Psychological Report Assignment Instructions

 

 

Overview

You will write a Psychological Report Assignment based upon four (4) psychological evaluations and information reported in the Initial Interview Assignment and Mental Status Examination (MSE) Assignment. Counselors are commonly required to write a psychological report that presents assessed and observation information about a client. This Psychological Report Assignment will require students to synthesize and report information about the character depicted in the Initial Interview Assignment and Mental Status Examination (MSE) Assignment.

 

Instructions

· Length of Psychological Report Assignment : 2100-2400 words (not including the title page)

· Format of Psychological Report Assignment : APA for font (Times New Roman, 12 pt.), title page, margins, and section headings

· Number of citations: none

· Acceptable sources: none

 

Using your character from the Initial Interview Assignment and Mental Status Examination (MSE) Assignment, you will take the assessments with the goal of answering one (1) of the referral questions posted below:

1. Would this examinee be a good candidate for participation in a summer missions trip in a very challenging environment?

2. Would this examinee be a good candidate for Senior Pastor at a large urban church?

3. Would the examinee make a good Resident Assistant (RA) at Liberty University?

 

Assessment Selection

 

You will report on four (4) assessments. For one of your assessments, you must use the IPIP-NEO assessment (see Psychological Report Resources for the link). There are two versions (short/long) of the IPIP-NEO assessment. Please use the longer version. Copy and paste the NEO description and chart into the report. This will give you a nice template for writing an assessment description. Once you have the results of the IPIP-NEO, you will plug in your own numbers into the chart.

 

The three (3) additional tests may come from the assessment listed on Blackboard: Jung Personality Test, Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. However, you may select other assessments to replace these assessment. Please make sure that any assessments that you select are designed to provide some of the information needed to answer the referral question. For example, if going on a mission trip is stressful, then you will want to pick an assessment that measures stress; you would not pick one that can be used to diagnose schizophrenia. When you have completed scoring the assessments, begin writing the psychological report.

 

You may not use the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ); Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (DASS) or the Clinical Anxiety Scale (CAS). These assessments are used in the sample paper, so you may not use them in your report. This would be plagiarism.

 

Please refer to the Psychological Report – Diagnostic Report Sample to ensure that you correctly format your Psychological Report Assignment paper. For this, you will not use APA formatting for the headers and page numbers. You will write it in a format consistent with a psychological report which you can use for future reference. Be sure to head your Psychological Report Assignment paper “Psychological Report.” Underneath this heading, fill in the following information (include the labels given):

 

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

 

Be sure to review the criteria on the Psychological Report Grading Rubric before beginning this Psychological Report Assignment.

 

See Psychological Report Resources under the Psychological Report Assignment page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sections of the Psychological Evaluation Report

 

 

I. IDENTIFICATION:

Student ID#

Client’s Name: (you can use a fictitious name)

Date of Report:

 

II. REFERRAL QUESTION/REASON FOR TESTING: In this section, you will write a brief description (3-4 sentences) of why your subject is being tested.

 

III. ASSESSMENT METHODS: List the full names of all the tests administered. The Examinee Biography should be the first measure on your list.

 

IV. EXAMINEE BACKGROUND: In no more than 2-3 paragraphs, use information from the Initial Interview (or Mental Status Exam) and write a well-organized succinct summary of the examinee’s background based on the information in the initial interview. Note that you will not include everything from the initial interview in this section. For example, you might decide certain pieces of information (e.g., perceived strengths and weaknesses, goals and aspiration, etc.) fit better in the Psychological Impressions section because they support or illustrate your interpretations of test results. See the Diagnostic Report Sample’s Psychological Impression section for more information.

 

V. SUMMARY OF TEST RESULTS: The name of each test should be underlined and serve as subheadings in this section. The following information should be reported for EACH test:

 

A. A brief description (4-5 sentences) of the test. The information you report on each test will vary considerably, but must include the purpose of the test, a general description of any subscales, and a statement relating to scores and norms (e.g., T-scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, specific raw score means, and standard deviations, etc.).

 

B. Delineation of your subject’s scores: both raw scores and standard scores or percentiles (if applicable) should be reported.

 

C. Additional Notes

i. In this section, do NOT make any interpretive statements. Just report the scores.

ii. In “real-world” settings, most likely you would NOT include clients’ actual scores in the written report. Whether actual scores are reported depends in large part on the intended audience (e.g., other psychologists, attorneys or judges, parents, etc.).

