PCO 6317: Psychological Assessment 2 (Personality) Spring 2013 * Wednesdays 10:40 am - 1:40 pm * CWC 231

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1 PCO 6317: Psychological Assessment 2 (Personality) Spring 2013 * Wednesdays 10: am - 1: pm * CWC 231 Professor: Jennifer Alonso, Ph.D. jalonso2@ufl.edu Phone: (352) Office Hours: Tue and Wed afternoons by appointment Office Location: Room 216, Counseling and Wellness Center at 3190 Radio Road Required Text Weiner, I. B. & Greene, R. L. (2008). Handbook of personality assessment. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Course Objectives This course is intended to provide students a foundational understanding of psychological assessments in the mental health field. Students will understand how to administer, score and interpret major personality instruments commonly used in clinical settings. Students will learn how to differentiate various assessments and identify appropriate measures to administer. They will also learn how to write integrative psychological reports and appropriately provide feedback about the results. Course Requirements Class Participation: Regular attendance and staying the entire duration of the class period is imperative given the course is both theoretical and applied. Coming to class having completed the assigned readings will aid you in contributing to discussions and in understanding foundational assessment principles necessary for successfully interpreting assessments and writing integrative reports. Quizzes: In order to provide an extra incentive for keeping up with the weekly readings and to check your understanding of the material, there will be four in-class quizzes. Each quiz will be worth 20 points and will assess student s understanding of the main points of the reading material for that class period. The format for the quizzes may vary (e.g. T/F, multiple choice, in-class paper, etc). The quizzes will be passed out at the beginning of class. Reflection Paper: Each student will take the NEO-PI-R and MMPI-2 assessments before each test is covered in class. The MMPI-2 is scored using the computer system (Q-Local) so use a pseudonym when scoring your profile. The purpose is to aid you in gaining experiential knowledge of two common psychological assessments and greater understanding of what clients experience when taking these measures. The results of the assessments are private and you are not asked to share the results. After taking the two assessments, students will be required to complete a two page, double spaced, response paper on your thoughts about the assessment process and how it may impact your work with clients. This is due in class on 1/23/2013. Please consider what the profiles might mean as we learn about interpretation in the course. Topic Presentations: This is a vast field and there is not sufficient time to cover everything. Thus, each student will provide a minute presentation to the class on a topic of their choosing related to Personality Assessment. Students will provide a handout for their classmates summarizing their findings on the date they present. Students may consider browsing journals for Spring 2013 PCO 6317 Page 1 of 6

2 topics (Psychological Assessment; Journal of Personality Assessment). On the first day of class, students will choose which date they would like to present. See below for some topic ideas: Personality assessments with certain populations (e.g. children, adolescents) Personality assessments in a particular settings (e.g. forensics; for employers) Important issues for consideration (e.g. malingering; multicultural or diversity variables) Increasing a skill or technique (e.g. report writing; assessment of personality disorders) Describing a personality test not covered in class (e.g. 16PF, CPI, SCID-II) Personality Assessment Interpretation: You will practice interpreting a variety of personality measures. The assignments are arranged to build upon one another. Each of your assignments are labeled with a number. The number will correspond with instructions for the assignment. Assignments are due when indicated on the syllabus. For all assignments it is important that you always: (a) Turn in the profile sheets with your assignment, (b) Integrate the client s history and presenting behavior with the test data, (c) Submit professional, proofread reports free of typographical, spelling and grammatical errors. #1: Answer sheet provided. Write only an interpretation in bullet form. o This is a list of points you would make in a report. It includes validity, interpretations (related to history and presenting problems) and recommendations. Say enough to make the point and place it in context. A hierarchical structure often helps organize the various points. Do not write a full report when only an interpretation is needed (save your time). #2: Answer sheet provided. Write an abbreviated report including only the interpretation and recommendations sections and provide a feedback plan. o Abbreviated report: This is part of a professional report you would provide to a client or mental health professional and will always include the headings / information included on the template. Use the template and complete only the interpretation and recommendation sections as if this were an actual report. o Feedback plan: Bulleted list of what you would actually say to the client about the results. This will be more tactful, practical and simpler than the written report. This will help you practice framing information (especially difficult things about themselves) in a way clients can understand and use. #3: Complete a clinical interview and test your volunteer, computer score and write a full report and a feedback plan. o Obtain and turn in signed informed consent form. o Inform volunteer(s) you are practicing and thus they will not be receiving feedback. o Turn in all profiles / raw data associated with the administered assessments. o Full report: Use the template provided and complete all sections. Consider this an actual, professional report you would provide to a client. In order to ensure confidentiality, change all identifying information about the volunteer. Volunteers: Students are asked to conduct a clinical interview and administer personality assessments to use up to three different volunteers (NEO #3, MMPI-2 #3, Integrated Report). It is recommended that students use a volunteer who they do not know and someone who could provide elevations on the assessments. If you are concerned you may not find elevated scores on the measures, you can consider having a projective volunteer complete a brief, preliminary Spring 2013 PCO 6317 Page 2 of 6

