Psy/475 - Issues in Psychological Testing Worksheet

Issues in Psychological Testing Worksheet

Using the text for this course, the University Library, the Internet, and/or other resources answer the following questions.  Your response to each question should be at least 200 words in length.

1.     What are at least two ethical issues associated with psychological testing?  What impact do these issues have on the field of psychological testing?
There are many issues involved with psychological testing. One ethical issue important in testing is the maintenance of confidentiality. Many individuals might be less likely to participate in tests and surveys for fear that their personal information might become public, either by accident or on purpose. To maintain the privacy of all of those involved in a specific king of psychological testing, it is important for researchers to carefully secure their records, as well as avoid talking to people not involved in the test about the participants. The confidentiality promised to participants is protected by law, but can be waived if the information could cause harms to the participant or to others (Hogan, 2007).

Another ethical issue is the sometimes difficult task of obtaining informed consent. When trying to get individuals to agree with participating in psychological testing, many will agree without knowing beforehand all the details involved with that test. The same goes for tests performed in children, since it is important for parents to be fully aware and in agreement of what their children will be put through.  Consent from parents and/or participants must occur only when they are fully aware of all the procedures that will be used during the test, as well as the expected duration and purpose of the test Hogan, 2007). 

2.     What are at least two legal issues associated with psychological testing?  How do these issues affect the field of psychological testing?
One legal issue that can affect the development and outcome of psychological tests is the accommodation, or most likely, lack of thereof, for participants with physical disabilities. Hogan (2007) explains that the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 demands that for any individuals who cannot participate in average test-taking activities, the necessary accommodations must be made. These accommodations could be things like ramps for wheelchairs users to have access the testing area, tests printed in larger fonts for the sight impaired test takers, or special arrangements for the hearing impaired. All these measurements are important to avoid discrimination against the disabled individuals, and consequently, avoid law suits against the researchers (Hogan, 2007).

Another legal issue present in psychological testing is discrimination of any kind against individuals of a certain race or ethnicity (Hogan, 2007). Unless the test is about differences between people of different races or ethnicities, tests should have a uniform procedure that does not include discrimination against any individual’s origins. By infringing on the rights of certain individuals from a particular ethnicity or race, the entity performing the test is immediately at risk of having to defend themselves against a lawsuit and having their credibility questioned (Hogan, 2007). 

3.     Which court case do you feel has had the largest impact on the field of psychological testing?  Why?

One of the court cases mentioned by Hogan (2007) that, in my opinion, represented a large impact on the field of psychological testing was one of Griggs v. Duke Power, in which Griggs, among other thirteen African American plaintiffs fought against Duke Power’s generation plant, which required that its employees had a high school diploma and a passing score on an intelligence test (Hogan, 2007). The plaintiffs argued that at that time, African Americans were still the target of racial discrimination, and have not received the same education as white people did, and consequently had lower test scores. Although at this time (1971), the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had already passed, African Americans were still suffering the consequences of years of discrimination. The company argued that they did not intend any discrimination, but wanted to upgrade the staff with individuals that met the requirement of high school diploma and test scores – black or white. At the end, the Court believed that the company did not show enough relationship between the necessity of intelligence tests and the job performance requirements (Hogan, 2007). This case was so important for the field of psychological testing because it brought to surface the importance of concepts like validation, in the sense that although tests may be used in employment decisions, that test must be validated, or in other words, must have a relationship with the job performance requirements (Hogan, 2007).

Reference

Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.