 

D. Example of a Test Summary:

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2): The MMPI-2 is a structured, self-report personality test that was designed to assist in the assessment of personality and the diagnosis of major psychiatric disorders. The MMPI-2 consists of 10 clinical subscales measuring different domains of psychological functioning or symptomology, several validity scales assessing subjects’ approaches to taking the test (e.g., defensiveness, acquiescence), and content scales relating to a specific content areas (e.g., anger). Distinct norm are provided for male and female examinees. MMPI-2 scores are reported in standard T-scores (mean=50, SD=10), with scores above 65 falling in the clinical range.

 

John’s scores on the MMPI-2 are presented below; standard scores are given in boldface type followed by raw scores in parentheses:

Scale 1, Hypochondriasis: 45 (11).

Scale 7, Psychasthenia: 72 (39).

 

VI. PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPRESSIONS: This section is the most important (approximately 600-900 words). Your goal in this section is to integrate test results into a cohesive summary. In other words, rather than simply reporting each interpretation on a test-by-test basis, you will integrate your interpretations. For example, you should address how the examinee is likely to interact with others. Findings from most of the tests will be relevant to this question. While you will specify your sources of information following each interpretive statement (e.g., Examinee Biography, specific subscales of a named test, etc.), you must also make interpretations based on an integration of findings from multiple sources.

 

A. Additional Notes

i. You are NOT expected to interpret every single result of each test! After examining test results, try to identify consistent patterns or characteristic styles that emerge on several measures. Address findings that seem most relevant, important, or interesting in the context of the referral question.

ii. In this section, you are stating hypotheses about the examinee’s functioning. You can express the probabilistic nature of your interpretations as follows:

a) “Test results indicate (or suggest) that…” (instead of “Test results show that…”)

b) “John seems (or appears) to be…” (rather than “John is…”)

c) “It is possible that John could…” or “John is likely to…” (not “John will…”)

 

B. Example (this represents only a portion of this section, not the entire section):

In regard to interpersonal functioning, results of Test X ( list relevant scales here), Test Y ( list relevant scales here), and Test Z (list relevant scales here) suggest that John generally interacts well with others. Specifically, he seems to be aware of the needs of others and is likely to respond in a positive manner if asked to help others. John’s family likely fostered his sense of interpersonal responsibility; in his biography, John reported that a primary influence in his life was his father, to whom John credits his “unfailing loyalty to the people in my life.” In addition, Test X ( list relevant scales) and Test Z (list relevant scales) indicate that John is rather extraverted. He likely will enjoy having a lot of contact with people. He seems motivated to seek out situations that will allow him to help others solve problems and to feel good about themselves.

 

On the other hand, John may experience difficulties in certain kinds of interpersonal situations. Results of Test Q ( list relevant scales here) and Test Y ( list relevant scales here) indicate that he tends to be somewhat anxious and unsure of himself. Coupled with his strong need for affiliation (i.e., for others to like and accept him) suggested in Test Z (list relevant scales here) and supported by Projective Test A, John’s anxiety is likely to surface in situations requiring assertive interpersonal responses. For example, it is possible John feels somewhat intimidated when challenged by others, and might acquiesce to the wishes of others rather than assert his own opinions or needs. In support of this hypothesis, John stated that one of his perceived weaknesses was “speaking up for myself.” It appears John would make a good team player because he is interested in considering others’ views, but could be challenged in leadership roles requiring him to direct others or to make independent decisions that might not be popular with peers, colleagues, or subordinates.

 

C. Questions you might address in this section include (but are not limited to):

i. Intrapersonal functioning: How does this person view himself/herself? What are this person’s intrapersonal resources or strengths? What kinds of situations might pose challenges to this person? Is this person motivated more by internal or external influences/factors? How is this person likely to deal with stressful situations of a personal nature?

ii. Interpersonal functioning: Is this person a “loner” or a “people-person?” What are this person’s needs for interpersonal contact? How does this person interact with others? How would you describe this person’s interpersonal style? How might this person respond to interpersonal stressors or conflicts? Does this person seem responsible and able to follow through on commitments?

 

VII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Begin this section by writing 3-4 sentences summarizing the examinee’s background and the referral question. Next, you will address the referral questions by:

 

A. Stating an opinion or recommendation (e.g., acceptance or rejection) relevant to the referral question.

 

B. Providing a set of statements that clearly and logically tie your recommendation to integrated psychological impressions. This section should highlight important findings that led you to your conclusion.

