Diagnostic Classification Decisions as a Function of Referral Information

Abstract

Educational decision makers (n = 224) participated in a computer-simulated decisionmaking experience designed to ascertain the extent to which referral information biased classification decisions. Subjects were randomly assigned to 16 different conditions that varied on the basis of the referred child's sex, socioeconomic status, physical attractiveness, and nature of referral problem. Subjects accessed test data, all of which reported performance in the normal range. Only the nature of the referral problem was found to be influential in the simulated decisions. A referred child was more likely to be diagnosed as emotionally disturbed when the referral statement of the problem was listed as behavioral rather than academic. Subjects ignored standardized test information indicative of average performance, and retained the stereotype created by the referral information. The results are discussed with regard to implications for assessment of children and future research.

Systematisering van het diagnostische proces: pleidooi voor het hypothesentoetsend model

“…Lag daarentegen de nadruk op leeraspecten, dan werd het kind als 'learning disabled' beoordeeld. In een vergelijkbaar onderzoek negeerden diagnosten de aangeboden onderzoeksgegevens en bleven bij het beeld van de aanmelder, ook al werd dit beeld door deze gegevens duidelijk tegengesproken (Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1981). Dit impliceert dat een mogelijk foute inschatting van de aanmelder niet altijd wordt gecorrigeerd door het diagnostisch onderzoek.…”

Differential effects of sociocultural variables on special education eligibility categories

“…Student characteristics such as ethnic background, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES) influence teacher-student interactions, teacher decision-making, and teacher formation of negative attitudes toward students (Algozzine, Mercer, & Countermine, 1977;Brophy & Good, 1970;Walker, 1984;Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1982). Ysseldyke and Algozzine (1981) reported that a student's SES significantly affected teacher decisions to refer for psychoeducational evaluation.…”

The Influence of Referral Information on the Diagnostic Classification of Exceptional Children

“…Variability in the classification of exceptional children has been attributed to differences in the levels of experience of school psychologists (McDermott, 1980); the sex role and racial bias of the diagnostician (Amira, Abramowitz & GomesSchwartz, 1977); and the inappropriate use of assessment data (McDermott, 1981). Characteristics of the referred child which have been shown to influence diagnostic classification include the student's sex (Gordon, 1976), race (Frame, Clarizio, Porter & Visonhaler, 1982), socio-economic status (SES) (Frame et al, 1982), attainment levels (Kavale & Andreassen, 1984), intelligence (Sapp, Chissom & Horton, 1984), and reason for referral (Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1981). Ysseldyke and Algozzine (1981) investigated classification decisions as a function of referral information by systematically varying certain characteristics of the referral, while holding others constant.…”

“…Characteristics of the referred child which have been shown to influence diagnostic classification include the student's sex (Gordon, 1976), race (Frame, Clarizio, Porter & Visonhaler, 1982), socio-economic status (SES) (Frame et al, 1982), attainment levels (Kavale & Andreassen, 1984), intelligence (Sapp, Chissom & Horton, 1984), and reason for referral (Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1981). Ysseldyke and Algozzine (1981) investigated classification decisions as a function of referral information by systematically varying certain characteristics of the referral, while holding others constant. Diagnosticians accessed referral information via a computer simulation and subsequently made a diagnostic classification for their case.…”

“…The majority of participants in this study were not school psychologists; regular and special education teachers, administrators and support personnel also served as diagnosticians. Whether results from a computer simulation can be generalized to real-life settings remains to be shown (Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1981).…”