Assessment Tools and Psychological Reports

Year
4
Academic year
2019-2020
Code
02017944
Subject Area
Psychology
Language of Instruction
Portuguese
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
Duration
SEMESTRIAL
ECTS Credits
4.0
Type
Compulsory
Level
2nd Cycle Studies - Mestrado

Recommended Prerequisites

Psychological Assessment I and Psychological Assessment II

Teaching Methods

1.Oral presentations of contents (theoretical classes).

2.Presentation and training with testing materials, scoring exercises and interpretation of results in small groups (practical classes). Analysis/discussion of case protocols with clinical cases (e.g., depression, intellectual disabilities) in the context of problem-oriented teaching (students articulate protocol data (interviews,clinical histories,observation) wuth results of the assessment instruments (intelligence,cognition,personality,behavior,emotional functioning) and write psychological reports.

3.e-learning (NONIO platform).

Learning Outcomes

Objectives:

1. To use rigorously the instruments of psychological assessment.

2. Articulate the information obtained from the assessment instruments with a view to the elaboration of a relevant and defensible Psychological Report.

3. Apprehend the articulation of the axis of psychological practice with the research in psychological assessment, instruments and case reports.

Skills:

1. To know the instruments of psychological assessment, representative and necessary for the professional practice of Psychology in different contexts and with psychometric studies in Portugal.

2. Identify technical, psychometric and ethical issues related to the use of instruments based on the analysis of published theoretical and empirical research.

3. Demonstrate ability to communicate information obtained and mastery of writing techniques of psychological reports.

4.Understand the complexity of the psychologist's specialized work as an expert in psychological assessment and writing psychological reports

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Objectives, assumptions, psychometric parameters, research, potentials and limits related to validated psychological assessment instruments for the Portuguese population. Tests and other instruments cover intelligence (WAIS-III), pre-morbid intelligence (TeLPI) or are used as cognitive screening (MoCA); activities of daily living (IAFAI); personality (MMPI-2, PAI, NEO PI-R, MCMI-IV, 16PF-5, EPQ-R, ICAC, PHSCS-II, Rorschach, TAT, EDS-20); symptoms (RCMAS, STAI-C, STAI, BSI, CDI, BDI, BDI-II), performance validity (TOMM).

2. Psychological reports: headings (analysis of the demand and contextual information, observation of behavior, results in the tests and other evaluation instruments, diagnostic impressions / case formulation / summary and conclusions, recommendations); guidelines; controversial issues; ethics and deontology.

3. Assessment protocols, instruments and psychological reports in clinical, forensic and educational contexts.

Head Lecturer(s)

Mário Manuel Rodrigues Simões

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Frequency: 50.0%
1 Practical Work: Interview + Checklist of demographic data + administration, scoring, analysis and interpretation of results in tests and other instruments (e.g., Vocabulary and Sequences Letters-Numbers [WAIS-III]; NEO-FFI; BSI; ICAC; EDS-20] + Psychological Report writing: 50.0%

Bibliography

Brown, S., Bowen, E., Prescott, D. (Eds.) (2017). The forensic psychologists' report writing guide. New York: Routledge.

Dombrowsk, S. C. (2015). Psychoeducational assessment and report writing. New York: Springer. 

Geisinger, K.F. (Ed.) (2013). APA handbook of testing and assessment in psychology (Vol. I-IV). Washington, DC: APA.

Groth-Marnat, G. & Davis, A. (2014). Psychological report writing assistant. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Haynes, S. N., Smith, G. T., & Hunsley, J. D. (2011). Scientific foundations of clinical assessment. New York: Routledge.

Wright, A. J. (2010). Conducting psychological assessment: A guide for practioners. New York: Wiley.

Séries: Avaliação Psicológica: Instrumentos validados para a população portuguesa (Vols. I/2003; II/2004; III/2007; Quarteto); Contextos e Instrumentos de Avaliação Psicológica (Vol.I, 2011; II, 2014; Almedina); Psic. Clínica e da Saúde: Instrumentos de Avaliação (2017); Psic. Forense: Instrumentos de Avaliação (2017, Pactor).