Attached Files:

•  Week 2 Editing APA Style Errors Assessment.docx                                                                         (20.604 KB)

The attached paper contains 10 APA Style formatting errors.  Your job is to fix the errors in yellow.  HINT: The table on page 177 of the APA Manual will help you correct several errors. If you are not sure what the error is, then keep looking for it.  This activity involves some investigative work using the APA Manual to address mostly BASIC APA Style formatting rules.  If you guess, you will probably not get the answer correct. But if you use the APA Manual, you can get 100%.

Download the paper, fix the mistakes (highlight them another color if you want), and turn in the paper by Sunday night.  This is a pass/fail assignment and you must fix at least 9 of the 10 errors to get credit.

 

 

Ethics and Assessments: An Analysis of Test Selection and Participant Feedback

Daniel G. Kuchinka

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Testing and Assessment in Workplace Psychology
Ethics and Assessments

In this paper, we will consider and assess different ethical codes of conduct and describe why they are important in an assessment process. For our discussion, assessment is defined as psychological tests used for selection purposes in the workplace. Ethics is a broad subject with varying definitions and meaning typically referring to immoral, unfair, or illegal activities. Codes of conduct are common and often identify relevant and important issues unique to the mission of an organization. For our discussion, ethical codes of conduct are defined using a composite list provided by Cook & Cripps (2005). We will focus on ethical issues specific to planning assessments and providing feedback. When reviewing the following information, keep in mind that while specific ethical guidelines and practices of assessment are well documented and some examples will be identified, debate remains concerning many of the important details (Levinson, 2002).  These details will be identified and explained as we progress through the following ethical codes of conduct.

When planning an assessment, one of the first activities a psychologist will encounter that poses an ethical consideration is choosing an appropriate assessment. Cook and Cripps (2005, p. 321) describe “several issues including making sure the assessment is job related, does not show group bias, is not unduly intrusive, and does not cause unnecessary stress to applicants”. When examining each of these examples, we can develop an appreciation for the complexity of ethical issues and reasons for debate as previously described. To make sure an assessment is job related, a psychologist will often perform a job analysis and investigate several assessments to make sure an appropriate test is used. This would include reviewing the reliability and validity of the test, as well as understanding the population the test is designed for based on the publisher’s recommendations. Although simply making a poor choice of assessment does not necessarily constitute unethical behavior.

Some may view choosing a poor or inappropriate assessment as unethical because the psychologist should not be able to use ignorance as an excuse for his or her decision. However, Cook and Cripps may view a poor decision as a waste of time but not necessarily unethical. What would likely be viewed as unethical behavior would be a psychologist who knowingly chooses an assessment that is not job related. As an example, a test might be chosen that measures aptitude towards the English language for a job that does not require significant knowledge of English (e.g., assembly line worker). If the psychologist intentionally chose the test because he or she does not want to hire individuals that speak English as a second language, the decision would likely be viewed as unethical. However, even though this example may be clearly an ethical violation to many, some may still claim it was not an ethical violation. As an example, they may claim a common language of English is important for safety reasons. This example briefly demonstrates the complex nature of ethics and assessment.

After an assessment is completed, a common ethical code of conduct recommends providing feedback to the test taker (American Psychological Association, 1996; Cook and Cripps, 2005). For the organization using an assessment as part of the selection process, this means a qualified individual who has access to the test results is ethically responsible for explaining those results to the applicant who completed the assessment. In the “Statement on the Disclosure of Test Data” created by the Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessments of the American Psychological Association (1996), psychologists and their employing organizations or institutions have an ethical obligation to disclose an individual’s test results. This obligation can also be legally mandated or included in the policy and procedures specific to the organization administering the assessment.

Perceptions of fairness towards the assessment process and those conducting the tests can be negative if not effectively administered (Schinkel, van Dierendonck, and Anderson, 2004). Administering an invalid assessment may be a waste of time and for this reason not unethical as Cook and Cripps (2005) describe, the negative consequences on the individual being tested is what constitutes this action as unethical.  Fletcher describes the experience of going through an assessment process and how subsequently being rejected can also have negative effects on self-esteem (1991). Although research could not be found pertaining to an absence of feedback (i.e., applicant completing an assessment and never receiving any feedback), it is likely not knowing anything about the test results would also yield negative consequences. It is for this reason additional research needs to be conducted with the absence of assessment feedback as a variable.

