PP 7370Cognitive Assessment

Fall 2007           

INSTRUCTOR: Carol L. Oster, Psy.D.

PHONE:312-777-7706

EMAIL:coster@argosy.edu 

FAX:

ALT PHONE:

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Title Assessment of Children Author(s) Sattler, J.M.Copyright (2002). Publisher San Diego: Jerome M. SattlerISBN 0-9618209-7-7Edition 4th ed., revised

Title Assessment of Children: WISC-IV and WPPSI-III Supplement

Author(s) Sattler, J.M. and Dumont, R. Copyright (2004)PublisherISBN 0-9702671-1-8Edition

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Title Multicultural Assessment Perspectives for ProfessionalPsychology

Author(s) Dana, R.H. (ed.)Copyright (2000). Publisher Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc.  ISBN 0805827897Edition

 

Title Psychological Testing of HispanicsAuthor(s) Geisinger, K.F. (Ed.)Copyright (1998). Publisher Washington: APAISBN 1-55798-538-3Edition

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO

American School of Professional Psychology – ChicagoPP7370 Cognitive Assessment

Carol L. Oster, Psy.D.Fall 2007

            Schedule:                        Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m. – noon, 9/5– 12/12 Contact Information:    Phone:           312-777-7706                                        Email:           coster@argosy.edu                                          Website:       www.osterpro.homestead.com

Online Psychometrics Tutorial:

Course Length: 15 weeks Contact Hours: 45 Credit Value: 3.0 Course Description: This course introduces the student to the major approaches and techniques for intellectual assessment in children and adults.  It covers principles of test construction and psychometrics, the history of intellectual assessment, theories of intelligence, and methods of intellectual assessment.  Particular attention is given to the administration and interpretation of the Wechsler intelligence tests.  Alternative methods of intellectual assessment are also considered.   Students will administer, score, and interpret Wechsler scales and will begin psychological report writing.  Assessment theory, theories of intelligence, assessment of learning disabilities, diversity issues in assessment, and ethical guidelines for users of psychological tests are also discussed. Competencies Acquired: At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to: 

1. Correctly administer and score Wechsler intelligence tests and the Bender Gestalt.

a. Demonstrate administration to peers in practice sessions. b. Correctly administer subtests of the WAIS or WISC. c. Complete record forms in ways consistent with correct administration. d. Score answers according to the manuals on all tests and subtests. e. Participate in discussions that clarify scoring on subtests that require

examiner judgment to award no, one, or two points. f. Correctly record observations of test behavior.  (Assessment and Relationship competencies)

 2. Interpret and apply test results, and state inferences and conclusions in plain

language.

a. Collect a clinical history and make clinical observations to combine with test data in making inferences.

b. Correctly apply percentiles, standard error of measurement, national and "local" norms, and so forth.

c. Make sense of IQ, index and subtest scores, patterns, discrepancies, and so forth.

d. Correctly apply interpretive strategies covered in class and the readings. e. Identify, in writing and in class discussion, inferences that are close to the

data, further from the data, and highly speculative. f. State inferences in plain, descriptive English, avoiding jargon. g. Validate inferences through the history and behavioral observations. h. Draw conclusions supported by the test results, history, and observations,

taking into account social,  ethno-cultural, and other individual influences on performance.

i. Make recommendations consistent with and supported by test results and history, and that take into account the subject's unique situation.

(Assessment, Intervention, and Consultation competencies) 

3. Arrive at diagnoses, descriptions, and conclusions based on test results, and report the diagnosis in DSM-IV terminology, using the five axis system.

a. Write reports that lead logically and descriptively to diagnostic and descriptive conclusions.

b. Support diagnoses and conclusions with test data, observations, and history.

(Assessment and Intervention competencies) 

4. Conduct testing in compliance with APA ethical guidelines for users of psychological tests and with course guidelines.

a. Comply with exclusionary criteria described in course handouts and class discussion.

b. Obtain written informed consent from each subject. c. Maintain confidentiality of volunteer subjects by disguising identities. d. Indicate limits to conclusions in reports, including limits to applicability of

individual tests to members of non-majority ethnic, cultural, national (etc.) groups to which the subject belongs.

(Foundations/Ethics, Relationship, and Assessment competencies) 

5. Produce well-written, professional psychological reports. a. Produce reports using the report template provided. b. Submit reports that are free of spelling, grammar, word usage, and syntax

errors.  c. Compose paragraphs containing main ideas and supportive details. d. Construct reports so that main ideas of paragraphs follow each other in

logical order, as identified in the report template and discussed in class.  e. Use language and clinical reasoning that is easy for others to follow. (Foundations, Assessment and Consultation competencies)

 6. Understand and apply nomothetic and idiographic methods of assessment.

a. Identify and differentiate between nomothetic and idiographic methods of assessment.

b. Identify and explain assets and limitations of nomothetic and idiographic methods of assessment.

c. Apply nomothetic and idiographic reasoning to interpretation, diagnosis, conclusions, and recommendations.

