Current status of doctoral‐level training in psychological testing

Abstract

Training directors of 82 American Psychological Association (APA)-approved doctoral programs in clinical psychology responded to a survey on the current status and recent changes in doctoral training in psychological assessment. Although testing continues to be a major focus of training, a slight decline in emphasis on assessment was noted, most notably with projective techniques. With few exceptions (e.g., NEO-PI, Personality Assessment Inventory), traditional tests were emphasized in coursework and also were considered "essential" for the practicing psychologist. Interestingly, there seems to be increased emphasis on the interview and neuropsychological testing compared to prior surveys of academic settings. Only 29% of the training directors reported that their programs have been significantly affected by managed care, suggesting that most academic programs are somewhat insulated from marketplace pressures. It is recommended that training programs balance their focus on traditional academic values with the realities of the clinical practice arena.

Achieving competency in psychological assessment: Directions for education and training

“…Groth-Marnat (1999) noted that assessment practice in professional settings generally is unrelated to the attitudes of academic faculty towards specific assessment measures or the amount of research published on specific tests. Belter and Piotrowski (2001) similarly observed that market-place demands and reimbursement restrictions have not significantly impacted assessment training in graduate programs. Such a schism between the training and practice worlds complicates the assessment training of students and points to the need for increased continuity between graduate education, practical training, and post-training practice and continuing education.…”

“…However, recent years have witnessed some erosion in the depth and breadth of assessment training provided in psychology graduate programs. For example, Belter and Piotrowski's (2001) survey of doctoral clinical psychology programs indicated a slight reduction in the last decade in the percentage of programs that required coursework in various assessment methods, attributable largely to declines in teaching projective techniques. Stedman, Hatch, and Schoenfeld's (2001) report, based on data collected from clinical and counseling psychology students, suggested that a substantial proportion of them received insufficient graduate training in test-based assessment.…”

Current Assessment Practice, Personality Measurement, and Rorschach Usage by Psychologists

“…Psychologists tend to rely on their clinical judgment rather than test findings and may ignore or discount negative research findings related to a particular test (Wade & Baker, 1977;Watkins et al, 1995). Finally, psychologists have reported practicing in accordance with ethical principles and graduate programs have continued to train students in assessment (Belter & Piotrowski, 2001;Berndt, 1983;Childs & Eyde, 2002).…”

“…To better understand assessment approaches, multiple surveys of psychologists' test usage and reviews of assessment training and practice have been conducted over several decades (Agrawal, 2005;Belter & Piotrowski, 2001;Berndt, 1983;Camara, Nathan, & Puente, 2000;Childs & Eyde, 2002;Clemence & Handler, 2001;Durand, Blanchard, & Mindell, 1988;Lubin, Larsen, & Matarazzo, 1984;Mihura & Weinle, 2002;Piotrowski, Belter, & Keller, 1998;Piotrowski & Keller, 1989;Piotrowski, Sherry, & Keller, 1985;Sundberg, 1961;Wade & Baker, 1977;Wade, Baker, Morton, & Baker, 1978;Watkins, Campbell, Nieberding, & Hallmark, 1995). Relevant findings from these studies can be categorized into two broad areas including general conclusions about assessment practice and findings related to personality assessment and the Rorschach.…”

Free-Drawing from Memory in Constructional Apraxia: A Case Series

“…A 2001 study of 82 directors of APA doctoral programs in clinical psychology indicated that training in the use of human figure drawings were rated as "required" in 37% of those polled [17]. This rate of usefulness was the third most popular only to the Rorschach (80%) and Thematic Apperception Test (70%).…”