A client was referred to four office. Your director want you to
administer the Draw a Person Test and the Rotter Incomplete
Sentence Blanks to the client. You inform your director that you have
not taken the tests, nor have Projective Tests in your curriculum. The
Director assures you that she has materials (photocopied handouts
and, copy of RISB) which you can administer and refer to for the
interpretation.
Questions:
1. What is your position regarding the situation?
You could explain to your director that you are not qualified to
administer projective tests and recommend that they refer the client
to a qualified professional.
You could offer to administer the tests, but make it clear to your
director and the client that you are not qualified to interpret the
results.
You could ask your director to provide you with training on how to
administer and interpret projective tests.
Here are some additional things to consider:
The potential consequences of administering the tests incorrectly.
The ethical implications of practicing outside of your scope of
competence.
Your professional obligations to your director and to your client.
 Qualification and Competence: You are not qualified to
administer and interpret projective tests, as you haven't been
trained on them. The American Psychological Association
(APA) Standards of Ethical Practice for Psychologists say
psychologists should only use assessment techniques for
which they are competent [APA Ethics Code].
Test Fidelity: Using photocopied handouts and an
unauthorized copy of the Rorschach Inkblot Test (RISB)
constitutes a violation of test fidelity. Fidelity refers to the
standardized administration, scoring, and interpretation of a
test [APA Handbook of Psychological Assessment, Fourth
Edition].
Here are some options you can consider:
Inform your Director: Explain that you are not qualified and
express your concerns about using photocopied materials and
an unauthorized copy of the RISB.
Seek Consultation: Consult with a qualified psychologist on
how to proceed. They may be able to provide you with
alternative assessments or refer the client to a qualified
professional.
Referral: If your director insists on using you to administer the
tests, consider referring the client to a qualified professional.
2 What questions will you raise regarding the use of the projective
tests?
My qualifications: You can express to your director that you haven’t been
trained in administering or interpreting projective tests. It is important to
ensure you are qualified to administer these tests, as misinterpretations
could have negative consequences for the client
Standardization: You can ask your director if the photocopied handouts
and RISB materials are standardized. Standardized tests are administered
and scored in a consistent way, which helps to ensure the reliability and
validity of the results.
Alternative Tests: You can discuss with your director if there are other,
more appropriate tests you could administer given your qualifications and
the client’s needs.
Should you administer the tests without training? Projective tests can be
complex to administer and interpret. Ideally, a qualified psychologist who
has been trained in the use of these tests should administer them. Without
proper training, you may misinterpret the results of the tests, which could
lead to inaccurate conclusions about the client.
Are photocopied handouts and a copy of the Rorschach Inkblot
Interpretation System (RISB) sufficient for interpretation? The RISB is a
manual that can be used to help score and interpret the Rorschach Inkblot
Test, but it is not a substitute for training in projective test administration
and interpretation. Other projective tests, like the Draw-A-Person Test,
also have scoring guidelines that you may not be familiar with without
proper training.
Are there other assessment tools that would be more appropriate in this
situation? There are a variety of assessment tools available to
psychologists, including objective tests, self-report inventories, and
interviews. Depending on the reason the client was referred, other
assessment tools may be more appropriate than projective tests.
3. What ethical provisions will you invoke?
Competence means that you should only administer psychological tests
that you have been trained and qualified to use. You should not administer
the Draw a Person Test or the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blanks because
you have not taken the tests yourself and do not have them in your
curriculum.
Fairness means that you should administer and interpret tests in a way that
is fair and unbiased to all clients. You cannot ensure fairness if you are
not qualified to administer the tests.
In addition to competence and fairness, you may also want to consider the
ethical provisions of informed consent and welfare of the client.
Informed consent means that you should obtain the client's consent to
administer any psychological tests. The client should be aware of the
nature and purpose of the tests, as well as the potential risks and benefits.
You cannot obtain informed consent if you are not qualified to administer
the tests.
Welfare of the client means that you should act in the best interests of
your client.
This includes protecting your client from harm.
Administering tests that you are not qualified to use could potentially
harm your client.
several ethical provisions of the American Psychological Association
(APA) Ethics Code would be invoked in this situation. Here are two
relevant principles:
Competence (Principle 2): Psychologists base their practice on a
recognized knowledge base of scientific and professional psychology.
They are obligated to maintain competence in the areas in which they
practice [APA Ethics Code, 2017]. In the scenario you described, you
haven’t received training on projective tests and you are not qualified to
administer or interpret them.
Welfare of the Client (Principle C): Psychologists strive to benefit their
clients and minimize harm [APA Ethics Code, 2017]. Administering an
assessment tool you’re not qualified in could potentially lead to
misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment recommendations.
Possible courses of action consistent with the APA Ethics Code include:
Explaining to your director that you are not qualified to administer
projective tests and recommend they refer the client to a psychologist
who is.
Consulting with a qualified psychologist about the situation and getting
their guidance on how to proceed.
IS THIS ETHICAL?
No, it is not ethical for the director to ask you to administer the Draw-aPerson Test and the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blanks (RISB) to the
client in the scenario you described. There are several reasons for this:
You are not qualified to administer or interpret the tests. These are
projective personality tests, which require specific training and experience
to administer and score accurately. Misinterpretations of the tests could
have negative consequences for the client.
The use of photocopied materials is not appropriate. Standardized tests
have specific administration and scoring procedures to ensure reliability.
Using photocopied materials can increase the margin for error.
The ethical course of action is to inform your director that you are not
qualified to administer the tests and recommend that they refer the client
to a qualified professional. You can explain that these are complex tests
that require specialized training to administer and score accurately.
Here are some resources that discuss the ethical considerations of
psychological testing:
The American Psychological Association (APA) publishes a set of ethical
principles for psychologists, which includes a section on assessment
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
The International Test Commission (ITC) publishes a set of guidelines for
test use https://www.intestcom.org/