PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL COMPLICATIONS OF Ethical Standards for the Distribution of Psychological

TESTING (CODES OF ETHICS FOR PHILIPPINES Tests and Diagnostic Aids (APA, 1950).
PSYCHOLOGISTS)
Level A: Tests or aids that can adequately be
administered, scored, and interpreted with the aid of
the manual and a general orientation to the kind of
APA ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
institution or organization in which one is working (for
Beneficence and Nonmaleficence - Promote well- instance, achievement or proficiency tests).
being and prevent harm.
Level B: Tests or aids that require some technical
Fidelity and Responsibility - Establish trust and knowledge of test construction and use and of
contribute to society. supporting psychological and educational fields such
as statistics, individual differences, psychology of
Integrity - Moral professionals. adjustment, personnel psychology, and guidance (e.g.,
Justice - Promotes equality. aptitude tests and adjustment inventories applicable
to normal populations).
Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity - Respect
privacy and differences. Level C: Tests and aids that require substantial
understanding of testing and supporting psychological
fields together with supervised experience in the use
PAP ETHICAL PRINCIPLES of these devices (for instance, projective tests,
individual mental tests).
- Respect for Dignity of Persons
- Competent Caring for Well-being of Persons
- Integrity PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS
- Professional and Scientific Responsibilities to
Society. Part of upgrading professional standards is the
enactment of licensing and certification laws for
psychologists and Psychometricians.
USER QUALIFICATIONS In psychology, licensing controls or regulates the
It is a requirement that test should be used by practice of psychology. (e.g., registered
appropriately qualified examiners. The necessary Psychometrician).
qualifications vary with the type of tests. Passing the licensure exam gives you a title and allows
A long period of extensive training, and supervised to you practice psychology according to the mandated
experience is required for the proper use of individual law. Titles can be RPm (Psychometrician), RP (old) /
intelligence tests and most personality tests, whereas RPsy (new) for Psychologist.
a minimum of supervised psychological training is While certification typically refers to legal protection
needed in the case of educational achievement or of the title “psychologist” or “psychometrician”.
vocational tests.
Examples are CCLP (certified clinical Psychologist),
He/must be aware of the available research literature CAsP (certified assessment psychologist, to name a
on the chosen test and its characteristics such as few).
norms, reliability, and validity.