 

Example:

John Doe is an unmarried 23-year-old Hispanic male who holds a bachelor’s degree in Literature. Currently, John is employed as an editorial assistant for a large publishing company. John was referred for psychological testing as part of his application to the Walden Three community. Based on findings from a battery of psychological tests, it is the recommendation of this examiner that John (should/should not) be accepted to the Walden Three community for the following reasons…

 

Additional Notes

i. Regardless of your final opinion, decision, or recommendation, you must adequately support it! All the reasons you give should combine elements of your psychological impressions with specific aspects of the referral question. In other words, you should provide evidence justifying your recommendation.

ii. The reasons you provide for your recommendation should summarize material presented in the body of your Psychological Report Assignment paper, and should NOT contain new interpretations.

 

Refer to the Assessment Psychological Report: Diagnostic Report Example document to see examples of how each section must be completed and how the Psychological Report Assignment must be formatted for final submission. Contact your instructor if you have any questions.

 

 

Page 6 of 6

After selecting the four elements described above, write  describe how knowledge of lifespan development will inform your work as a professional in the chosen career. Explain how you would apply your knowledge of human development to meet the needs of an individual in one specific period of development. The needs of the individual will be determined not only by the period of development but also by the topic/issue you selected. Include the application of at least one major theory of development in working with the individual. Explain how you will use theory to guide your work with the person in the specific period of development. Do not assume the reader has prior knowledge about the career, theory or topic.

CHOOSE At least 4 topics

• Prenatal care • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) • Preschool/ early childhood education • Autism • Child Maltreatment • Childhood Obesity • Special Education • Learning Disabilities • ADHD • Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (identify one specific disorder) • Intellectual Disabilities • Giftedness • Childhood stress and trauma • Peer status • Bullying • Baumrind’s Parenting Styles • Gender issues • Adolescent sexual behavior • Teen pregnancy • Sex education • Substance abuse • Juvenile delinquency • Adolescent substance abuse • Adolescent depression • Sexual harassment • Sexual assault • Topics related to health in early adulthood • Topics related to sexuality in adulthood

The first paragraph should briefly introduce  and end with a thesis statement. • After the introductory paragraph, the first main section should describe the career and include why a knowledge of human development is necessary for the profession. The section should begin with a heading that identifies the career. The education/training requirements for the career should also be described. The professional association applicable to the chosen career must be used as a main source of information in this section. You should find the required information on the website of the relevant professional association. See the handout on professional associations for examples. In addition, you must include information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) for information about the career. Both of these sources must be cited using APA format. • In the second section, describe one period of development (e.g., infancy, early childhood, middle/late childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, or late adulthood). The section should begin with a heading that identifies the developmental period. Explain why knowledge of that specific developmental period is important for one to be effective in the career/profession. Include examples of how such knowledge would be applied to an individual in that period of development. This may include knowledge of cognitive, socioemotional, or biological development. At least one of the three developmental processes must be addressed, more than one if possible, based on the knowledge required for the profession. Your textbook should be the main source for this information. Any additional sources must be “scholarly”, as defined later in this document under Additional Sources. • In the third section, describe a topic or issue that would likely present itself during the developmental period described. The section should begin with a heading that identifies the topic. You will explain how your knowledge about the issue might affect the way you provide service to the individual as a professional in the career. Based upon information 3 learned about the topic and the period of development, describe at least one thing you will do to be most effective in working with the individual (client/patient, student, etc.) because of information learned in this course. Your understanding of the topic and related research on the topic should be clearly demonstrated. Your textbook should be the main source for this information. Any additional sources must be “scholarly”, as defined later in this document under Additional Sources. • In the fourth section, apply one of the major theories of development (Piaget, Erickson, Bronfenbrenner). For late adulthood, you may instead choose to use Activity Theory, Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, or Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory. For early adulthood, you may choose to extend Piaget’s theory to include   thought. Again, your textbook should be the main source for this information. The section should begin with a heading that identifies the theory. Explain how knowledge of the theory would be applied by the professional in their work with an individual (patient, client, student, etc.) who is in the same period of development and who is experiencing the issue/topic previously described. If you applied one of these theories in the second section (period of development), you will apply a different theory

Example: A student might select occupational therapist as a career and early childhood as the developmental period. She might select autism as a specific topic. She could explain how Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological theory might be applied to address a child’s needs in multiple settings using this theory. Another student might select child welfare worker as a career and child maltreatment as a topic. He would select any one of the developmental periods in which child maltreatment could be experienced. If Erickson’s theory were selected as the theory and applied to the child in middle/late childhood, the student would explain how his knowledge about the Industry vs. Inferiority stage could help to inform how he works with the child, the factors he might pay attention to, or ways he might choose to intervene to help the child be most successful.

