Learning Objectives

After completing your study of this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

• Define ethics and the importance of acting ethically by following professional practice standards.
• Identify the professional practice standards of associations and societies most relevant to psychological testing.
• Distinguish professional practice standards from certification and licensure.
• Explain the general responsibilities of test publishers, test users, and test takers.
• Explain the issues associated with testing special populations.

Chapter Summary

Psychological testing plays an important role in individuals’ opportunities for education, employment, and mental health treatment. Improper test use can cause harm to individuals. Therefore, it is critical that those who use tests use them ethically by following professional practice standards. Some of the most relevant professional practice standards are the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education, the Code of Ethical and Professional Standards in Human Resource Management, the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, the International Guidelines for Test Use, and the International Guidelines on Computer-Based and Internet Delivered Testing.

Individuals and institutions use test scores to make important decisions. Test publishers, test users, and test takers all have a responsibility for ensuring that test scores are accurate and that good decisions are made. Test publishers should follow professional practice standards by selling tests only to qualified users, marketing tests truthfully, and providing a comprehensive test manual for each test. Test users should understand and abide by the professional practice standards within their professions, as well as the testing guidelines that apply to all professions. Test takers also have responsibilities, ranging from being prepared to take a test to treating others with courtesy and respect. In addition to having responsibilities, test takers have rights, such as the right to privacy, to informed consent, to know and understand results, and to be protected from stigma.

Persons who have physical or mental challenges might have special needs when taking tests that require modifying the testing process. The modifications that a test user makes depend on the specific disability of a test taker. When testing someone who has physical or mental challenges, ethical standards and certain laws require that the test user modify the test or the interpretation to ensure that the individual’s impairment does not influence the test outcome. Another group whose members might need test modifications are those with learning disabilities. Students and their instructors can work together to develop learning and test-taking strategies.