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PSY4070 Advanced Assessment

Subject Cat-nbr Class Term Mode Description Units Campus
PSY 4070 90667 2, 2009 ONC Advanced Assessment 1.00 Toowoomba
Academic group: FOSCI
Academic org: FOS005
Student contribution band: 1
ASCED code: 090701

Contents


STAFFING

Examiner: Lucille Douglas
Moderator: Nola Passmore


REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in Program BSCH in Psychology major (12302) or in one of the following Programs: BPSH or BPSY


RATIONALE

Psychological assessment is a basic skill for all areas of applied psychology. The course is designed to develop skills in administration, scoring, and interpretation of some of the most widely used psychological tests.



SYNOPSIS

The development of testing skills and the application of testing principles in the clinical setting will be taught through workshops, and case studies. In particular, mastery will be developed in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 3rd edition (WAIS-III), the Wechsler Memory Scale 3rd edition (WMS-III), the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), and the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR).



OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.
score and interpret the WAIS-III, WMS-III, PAI and WTAR in a variety of clinical settings (Case Report 1 and 2);
2.
apply testing and psychometric principles to psychological assessment (Case Report 1 and 2).


TOPICS


Description Weighting (%)
1. This course concentrates on students acquiring mastery of the four core tests and general psychometric and testing principles in lectures. The second half of the course focuses on the application of these tasks in the areas of Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Forensic Psychology. Additional tests and testing principles specific to these applied areas will also be reviewed.
1.1. THE WAIS-III The evaluation of intellectual functioning. The application of basic principles to WAIS-III interpretation. Age-education norms. Continuous age norming. Relationship of the WAIS-III to other tests of intellectual functioning. Factor and other analytic systems of interpretation. Impact of demographic variables upon IQ estimation. Estimating premorbid level of intellectual functioning. Pattern analysis and intersubtest scatter. The clinical importance of evaluating psychometric issues such as significance versus abnormality, the role of confidence intervals, factor score composition, and appropriate normative data considerations will also be highlighted in the analysis of this test.
1.2. THE WMS-III The evaluation of memory. The application of basic principles to WMS-III interpretation. Index patterns and differences. Relationship of the WMS-III to other tests of memory functioning. Factor analysis studies. The relationship of memory scores to intellectual functioning. As with the WAIS-III, the psychometric issues of significance versus abnormality, confidence intervals, factor score composition and use of appropriate normative databases will be evaluated in the teaching of this test.
1.3. THE WTAR The use of the WTAR as a method for predicting premorbid WAIS-III and WMS-III scores. Expansion of the WTAR as a measure of reading grade level.
1.4. THE PAI The evaluation of psychosocial functioning and personality. Examination of the scale and subscale structure, indices, and configurational analysis and interpretation.
1.5. REPORT WRITING The application of the tests (the WAIS-III, WMS-III, WTAR and PAI) are examined in a variety of clinical settings through the use of case studies for illustrative purposes, with a particular focus on how to communicate the findings from test data analysis.
 100.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Morey, L 2003, Essentials of PAI Assessment (Paperback), John Wiley & Sons, New York.



REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Handouts and other recommended readings will be distributed during the semester.

Psychological Assessment,

The Clinical Neuropsychologist,

Journal of Clinical Psychology,

Assessment,

Butcher, J N 1999, A Beginners Guide to the MMPI-2, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Graham, J R 2005, MMPI-2 Assessing Personality and Psychopathology, 4th edn, Oxford University Press, New York.

Gregory, R J 1999, Foundations of Intellectual Assessment: The WAIS- 3 and Other Tests in Clinical Practice, Allyn and Bacon, Boston.

Kaufman, A,S & Lichtenberger, E,O 1999, Essentials of WAIS-III Assessment (Paperback), John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Kaufman, A S & Lichtenberger, E O 2006, Assessing Adolescent and Adult Intelligence, 3rd edn, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Lichtenberger, E,O, Kaufman, A,S & Lai, Z,C 2001, Essentials of WAIS-III Assessment (Paperback), John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Sattler, J M & Ryan, J J 1999, Assessment of Children: WAIS-3 Supplement, 3rd edn, Jerome M Sattler, San Diego.

Tulsky, D et al 2003, Clinical Interpretation of the WAIS-III and WMS-III, Academic Press, London.
(ISBN: 0127035702)



STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY HOURS
Private Study 134.00
Workshops 32.00


ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date
CASE REPORT 1 20.00 30.00 07 Aug 2009
CASE REPORT 2 70.00 70.00 02 Oct 2009

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-.
  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner, then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late, up to ten working days, at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after the model answers have been posted
  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination in this course.
  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.
  8. University Regulations:
    Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

9. The due date for assessments is the date by which a student must despatch an assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner. In accordance with the University's Policy on Assessment the Examiner of a course may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. This policy may be found in the USQ Handbook, the Distance Education Study Guide and the Faculty of Sciences' Orientation Handbook for new on-campus students. All students are advised to study and follow the guidelines associated with this policy.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

  1. Students are required to be able to access the Internet and should avail themselves of the various case reports that will be posted on the webct discussion group board throughout the semester
  2. The course has FOUR WORKSHOPS throughout the semester. ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY

This version produced 11 Dec 2009.
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