Visions of clinical assessment: Then, now, and a brief history of the future

Abstract

Perspectives on the discipline of psychological assessment are provided through reflections on a classic article by Hunt (1946), review of current issues, and a projection of changes likely to occur over the next fifty years. Topics covered include the place of idiosyncratic qualitative responses, test design, clinical judgment, managed care, financial efficacy, over emphasis on pathology, treatment planning, status of projectives, ecological validity, relationship between theory and tests, innovations in scale construction, and computer-assisted assessment. Future predictions relate to innovations in computer-assisted assessment, practitioner roles in an increasingly automated environment, the future of traditional tests, and human-rights issues.

Computer utilization and clinical judgment in psychological assessment reports

“…Computers can do many things well in a psychological evaluation. They are widely used in assessment to improve clerical efficiency, store data, and to generate interpretive hypotheses (Groth-Marnat, 2000;Lichtenberger, Mather, Kaufman, & Kaufman, 2004). They can process an immense amount of data and translate these data into behavioral statements that "constitute psychological reports of acceptable syntax" (Tallent, 1987, p. 96).…”

“…Not only has the frequency of computer use by psychologists increased, but computers are predicted to "become increasingly important for psychological assessment" over the next decades (Garb, 2000, p. 31). Many clinicians and researchers have contemplated the anticipated effect of new technology in the assessment field (Garb, 2000;Groth-Marnat, 2000, Snyder, 2000. Predicting the developments in clinical assessment, Groth-Marnat (2000) envisions that not only will computers be used to optimize and enhance incremental validity but also they will provide new options for assessment and evaluation of assessment data such as interactive virtual reality, computer analysis of narrative information from spoken interactions, large interactive norms, and use of more advanced multivariate predictive models.…”

“…Many clinicians and researchers have contemplated the anticipated effect of new technology in the assessment field (Garb, 2000;Groth-Marnat, 2000, Snyder, 2000. Predicting the developments in clinical assessment, Groth-Marnat (2000) envisions that not only will computers be used to optimize and enhance incremental validity but also they will provide new options for assessment and evaluation of assessment data such as interactive virtual reality, computer analysis of narrative information from spoken interactions, large interactive norms, and use of more advanced multivariate predictive models. Goals to examine as technology advances and as computers are increasingly integrated into the assessment process are to: (a) more effectively integrate clinical and mechanical prediction methods, and (b) promote a more productive partnership between clinicians and researchers that develop the computer programs used in assessment (Snyder, 2000).…”

Understanding the Ecological Validity of Neuropsychological Testing Using an Ethnographic Approach

“…Previous literature has argued that what is learned in the laboratory about cognitive functioning might be too artificial or narrow to make meaningful predictions about how an individual will respond in a given situation when they have cognitive decline or deficit (Groth-Marnat, 2000;Koren, Seidman, Goldsmith, & Harvey, 2006;Sbordone, 1996). Despite this, NP tests originally developed to provide information about diagnosis are being used to answer questions about everyday functioning, with very little empirical evidence to support this practice (Chaytor & Schmitter-Edgecombe, 2003).…”

“…We know that individuals with NP deficits demonstrate much creativity and resiliency in the face of these realworld distractions, but we have not had a good way to capture these data and compare them to NP test results in a distraction-free environment. Groth-Marnat (2000) reviewed the qualitative/quantitative continuum of assessment as it relates to the understanding of the individual client. The author noted the divide between these assessment approaches with regard to the external validity of NP tests.…”