Discussion Topic: The Right-To-Die Movement

Healthy dying” has become a more prominent issue in the U.S., especially when the New York Times published an article about a woman named Jo Roman, a 62-year-old artist with terminal cancer who took her own life with an overdose of medication after gathering close friends around her for a celebration prior to her farewell passage, (Zanden, Crandell, & Crandell, 2007, p. 650). Then, Dr. Jack Kevorkian began to help people with terminal illnesses end their lives. And most recently the disputes in the Terri Schindler-Schiavo case became headline news in 2005.”As the technology to keep people alive continues to improve, the ethical issues about active euthanasia in general and physician-assisted suicide, in particular, will continue to become more complex and will likely focus increasingly on the quality of life ” (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016, p. 558).To prepare for this discussion, read pages 555-559 in your text.“Taking one’s own life through ritual suicide has never been popular in the United States because of religious and other prohibitions. In other cultures, such as Japan, suicide is viewed as an honorable way to die under certain circumstances. Asian Americans have the highest suicide rate in the US, and their suicide notes are likely to reveal that they considered themselves a burden on their families,” (Pascual, 2010 in Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016, p. 557).In 1984, the Dutch Supreme Court eliminated prosecution of physicians who assist in suicide if five criteria are met:

1. The patient’s condition is intolerable with no hope for improvement.
2. No relief is available.
3. The patient is competent.
4. The patient makes a request repeatedly over time.
5. Two physicians have reviewed the case and agree with the patient’s request.

(Deutsch, 2001 in Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016, p. 557).In preparing for this discussion please also consider the following additional facts:

• In Australia, the Northern Territory became the first state in the world to legalize voluntary active euthanasia under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act of 1995. However, in 1997 their Federal Parliament overturned this legislation.
• In the Netherlands, euthanasia has been legalized by the Dutch Parliament since 2001.
• In 2002, Belgium also legalized physician-assisted suicide.
• In the U.S., Oregon residents passed the Death with Dignity Act legalizing physician-assisted suicide in 1994.

Discussion questions:

• Do you think people have a right to die if they are in great pain and diagnosed with a terminal illness?
• What is the difference between euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide?
• Should euthanasia be legal or illegal?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal or illegal?

Notes:

• Remember to cite a source in your primary post.
• Also, refer to the Psychology Discussion Requirements listed under Getting Starte

Discussion 1: Values and Culture

Cultures vary widely in the values to which members adhere. For example, some cultures may highly value personal achievement, where other cultures value religious convictions as a core value. One culture may emphasize the importance of being independent while another culture may focus on the importance of being a supportive group member.

As you review the Learning Resources for this Discussion, think about your own culture and the many values you hold dear. Then, think about the other cultures you will read about and why their value systems may be different from your own. How might understanding values and culture help you to develop as a professional and promote a sense of appreciation for others personally?

For this Discussion, you will examine how the basic concepts from social psychology i.e., socialization, social roles, social cognition, and social behavior are all influenced by culture.

To Prepare:

• Select two dimensions or values described in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Then, select two cultures other than your own found in this week’s Learning Resources.

By Day 3

Post and briefly define the two dimensions or values you selected. Next, describe and discuss examples of how these two dimensions or values are expressed in the two cultures you selected. In your explanation, make sure to explain how socialization, social roles, social cognition, and social behavior are influenced by culture.

 

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Bond, R., & Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis of studies using Asch’s (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 111–137.

Schönherr, J. (2017). What’s so special about interaction in social cognition? Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 8(2), 181–198. doi:10.1007/s13164-016-0299-y

Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1).

Credit Line: International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, & Hofstede, G. (2011). The Hofstede model in context. Retrieved from ​dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1014​. Used with permission of International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.

Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1).

Credit Line: Schwartz, S. H., & International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. (2012). An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values. Retrieved from ​dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1116​. Used with permission of International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.

Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (2010). Cultures and selves: A cycle of mutual constitution. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4), 420–430.

Dion, K. K., & Dion, K. L. (1996). Cultural perspectives on romantic love. Personal Relationships, 3(1), 5–17. 

Credit Line: Karandashev, V., & International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. (2015). A Cultural Perspective on Romantic Love. Retrieved from ​dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1135​. Used with permission of International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.