Administering Psychological Tests
In the administration of psychological tests, the behavior of a counselor impact on the validity and reliability of test results (Loewenthal & Lewis, 2018). The behavior of a therapist could affect the test results validity if the counselor fails to understand the test and administers it and when the counselor is not accredited, licensed, or approved by the APA to administer tests. The competence of a counselor is vital in test validity. Incompetent psychologists who administer psychological tests get inaccurate results. Besides, failure to understand the test before its administration leads to wrong or inaccurate interpretation of test results. Also, the inability to understand the purpose of tests leads to the administration of wrong tests, hence giving clients false results (Loewenthal & Lewis, 2018). As a result, the reliability of the data gathered from the test results becomes null and void. If a counselor collects invalid test results, the reliability of the tests in assessing the client’s behavior becomes questionable. Administering an invalid and unreliable test is punishable under the ACA Code of Ethics.
According to (Ronald, 2017), a psychological test and assessment could be invalid and still have validity. Assessing validity is more complicated than assessing reliability. Psychologists, who focus on a test’s reliability, need to consider the consistency of test results. In the administration of psychological tests and assessments, inconsistent tests are considered unreliable. In terms of psychological tests and assessments, reliability is approved when the results or measurement of the assessment tool is proven to give consistent results over time. In testing for tool reliability, a psychologist makes use of the test-retest reliability to verify the obtained results are consistent over time. Having the consistency of results repeatedly assures psychologists that the test/ assessment is valid. In testing and assessment, validity allows a psychologist to discuss the fitness or suitability of a test measure in the context of a particular problem (Ronald, 2017). The test could be invalid, but still, be reliable in interpreting the test scores.
References
Loewenthal, K. M., & Lewis, C. A. (2018). An introduction to psychological tests and scales. Boston: Psychology press.
Ronald, J. C. (2017). Psychological Testing and Assessment (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.