Sources of ambiguity in psychological reports

Abstract

PROBLEMThe psychological test report occupies a unique position among the services of psychologists in a clinical setting, and perhaps because it involves the use of professional skills not held in common with other disciplines, it is often used as the chief measure of the psychologist's contribution t o the psychiatric team. In spite of this prominent role in the total diagnostic study of the patient, relatively little research has appeared which bears on the adequacy of psychological reporting per se. The research to date has been largely concerned with the nature and form of psychological reports@# *), the use t o which they are put by other professional workers ( I , 2 , 3 ) , or with somewhat impressionistic evaluations of psychological reports by various professional disciplines (4). No published research has dealt directly with the basic problem of communication, the effective transmission of ideas through the psychological test report.The purpose of the present study was t o investigate the degree and manner in which psychological reports communicate to the reader the findings and impressions of the report writer and t o pinpoint problem areas so that specific recommendations could be made toward improved communication. The need for such a study was recognized as a result of problems arising in the training of psychology interns, many of whom experienced considerable difficulty in learning to write reports free from major ambiguities. It was recognized from the outset that ambiguity is not an inherent quality of psychological reports; rather it is the product of a particular report and a given reader. For this reason it was decided t o compare the report-reading behavior of a number of professional groups ordinarily having access t o psychological reports: staff psychologists, psychology trainees, psychiatrists, social workers, graduate nurses, and student nurses. PROCEDURE Four psychological test reports (from the psychology department file of recently-completed cases) were selected for evaluation. Each was the end-product of the usual intensive supervisor-trainee conference aimed at a thorough understanding of the patient tested and a t the clear communication of this understanding by written report. Each of the reports had been written by a different trainee under a different staff supervisor. The trainees' clinical experience ranged from one to three years. The four reports were felt t o be a representative, although not random, sample of psychological reports at this station.' 'Two Veterans Administration Area Chiefs judged the reports aa quite typical of those written in their areaa and of "good" quality.

Variables affecting the clarity of psychological reports

“…They argue that because normally only one version of a report is prepared, "plain English" should be used and technical terms defined for nonpsychologists. Multiple sources recommend that the use of jargon and psychological terms be minimized in psychological reports because it confuses readers-psychologists as well as parents, teachers, and other professionals (Brenner, 2003;Cuadra & Albaugh, 1956;Ownby, 1997;Rucker, 1967;Sattler, 2001;Shively & Smith, 1969;Tallent, 1993;Weddig, 1984;Whitaker, 1994).…”

“…In truth, psychological reports should be written for multiple audiences with widely ranging education backgrounds: parents, teachers, school administrators, other psychologists, and often the client (Teglasi, 1983;Tallent, 1993). Various studies have found that recipients of psychological reports prefer clearly explained technical terms, understandable solutions, clear examples, and explanations (Cuadra & Albaugh, 1956;Pryzwansky & Hanania, 1986;Rucker, 1967;Shively & Smith, 1969;Tallent, 1993;Wiener, 1987).…”

Report of a psychological assessment in a school setting

“…Therefore, one must choose material that contributes directly to understanding the child and answering the referral issues, while at the same time painting a balanced picture of the child's strengths and weaknesses . Furthermore, impressions of the report writer should be stated directly and not left for the reader to construct on the basis of factual information, unintended cues, or personal inclinations (Cuadra & Albaugh, 1956) . For example, the interpretation of a statement such as "Mother reports that at the age of two Jane was inadvertently left home alone for an entire day" may be viewed as self-evident by the writer .…”

Computer support in a rural setting: A comparison of computer-assisted and handwritten evaluation reports

“…In addition to time, considerable skill is required to produce an intelligible and useful report, as is attested by the numerous criticisms and prescriptions offered by both readers and writers (Caudra & Albaugh, 1956;Hoy & Retish, 1984; Rucker, 1967a,b;Sattler, 1982;Tallent & Reiss, 1959;Teglasi, 1983;Weddig, 1984;Wiener, 1985).…”