing/Mental Status
Exam
2/4/14
Clinical Interviewing
2/7/14
Personality Testing: Objective
Measures
Personality Testing: Projective
Measures
2/11/14
2/14/14
5
2/18/14
2/21/14
6
Statistical and Measurement
Concepts in Assessment
2/25/14
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
3/4/14
3/7/14
3/11/14
3/14/14
Cohen, et. al. (2013), Chapters 1, 2
&4
Sommers-Flanagan (2013) – First
1/2
Sommers-Flanagan (2013) – Second
1/2
Sattler (2008), Chapters 1 & 2
Cohen et. al. (2013), Chapters 12
Cohen et. al. (2013), Chapter 13
CLINICAL INTERVIEW/MSE PAPER –
PART I DUE
CLINICAL INTERVIEW/MSE PAPER –
PART II DUE
Cohen et. al. (2013) Chapters 3 & 5
Cohen et. al. (2013), Chapters 6 & 7;
Sattler (2008), Chap 4
Cohen et. al. (2013), Chapter 8
Submit Written Questions for
Speaker
2/28/14
7
Reading/Assignments Due
3/25/14
3/28/14
4/1/14
(Guest Speaker)
Intelligence Testing
Cognitive Assessments
MIDTERM
SPRING BREAK
Assessments for Education
Neuropsychological Assessments
Forensic Assessments
4/4/14
4/8/14
4/11/14
4/15/14
4/18/14
(Guest Speaker)
Career Assessments
(Guest Speaker)
NO CLASS
Therapeutic Assessment
4/22/14
4/25/14
Date Integration/Presentation
Report Writing
Cohen, et. al. (2013), Chap 9 & 10
Phelps (2009), Chapter 1
Cohen, et. al. (2013), Chapter 11
Cohen, et. al. (2013), Chapter 15
Heilbrun, et. al. (2009);
Submit Questions for Guest Speaker
Cohen, et. al. (2013), Chapter 16
Finn (2007)
TEST SELECTION EXERCISE DUE
Strocchia-Rivera (2008)
Standards & Guidelines
15
5/
16
17
4/29/14
5/2/14
5/6/14
5/9/14
5/13/14
Sample Report (TBD)
(Oral Presentations)
(Oral Presentations)
Review for Final Exam
FINAL EXAM
Extra Credit Documentation Due