(Assessment and Intervention competencies) 

7. Compare and contrast various cognitive measures. a. Name and explain the general characteristics of several measures of

intelligence. b. Name and explain the general characteristics of several achievement

measures. c. List criteria for diagnosing a learning disability according to IDEA. (Assessment competency)

8. Understand and apply psychometric aspects of ability tests. 

Instructional Format: The course will consist of lecture, discussion, demonstration, and practice.  Students must administer tests to six subjects for practice and experience in test administration, scoring, and interpretation, and produce reports based on each of those administrations. Content Sequence: Content sequence is approximate, and will be adjusted for the experience base of the class; group progress in acquisition of skills, knowledge, and values; and the natural flow of inquiry in the course.  The instructor reserves the right to alter sequence and time spent on individual topics. 

Theories of intelligence Assessment theory

o History of intellectual assessment o Psychometric aspects of ability tests

       Ethical guidelines for users of psychological tests Wechsler Scales and their psychometric properties

o Demonstration of WAIS-III & practice o Scoring and Interpretation of the WAIS-III o Demonstration, Scoring & Interpretation of WISC-IV    o Behavioral Observations in Cognitive Assessment

Bender Gestalt Test o Demonstration and practice o Interpretation from a cognitive processing perspective

Interpretation and Report-Writing

Individual and cultural differences and cognitive assessment Other Cognitive Measures

o The Stanford-Binet o Raven’s Progressive Matrices o Woodcock-Johnson-Cognitive and Achievement Measures o Wide Range Achievement Test o Other Wechsler Instruments  

Wechsler Assessment of Memory & Learning WPPSI

o Additional Measures Diagnosis of learning disabilities: criteria, methods, examples and cautions Continued practice and discussion, emphasizing interpretation and integration of

results, along with implications for recommendations.                         Assignments and readings are listed at the end of this syllabus.

Students are responsible for all readings, whether or not they are discussed in class sessions.  Knowledge of these will be apparent in reports, contributions to class discussion, small group work, and so on, and such demonstration will be taken into account in grading. Required Texts and Materials: 

1. Sattler, J.M. (2002).  Assessment of Children, 4 th ed., revised .  San Diego: Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher.  ISBN 0-9618209-7-7. Chapters 1-6 (Intro to Assessment, Theories of Intelligence); 12 & 13 (WAIS-III administration and interpretation), 14-16 (Other measures of intelligence); 17 & 18 (Achievement & Language assessment); & 19-20 (Assessing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Individuals), Appendix D pages 849-858.

2. Sattler, J.M. and Dumont, R.  (2004).  Assessment of Children: WISC-IV and WPPSI-III Supplement.  ISBN: 0-9702671-1-8. (Chapters 1-4, Appendix C)

3. Oster, C., (2006).  Cognitive Assessment Syllabus and Handouts.  (I.e., this syllabus and related web pages, available at www.osterpro.homestead.com)

4. WAIS-III and WISC-IV test kit.  Kits may be checked out from the ASPP library at break on the first day of class, or you may have full access to the kits at your workplace. 

5. Four (3) each of WAIS-III and WISC-IV record forms and 3 each of the corresponding response sheets/booklets.  There are TWO response booklets for the WISC-IV.  Be sure to get both. 

If you have full access to the WAIS-III or WISC-IV through your worksite, you do not need to borrow the kits from the library.  However, you MUST use original record and

response forms (i.e., not photocopies, which would be a violation of copyright law).  You may not substitute any earlier version of the tests.    Suggested Supplemental Texts: Dana, R.H. (ed.) (2000).  Multicultural Assessment Perspectives for Professional            Psychology.  Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc. 

ISBN: 0805827897 Geisinger, K.F. (Ed.) (1998).  Psychological Testing of Hispanics.  Washington: APA.              ISBN: 1-55798-538-3.  AERA, APA, NCME (2000).  Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.            Washington, D.C.,  American Educational Research Assn. Publications.   Additional readings – both required and supplemental - are listed on the course web site.  See the link at the top of the syllabus. Requirements: 

1. Attend and actively participate in all class sessions.  Be prepared with appropriate materials, between class reading of the test manual and textbooks, and downloads and readings from the course website.

 2. Attend an individual assessment and tutorial session (TBA), focusing on the

WAIS-III. 