When tests are administered by assistant s or by

persons in other professions, it is essential than an TESTING INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES
adequately qualified psychologist be available, to - The purchase of tests is generally restricted to
provide the needed perspective for proper persons who meet certain minimal
interpretation of test performance. qualifications. Usually, a person with a
Test scores can be properly interpreted only in the master’s degree in psychology or its
light of all available knowledge regarding the behavior equivalent.
that the tests are designed to measure.
 - Some publishers classify their tests into levels - Yet, as a scientist, psychologists are committed
with reference to user qualifications. (Level A, to the goal of advancing knowledge about
B, C). human behavior.
- Efforts to restrict the distribution of tests have
THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY
a dual objective: security of test materials
and prevention of misuse. - According to Privacy and Behavioral Research
- In ethical standards for psychologists (U.S.), (1967) the right to privacy is defined as “the
“access to such devices is limited to persons right of the individual to decide for himself
with professional interests who will how much he will share with others his
safeguard their use”. In short, test materials thoughts, his feelings, and the facts about his
are released only to persons who are qualified personal life.
to interpret and use them properly. - In clinical or counseling situations, the client is
- Another professional responsibility concerns usually willing to reveal himself in order to
the marketing of psychological tests by obtain help with his problems.
authors and publishers. Tests should not be - The client should be warned that in the course
released prematurely. of testing or interviewing he may reveal
- Test manual should provide adequate data to information about himself without realizing,
permit an evaluation of the test itself as well or he may disclose feelings of which he
as full information regarding the himself is aware.
administration, scoring and norms. - When testing is conducted in institutional
- Tests or major parts of test should not be purposes, the examinee should be fully
published in a newspaper, magazine, or informed as to the use that will be made of his
popular book, for self-evaluation, because it test scores.
might also be psychologically injurious to the - It is also desirable however, to explain the
individual. examinee that correct assessment will benefit
- Moreover, any publicity given to specific test him.
items will tend to invalidate the future use of - The results of tests administered in clinical or
the test with other persons. counseling situation, should not be made
- Another unprofessional practices is testing by available for institutional purposes, unless the
mail. An individual’s performance on examinee gives his consent.
personality test cannot be properly assessed - When tests are given for research purposes,
by mailing test forms to him and having him anonymity should be preserved as fully as
return by mail for scoring and interpretation possible and the procedures for ensuring such
because you might interpret the test scores anonymity should be explained in advance to
without the absence of pertinent information the subjects.
about the individual. Test results may be worst - The examinee should certainly be informed
than useless. about the purpose of testing.
- The guidelines suggests, that aptitude test and
achievement tests are example of the type of
PREOTECTION OF PRIVACY (ETHICAL STANDARDS OF instruments for which representational
PSYCHOLOGISTS) consent should be sufficient. However,
personality assessment is cited as requiring
- Psychologist should be responsible and fully
individual consent.
aware of the purpose of the interview, testing,
or evaluation and of the ways in which the
information may be used.
CONFIDENTIALITY
- Any observation of an individual’s behavior –
as in an interview, casual conversation, or Limitations of Confidentiality
other personal encounter –may yield
information about the client. 1. It is our duty to discuss the limitations of
- Behavioral research, whether employing tests confidentiality to our clients, may it be due to
or observation procedures, presents the regulated laws, institutional rules, or
possibility of invasion of privacy. professional or scientific relationship. In cases
 where the client is a minor or is legally c. when the purpose of the assessment
incapable of giving informed consent, the is to determine the individual’s
primary guardian or legal representative decisional capacity.
should be informed about the limitations of 2. We educate our clients about the nature of
confidentiality. our services, financial arrangements, potential
2. Before the actual interview, session, or any risks, and limits of confidentiality. In instances
other related psychological activities, we where our clients are not competent to
explain explicitly to the client all anticipated provide informed consent on assessment, we
uses of the information they will disclose. discuss these matters with immediate family
3. We may release information to appropriate members or legal guardians.
individuals or authorities only after careful
deliberation or when there is imminent
danger to the individual and community. In ASSESSMENT TOOLS
court cases, information should be limited
only to those pertinent to the legitimate 1. We judiciously select and administer only
request of the court. those tests which are pertinent to the reasons
4. If the psychological services, products, or for referral and purpose of the assessment.
information is coursed through an electronic 2. We use data collection, methods and
transmission, it is our duty to inform the procedures that are consistent with current
clients of risks to privacy. scientific and professional developments.
3. We use tests that are standardized, valid,
reliable, and has a normative data directly
referable to the population of our clients.
BASIS OF ASSESSMENT
4. We administer assessment tools that are
1. The expert opinions that we provide through appropriate to the language, competence and
our recommendations, reports, and diagnostic other relevant characteristics of our client.
or evaluative statements are based on
substantial information and appropriate
assessment techniques. OBSOLETE OR OUTDATED TEST RESULT
2. We provide expert opinions regarding the
psychological characteristics of a person only 1. We do not base our interpretations,
after employing adequate assessment conclusions, and recommendations on
procedures and examination to support our outdated test results.
conclusions and recommendations. 2. We do not provide interpretations,
3. In instances where we are asked to provide conclusions, and recommendations on the
opinions about an individual without basis of obsolete tests.
conducting an examination on the basis of
review of existing test results and reports, we
discuss the limitations of our opinions and the INTERPRETING ASSESSMENT RESULT
basis of our conclusions and 1. In fairness to our clients, under no
recommendations. circumstances should we report the test
results without taking into consideration the
validity, reliability, and appropriateness of the
INFORMED CONSENT IN ASSESSMENT test. We should therefore indicate our
1. We gather informed consent prior to the reservations regarding the interpretations.
assessment of our clients except for the 2. We interpret assessment results while
following instances. considering the purpose of the assessment
a. when it is mandated by the law. and other factors such as the client’s test
b. when it is implied such as in routine taking abilities, characteristics, situational,
educational, institutional and personal, and cultural differences.
organizational activity.

INTEGRITY IN WRITING REPORTS

Include everything that is truthful and important even 2. We ensure that test protocols, their
if it is not in favor of interpretations and all other records are kept
secured from unqualified persons.
- Client
- Insurance Claims TEST CONSTRUCTION - We develop tests and other
- Court cases assessment tools using current scientific findings and
knowledge, appropriate psychometric properties,
Do not falsify reports out of pity.
validation, and standardization procedures.

RELEASE OF TEST DATA

GENERAL RULES
1. It is our responsibility to ensure that test
At all times, we should protect:
results and interpretations are not used by
persons other than those explicitly agreed - Client
upon by the referral sources prior to the - Self
assessment procedure. - Profession
2. We do not release test data in the forms of
raw and scaled scores, client’s responses to
test questions or stimuli, and notes regarding
the client’s statements and behaviors during
the examination unless regulated by the court.

EXPLAINING ASSESSMENT RESULTS

1. We release test results only to the sources of

referral and with a written permission from
the client if it is a self-referral.
2. Where test results have to be communicated
to relatives, parents, or teachers, we explain
them through a non-technical language.
3. We explain findings and test results to our
clients or designated representatives except
when the relationship precludes the provision
of explanation of results, and it is explained in
advanced to the client.
4. When test results need to be shared with
schools, social agencies, the courts or
industry, we supervise such releases.

TEST SCURITY - The administration and handling of all

test materials (manuals, keys, answer sheets, reusable
booklets, etc.) shall be handled only by qualified users
or personnel.

ASSESSMENT BY UNQUALIFIED PERSON

1. We do not promote the use of assessment

tools and methods by unqualified persons
except for training purposes with adequate
supervision.