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PSY535 Adult Assessment (8)

Abstract

This subject provides a comprehensive introduction to the psychological assessment of adults. Students will become familiar with the theoretical and empirical foundations of contemporary adult assessment, and the application of these theories and research findings to the development of empirically-based assessment practice. Students will be introduced to best practice in the assessment of cognition, behaviour, mood, personality, and other psychological constructs, and popular psychological measures of these functions will be critically evaluated. Students will be instructed in the integration of assessment data into clinically-useful reports. Different approaches to psychological assessment will be compared and evaluated. Ethical and professional issues in psychological assessment will be discussed.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Location

Session 2
Distance*Bathurst Campus
*This subject offering contains a residential school. Please view following information for further details.
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: PSY535
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject information

Duration Grading System School:
One sessionHD/FLSchool of Psychology

Enrolment restrictions

Available to students in the Master of Clinical Psychology
Prerequisite(s)
PSY533

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical and empirical foundations of psychological assessment.
  • be able to select assessment methods and measures appropriate to the needs of a client
  • be able to administer, score and interpret the results of major measures of adult intelligence, achievement and other cognitive domains
  • be able to effectively interpret and communicate the results of a psychological assessment.
  • be able to critically evaluate psychological tests and questionnaires
  • be able to identify ethical issues in psychological assessment

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:
  • Theories, models and methods in adult psychological assessment.
  • Intellectual assessment: WAIS-IV and other test batteries
  • Assessment of academic achievement: WIAT-II and other measures
  • Assessment of language, memory and other cognitive functions: WMS-IV, CELF-4, D-KEFS, and other measures
  • Assessment of behavioural, emotion, and personality in adults
  • Report writing
  • Professional and ethical issues in assessing adults

Residential School

This subject contains a compulsory 2.5 day residential school. The residential school is intended to serve a number of functions
  • to demonstrate assessment skills for adults, including cognitive, behavioural and personality assessment
  • to teach interpretation of psychological tests for adults
  • to present and review cases
Activities include
  • lectures
  • demonstrations
  • case discussions and other small-group learning activities and role-plays
  • student self-evaluation tasks

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The information contained in the 2015 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 01 October 2015. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.