Overview, Analysis, and Recommendation of Psychometric Diagnostic Assessments for Pine Rest Psychological Consultation Center

Abstract

Due to the drastic increase in the number of mental health diagnoses being made concerns have arisen in regards to the effectiveness and usefulness of psychometry and its assessment tools (Toothman, 2010). The purpose of the present report is to evaluate, analyze, and compare the effectiveness of the psychometric assessments used at the Pine Rest Psychological Consultation Center (PCC) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with other similar psychometric assessments that could possibly be more valid and reliable measures. Investigation will be done in regards to psychometric intelligence tests, tests of executive functioning, and continuous performance tests. Currently, Pine Rest PCC administers the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test - Second Edition (KBIT-2) as an intelligence test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test - 64 (WCST-64) as the test of executive functioning, and Conners' Continuous Performance Test - Second Edition (CCPT-II) for the continuous performance test. Following detailed examination of several tests for each of the three types of psychometric assessments, results indicated that the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale - Second Edition (WASI-II), WCST-64, and the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) to be the most reliable and valid options for an intelligence test, test of executive functioning, and continuous performance test, respectively. From these results, I recommend Pine Rest PCC consider implementing the WASI-II, WCST-64, and TOVA as their psychometric assessments.