3 screening online to assess if they are experiencing a degree of distress. Volunteers can be recruited from other students (e.g. their undergraduate students) or from current clients provided any agency restrictions are complied with (e.g. current CWC practicum students may trade clients with each other). In all cases, materials derived from the volunteer should be confidential (e.g. use pseudonym on all written material) and treated as privileged information. Each volunteer must complete an informed consent form. The administration of the tests should always be under appropriate supervision by the student. In addition, it is important that the testing materials (e.g. booklets or manuals) are not viewed by anyone other than the volunteer and other specified individuals (e.g. those in training; other mental health professionals). Assessment Feedback: Providing clients feedback about test results is a skill that requires practice in order to build confidence and do so smoothly and clearly. Each student will engage in a role play with another student either in the course or department. In the role play the student ( evaluator ) will provide feedback about the MMPI-2 #3 assignment to the the client. Afterward, the client may deliver feedback to the student about strengths and growth edges of the feedback delivery. In order to receive credit, the student will send the professor (and cc: the volunteer) an by April 10, 2013 at 10: am indicating the feedback assignment was completed. Include the date of the feedback session, name of volunteer student, and a one paragraph reflection about the experience. Case Presentation: Each student will present a case to the class on an assigned date at the end of the semester. The presentation will aid you in learning to conduct a psychological assessment and communicate the results both orally and visually. Visual aids may include handouts, videotapes, role play, PowerPoint, etc. Each presentation will be 20 minutes in length. The following information should be included in the presentation: Referral question / Presenting problem History (demographics, relevant information from clinical interview) Profiles /Interpretation of the MMPI-2 and a second personality measure of your choice Recommendations Students will present their case to the class on an assigned date at the end of the semester. An accompanying paper will also be required. Integrated Report: You will prepare a full psychological report based on the integrated assessment data gathered for your case presentation. Consider this an actual, professional report you would provide to the client. The integrated report is due on Monday, April 29, 2013 at 12 pm via to the professor. Your report will include the following information (use assessment template): Demographic information Reason for referral Assessments administered Mental Status / Behavioral assessments Clinical interview Results and interpretation of assessments Diagnostic impressions Summary / Conclusions Recommendations Spring 2013 PCO 6317 Page 3 of 6

4 Final Exam: There will be two parts on the exam. The first part will be comprised of questions which will assess student s knowledge of the major assessments covered in the class. The second part will require students to interpret one previously unseen profile (Either a MMPI-2, MCMI, PAI or NEO). Students will interpret the profile and provide recommendations, and are permitted to use their textbook during this part of the exam. Students will not know which test profile they will be receiving. Missed or Late Assignments: Missed quizzes may be made up prior to the next class period if you have a university excused absence or extenuating circumstance. Late assignments will be penalized 10% per day after the deadline. Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a caseby-case basis. Accommodations: Students requesting classroom accommodations must first register with the Disability Resource Center ( as they will evaluate you and assist the professor in arranging the accommodations. Course Grading Criteria and Guidelines Reflection Paper 20 Quizzes (4 quizzes, 20 points each) 80 Topic Presentation 30 NEO-PI-R Assignments NEO # 1 NEO #2 NEO #3 MMPI-2 Assignments MMPI #1 MMPI #2 MMPI #3 Other Assessment Assignments MMPI-A #1 MCMI-III #1 PAI #1 Projectives # Assessment Feedback 30 Integrated Report Case Presentation Final integrated report 160 Final Exam 120 Total Points Possible 1000 A = Points A- = Points B+ = Points B = Points B- = Points C+ = Points C = Points C- = Points Spring 2013 PCO 6317 Page 4 of 6

