March 10 | 8:00 am - 11:45 am
Presenters:
Lisa A. Suzuki, PhD | New York University
Radhika Krishnamurthy, PsyD| Florida Institute of Technology
A. Jordan Wright, PhD | New York University
Workshop Information:
Ethical codes, testing standards, and practice guidelines impact the ways in whichpsychological tests are developed, standardized, selected, administered, and interpreted.Increasing controversies around the use of psychological assessment practices with respectto diversity, fairness, intersectionality, and cultural context are reported as central byprofessional organizations and marginalized and oppressed communities. Large scaleassessments used as gatekeepers to educational opportunities as well as psychologicalmeasures used to diagnose, determine interventions, and measure effectiveness andoutcomes face challenges of systemic bias against marginalized and oppressedcommunities. This workshop presents an ethical and best practices framework for theassessment process integrating current guidelines and standards. In addition,complementary models of cultural competence and cultural humility are presented as abackdrop for discussion of contextual factors in relation to the usage of the most popularassessment. Tools to be used to gather relevant background information will also behighlighted (e.g., culturally based interview protocols). Application of an assessmentframework will be a critical piece of this workshop as participants will engage in discussionaround particular assessment cases. This is an introductory workshop designed for newprofessionals as well as those interested in reconceptualizing the assessment processthrough exploration of standards of assessment focusing on a cultural lens.
Goals and Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to explain the impact of ethical standards and testing and practice guidelines as they pertain to psychological assessment.
2. Participants will identify complementary aspects or cultural competence and cultural humility in relation to the assessment process.
3. Participants will be able to describe how controversies and cultural challenges to the most popular cognitive and personality measures continue to impact contemporary assessment practices.
4. Participants will learn ways to gather and integrate information regarding intersectional identities as part of the assessment process.
5. Participants will be able to identify strengths and limitations of current psychological assessment procedures and measures.
6. Participants will apply cultural frameworks to specific cases to be provided by presenters.
Skill Level:
Participants should have a basic understanding of the application of ethical standards,testing guidelines, and practice guidelines as they pertain to psychological assessmentpractices. The potential importance of examining cultural context in the understanding andinterpretation of assessment results and formulation of recommendations will also beexamined and discussed.
Available Bios
Lisa A. Suzuki, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Psychology program in the Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. She conducts research in the area of multicultural assessment, in particular understanding how culture impacts the process of cognitive assessment. Her work also focuses on the usage of qualitative research strategies with diverse ethnocultural groups. She is senior co-editor of the Handbook of Multicultural Assessment now in its third edition (with Joseph Ponterotto) and co-editor of The Handbook of Multicultural Counseling (with Manuel Casas, Charlene Alexander, and Margo Jackson) now in its fourth edition. She is also co-editor of Using Qualitative Strategies with Ethnocultural Populations (with Donna Nagata and Laura Kohn-Wood). Suzuki is the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution bestowed by the Asian American Psychological Association (2006) and the Visionary Leadership Award from the National Multicultural Conference and Summit (2007). Suzuki served as the Vice-President of Diversity and Public Interest for the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17) of the American Psychological Association (2002-2005). Suzuki received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992 and has taught in the counseling psychology programs at Fordham University and the University of Oregon.
Radhika Krishnamurthy, PsyD, ABAP is a tenured Professor of Psychology at Florida Institute of Technology and a licensed psychologist in Florida. Her teaching, research, and clinical training activities are in the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program, centered on personality testing and psychological assessment. Dr. Krishnamurthy was President of the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) in 2011-2013 and President of Section IX (Assessment Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 in 2008. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Assessment Psychology and fellow of APA and SPA. She serves on the editorial boards of the journals Assessment, Journal of Personality Assessment, and European Journal of Psychological Assessment, and is an invited reviewer for Psychological Assessment, Training and Education in Professional Psychology and Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. She is co-editor of a 2018 book titled Diversity-Sensitive Personality Assessment, co-author of two MMPI-A books and several book chapters and journal articles on psychological assessment. She recently served on the APA Board of Educational Affairs Task Force on Education and Training Guidelines for Psychological Assessment in Health Service Psychology, and currently serves on the APA’s Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (CPTA).
Jordan Wright, PhD, ABAP is a Clinical Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Training, and Director of the Center for Counseling and Community Wellbeing, the community-based training clinic, at New York University. He has authored multiple texts on psychological assessment, including Conducting Psychological Assessment: A Guide for Practitioners (2nd ed.; Wiley, 2020), the Handbook of Psychological Assessment (6th ed.; Wiley, 2016), and most recently the Essentials of Psychological Tele-Assessment (Wiley, 2021). Additionally, he has conducted research and published widely in the area of social justice in psychology, in particular with LGBTQIA+ communities, and evidence-based psychological assessment.