The purpose of the previous discussion was to demonstrate the complexity of ethical codes of conduct and assessment during the selection process. Literature is common that describes the various forms of ethical violations during the planning and feedback stages of an assessment. To make things more complicated, Schinkel, van Dierendonck, and Anderson (2004) describe perceptions of fairness that can be negative even when ethically administered. However, because ethics and assessment can be debatable topics, the application of ethical codes of conduct can be difficult. Psychologists need to consider the negative impact they can have on the lives of the individuals who participate in the assessment process. Perhaps it is the impact on others that can help psychologists determine what is ethical or not based on the significance of the outcome of their decisions.

 

References

American Psychological Association, Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessments (1996). Statement on the disclosure of test data. American Psychologist, 51(6), 644-648. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.51.6.644

Fletcher, C. (1991). Candidates’ reactions to assessment centres and their outcomes: A longitudinal study. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 64(2), 117-127.

Levinson, H. (2002). Ethical problems and consulting guidelines. In H. Levinson (Ed.), Organizational assessment: A step-by-step guide to effective consulting. (pp. 13-39). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10453-002

Cook, M., & Cripps, B. (2005). Psychological assessment in the workplace: A manager’s guide. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Schinkel, S., van Dierendonck, D., & Anderson, N. (2004). The impact of selection encounters on applicants: An experimental study into feedback effects after a negative selection decision. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 12(1-2), 197-205. doi:10.1111/j.0965-075X.2004.00274.x

Program Proposal Presentation

Prior to beginning this interactive assignment, please review the Federal Program Inventory (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and select one program that would meet a need for your community, a group of people you would like to work with in the future, a group of people that you work with now that could benefit from that program, or a group that you are aware of that could benefit from the program.

For this interactive assignment, you will create a presentation of up to 7-10 minutes in length. You may use any screen-casting and/or presentation software you choose (Power point, Prezi, Thinglink, etc.). Quick-Start Guides are available for Prezi, Screencast-O-Matic, and Thinglink for your convenience.)

For your presentation include the following:

• Title Information:
  • Program title and agency sponsoring the program
  • Target population and developmental stage
  • Geographic location
• The purpose of the program:
  • Briefly describe the program and its’ introduction to your community. Include a short analysis of any ethical considerations for the deployment of the program using elements of developmental psychology research and practice to support the suggested implementation.
  • Describe why your program is necessary and appropriate for the chosen group.
  • Explain the expected outcome(s) from your program and at least one method you will use to assess the outcome(s).
  • Briefly explain any developmental theory that applies to the utility of this program and the particular group involved.
  • Evaluate the research that supports the success, or lack of success, for this program?
• Program Modification:
  • Describe modification you would make to the program to improve its’ suitability for your selected group.
  • Defend why these modifications would improve the program.  Include research to support your claims.

Use a presentation tool of your choice to create a visual presentation that includes the required information as well as compelling imagery related to your program. Each image must be retrieved and cited based on current copyright laws. You may wish to use the PSY605 Where to Get Free (and Legal) Images guide for assistance with accessing freely available public domain images and/or images licensed through Creative Commons. Keep in mind that the goal is to persuade others that this program is both necessary and creative.  Regardless of the mode in which you create your presentation, eye-catching visuals can be very powerful. You are encouraged to be creative and choose images you feel help to highlight the positive aspects of your proposed program.

Create a script for your verbal portion of the screencast, in which you walk your audience through the important points of your program. Include APA citations within the body of the script. Utilize a screen casting tool of your choice to record a screencast of up to 7 – 10 minutes displaying your visual presentation as you read your prepared script. It is highly recommended you practice reading through your script while displaying your visual presentation before recording your final product.

Submit both your presentation and the script. If you use an online presentation software such as Prezi, please include a link to the presentation in the comment section of Waypoint when you submit the assignment.

Note to Students: This assignment requires that you produce a visual presentation, supply a spoken audio narrative, and to listen the audio narrative of others.  Note you are also asked to provide a transcript of your presentation.  If you have a documented disability accommodation that might interfere with your ability to complete this assignment, you may contact your instructor to develop a comparable alternative assignment.  If you have other issues that you feel may be a barrier to your ability to complete this course or this assignment please contact the Office of Access and Wellness at: access@ashford.edu.