5 Optional Texts Graham, J. R. (2011). MMPI-2: Assessment personality and psychopathology (5 th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Morey, L. C. (2003). Essentials of PAI Assessment. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Strack, S. (2008). Essentials of Millon Inventories Assessment (3 rd edition). Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Additional Required Reading Readings will either be passed out in class, ed, or will be located on the UF Library s Course Reserve ( American Psychological Association. (2010). Section 9: Assessment in Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Washington, DC: Author. [ For an electronic version visit ] Dawes, R. M., Faust, D., & Meehl, P. (1989). Clinical versus actuarial judgment. Science, 243, Feingold, A. (1994). Gender differences in personality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 116, Graham, J. R. (2011). MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). In MMPI-2: Assessing personality and psychopathology (5 th edition) (pp ). USA: Oxford University Press. Gray-Little, B. (2009). The assessment of psychopathology in racial and ethnic minorities. In J. N. Butcher (Ed.), Oxford handbook of personality assessment (pp ). USA: Oxford University Press. Groth-Marnat, G. (2009). The Assessment interview. In Handbook of Psychological Assessment (5 th edition) (pp ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Ownby, R. L. (2009). Clinical report writing. In J. N. Butcher (Ed.), Oxford handbook of personality assessment (pp ). USA: Oxford University Press. Pope, K. S. & Vasquez, M. J. T. (2005). Avoiding pitfalls in psychological assessment. In How to survive and thrive as a therapist: Information, ideas and resources for psychologists in practice (pp ). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Spring 2013 PCO 6317 Page 5 of 6

6 Course Schedule DATE CLASS TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT DUE Jan 9 Intro to Personality Assessment; Foundational Statistics Ch 3 Jan 16 Overview of Assessment Process and Personality Assessments; NEO-PI-R and NEO-PI-3 Intro / Validity Ch 2 & 5 Ch 10 (p ) Jan 23 NEO-PI-R (Scales /Interpretation) Ch 10 (p.321-3) Reflection Paper Jan 30 Clinical Interview; MSE/Behavioral observations; Writing reports, Treatment considerations, Feedback Plan Groth-Marnat Ownby Table 36.2 handout NEO #1 Feb 6 Using Evidence to Draw Conclusions; Clinical Judgment; Challenges to Prediction; Influences of Gender/Culture/Ethnicity Dawes et al. Feingold Gray-Little NEO #2 Feb 13 MMPI-2 (Validity/Scales) Ch 6 (p ) NEO #3 Feb 20 MMPI-2 (Interpretation & strategies) Ch 6 (p ) MMPI #1 Feb 27 No Class APA Ethics Code Part 9 Pope & Vasquez MMPI #2 [Submit via by midnight EST] Mar 6 Spring Break Mar 13 MMPI-2 / MMPI-A / RF Graham Ch 7 (p ; p ) Mar 20 PAI Ch 9 Behavioral Rating Scales MMPI #3 and MMPI-A #1 Mar 27 MCMI Ch 8 PAI #1 Apr 3 Apr 10 Projectives: Rorschach and Sentence Completion Projectives: Thematic Apperception Test and Figure Drawing Ch 11 & 14 [Focus on history, administration, applications and psychometrics] Ch 12 & 13 [See above] MCMI #1 Feedback Apr 17 Apr 24 Case Presentations Case Presentations Projective #1 due in class the day you are not presenting Integrated Report due via to the professor: Mon, April 29 at midnight EST Final Exam: Mon, April 29, 12-2pm. Location TBD The professor reserves the right to amend the schedule as necessary. Spring 2013 PCO 6317 Page 6 of 6