Ethical Use of Assessment

Ethical Use of Assessment
Julia Ray
Capella University

Abstract
In this report Julia has selected an assessment instrument that will be used in the mental health counseling field area of professional practice, the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Reviews of the assessment will be read to ensure that the assessment measures what it purports to measure and that the article reviews will also establish an appropriate use of that tool. Julia has also analyzed the theoretical basis of the article choice for the chosen assessment tool. In addition, Julia will compare who the test developers or publishers and independent reviewers to discuss the applicability of the assessment tool to diverse populations. Julia will provide information cited by the publisher where applicable. Along with this information, Julia will discuss how the comparison of the BDI-II to other assessments can help the counselor make an ethical judgment of the applicability of using the tool within diverse groups of clients. Finally, Julia will cite any relevant sections of the code of ethics for mental health counseling within the American Counseling Association as well as the Mental Health Professional code of ethics. It is also important to state that the names of participants used are fictional due to privacy of certain individuals.

Ethical Use of Assessment
Psychological Testing Ethics
Ethics are an essential part of administering psychological tests and it is necessary that all test users follow the ethical guidelines for assessment when using any type of psychological test. Psychological tests are an important tool in terms of many professions in an array of settings such as in clinical psychology, education, and even business. However, misuse of psychological test by the administrators is a constant and troubling issue that has the potential to harm the individuals who are taking the test and even society as a whole. For test takers, the misuse of a psychological test could result in

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