3. Complete 3 administrations of each Wechsler test (3 adult, 3 children), score the tests, interpret them, and write reports based on them.  Submit all raw data and notes along with the reports. 

 4. Satisfactorily complete an online tutorial on psychometric theory and

applications.

5. Comply with exclusionary criteria.  

Grading: Your grade is based on attendance and participation; progress in administration, scoring, interpretation, and reports on the initial test administrations you perform; and the quality and accuracy of the administration, scoring, interpretation, and report on your final administration of each test.  You will receive in-person, detailed feedback on one test administration of the first three you complete.  This feedback will help you to develop skills, and does not indicate expected course grade.  That is, it is formative feedback not used in grading, except that completion according to instructions, effort, and

improvement in terms of clear reliance on the Wechsler and WRAT manuals for administration and scoring are expected. Your final grade in this course will depend on the quality of your course attendance and participation (15%), completion of each assignment – online tutorial and 6 test administrations and report (25%), and the quality of your last test administration and report on each intelligence test (your last adult test and report (25%) and your last child test and report (35%)) administration.  The primary considerations in determining your final grade are your competency at administering and scoring a Wechsler intelligence test and produce a professional-sounding report at the end of the term. However, completion of all course assignments is required to pass the course. To earn a grade of A, you must: 

Satisfactorily complete the online psychometrics tutorial. Comply with exclusionary criteria for all tests administered. Participate actively in class discussions. Complete all assignments on time. (Assignments MUST be completed to pass the

course. They must be completed and turned in ON TIME for an A.) Improve on administration, scoring, interpretation and report writing from first

through last tests administered, demonstrating improved attention to detail and consideration of any feedback received.

Correctly administer your last WAIS-III and your last WISC-IV. Record all answers VERBATIM for ALL subtests.  No summary, no

paraphrasing, no shortening other than what is described as acceptable in class. This includes Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing.

Score the last of each test correctly according to the manual, with no more than 3 errors in assigning points to 2-point items and no errors on answers clearly indicated in the manual, and no errors in assigning points to 1-point items.  That is, your scoring must indicate you have absolutely relied on the manual for scoring guidance.

All calculations on your final submission of each test (adding points to arrive at correct totals) must be exactly correct.

All conversions from raw scores to subtest, index, and IQ scores must be exactly correct.

Descriptions of all scores (average, low average, high average, superior, etc.) must be correct according to the Wechsler record form.

All numbers required in the final written reports must be precisely correct. All reports after the first one for each test must follow the report template

available online at the course website. You must have edited your reports to remove spelling and grammar errors. If

English is not your first language, be sure to have a native speaker of the language review your report for correct English usage.

 You will not receive feedback on every assignment you complete. However, the only way to develop skills in assessment and to become adequately comfortable with administration, scoring, and report writing is through repetition.  Research indicates that it takes approximately 100 administrations of each test to build

mastery such that you could consider yourself an expert practitioner.  All assignments are required, and failure to complete any assignment or turning in assignments late will affect your final grade. Attendance Policy: This is an intensive, skill-building course.  Full attendance assures you the maximum opportunity to learn essential skills, knowledge, and values of psychologists.  Your presence also allows you to contribute to the learning of your peers, and to learn from them in return.  Missing even one day of the course represents a substantial loss of learning opportunity.  Attendance between 80% and 99% may affect your grade in a course.  Attendance of less than 80% of the course will result in a failing grade or no credit.  Please make full attendance a priority.  In addition, both your peers and I are concerned about the safety and well being of members of the class.  If you are going to be late or absent, the courtesy of a phone call before the start of class is expected. You will need to arrange to meet with me following submission of your first or second adult test for a tutorial and feedback session. You MAY arrange to meet with me following your first or second child test. This is at your discretion. If you feel confused or need reassurance about whether you are meeting course competencies during the second half of the course, it is up to you to arrange a private meeting with me. If convenient, you may schedule your individual sessions at my office in Deerfield.  Caveat: The following list is of EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN subjects: 

1. Anyone currently or previously under psychiatric, psychological, or social-work care;

2. Anyone whom you think has "something wrong with them, and really should be tested";

3. Anyone with whom you have a professional relationship in which you are the "authority" (e.g., a client in a practicum, at your work site, or in your own practice; a person you supervise at work);

4. Anyone who is, or who may foreseeably be, involved in any litigation, including, but not limited to, divorce, custody battles, driving under the influence, personal injury, embezzlement, domestic violence, and so forth.

5. Your spouse, partner, love interest, date, and your own child, regardless of the child’s age.

 If you have questions regarding the appropriateness of testing a given volunteer, ask the instructor.  Do not test a volunteer about whom you are unsure unless you have checked it out!

Failure to comply with exclusionary criteria will result minimally in having to repeat an assignment with a more appropriate volunteer. Other consequences, including a lower final grade, failure of the course, and/or referral to the ethics committee, may also apply. 

There are legal and ethical reasons for these restrictions, and we will discuss them in class.   Conference Hours: I invite and encourage your questions and conversation between classes.  Bring your questions to class as well, even if we discussed things between classes.  You will gain confidence as you realize others have similar questions to yours, and that you can help your classmates.  I am at ISPP Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and available to you from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.. I may be on campus some Fridays as well. Although you are welcome to drop in, if you want to be sure I have time for you, make an appointment ahead of time. You can best reach me by email, as I am unable to access my voice mail from home.

Please call or email me at ISPP if you are going to be late or are unable to get to class or appointments.    Additional Student Responsibilities: I am fully committed to your success in this course, and will do whatever is necessary to help you.  However, I expect you to be highly invested in your success, and to be both independent and proactive in your learning.  By “independent and proactive,” I mean that I expect you to consult texts, peers, the T.A. and me on your own initiative.  I do not mean that you are “on your own.”  Contact me at school at any time. 

Internet, E-mail, Websites, etc.: Feel free to email me with questions, observations, stories, suggested links for the course website, or other major or minor issues at: coster@argosy.edu. 

I encourage you to put your heads together to figure things out between classes.  Try doing this by email.  Putting your question into words clarifies your thinking.  Having a response in black and white gives you something to refer back to and creates a “knowledge base” for the class. 

The website for this course is at www.osterpro.homestead.com .   Program Outcomes: The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University, Chicago Campus is an APA accredited program (APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002, 202-336-5500). This program is designed to educate and train students so that they may eventually be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists.  To ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum provides

for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice.  The Clinical Psychology program at Argosy University Chicago Campus emphasizes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services.  Specific objectives of the program include the following:

Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.

o Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.

o Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.

o Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.

Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.

o Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.

o Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.

o Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision.Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.

Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.

Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.

Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.

 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.

You may not use any computer-based scoring program for this course.  Performing all calculations and comparisons by hand helps you to better understand the tests.  In actual practice, though, it is more efficient to use computers to perform calculations and comparisons.  I will demonstrate one such computer scoring program. 

You are encouraged to bring your laptop to class. 

You may not tape record the class without prior approval. Accommodations:   Please inform me at the conclusion of the first class if you need any special accommodations for any reason. 

Library Information:

Library Resources

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@argosy.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.argosy.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.

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.

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.)

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.

In assessment courses, “scholarly writing” means logical, clear, data-based, but jargon-free writing. Write for the general population, not for other psychologists. Your writing must

be grammatically correct,

be free of spelling errors, use full sentences, follow “main idea, supporting details” paragraph construction, be accurate – including accurate reporting of numbers and their psychometric

meanings, follow accepted standards for psychological reports, guard the confidentiality of volunteers or clients, and follow the instructor’s requirements for reports, including use of any required

template, use only the allowed paragraphs and phrasing from report templates, be the student’s sole, original work.

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.

Due Dates:  List assignments on the days they are due. Reading assignments will be made in class.  Week Date Class Activity Readings Due Assignments Due

1

Sept. 5

Introductions; syllabus review; acquiring test kits; Defining intelligence; Theories of intelligence;Ethical guidelines

2

Sept. 12

Practice responses for homework due next week will be handed out.

Clarification and demonstration of WAIS-III administration.

History of intelligence testing.

WAIS-III Manual, in totality, including Forward, up to page 178.

Inventory WAIS-III kit and practice administering the test to an inanimate object or in front of a mirror.Complete the online psychometrics tutorial. Print off the last page of each section as you do it, to document your completion. Turn those in today.

3

Sept. 26

Clarification of scoring responses; Calculations and WAIS-III Manual appendices; Introduction to interpretation.

Practice scoring of WAIS-III responses

4Oct. 3

Continued interpretation.Introduction to report-writing.

1st WAIS-III report

56

Oct. 17

Continued interpretation;Clarification of administration & scoring;Raven’s Progressive Matrices;

2nd WAIS-III administration and report

5 Oct 17- First Individual Meeting

Oct 246 Oct. 30 3rd WAIS-III administration and

report7 Nov. 7 Practice scoring of WISC-IV 8 Nov. 14 1st WISC-IV report9 Nov. 28 2nd WISC-IV administration and

report10 Dec. 5-

Dec. 153rd WISC-IV administration and report, final individual meeting