Reflections on the EPPP: A commentary on Sharpless and Barber.

In their article “The EPPP in the Era of Evidence-Based Practice,” B. A. Sharpless and J. P. Barber (see record 2009-11890-004) shine a critical spotlight on the standardized exam for professional psychology licensure. Yet their arguments are based on some inaccurate assumptions about the purpose and the validity of the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). In this critical response paper, we focus on several areas of disagreement with Sharpless and Barber, including the purpose of the EPPP, reflections on its validity and failure rates, and the need for generic versus specialized entry-level professional licensure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) in the era of evidence-based practice.

Professional psychology has increasingly moved toward evidence-based practice. However, instruments used to assess psychologists seeking licensure, such as the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), have received relatively little empirical scrutiny. Therefore, the authors evaluated the available evidence in support of the EPPP’s validity and current use as a core component of professional licensure. Although the EPPP has in many ways been extensively evaluated, there is a paucity of criterion, predictive, and incremental validity evidence available. Further, several aspects of the content validation studies were examined, and the authors question whether the EPPP, as currently constructed, can meet its stated goals. Given that the EPPP is a high-stakes examination and given the authors’ best estimate (based on a sample of 16 states) that 35% of applicants fail the examination, it is recommended that the EPPP be more extensively evaluated. An outline of major decision points in this proposed evaluation process is provided, several suggestions for further research are proposed, and the field is encouraged to discuss these issues further. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How should the effectiveness of the EPPP be judged?

We join Brian A. Sharpless and Jacques P. Barber (see record 2009-11890-004) in calling for strengthening the evidence base supporting the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), particularly in the areas of criterion and predictive validity. Although 1 clear purpose of the EPPP is to assess core areas of knowledge, materials from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards are less clear as to whether the EPPP is also intended to predict future performance as a psychologist. If the EPPP is expected to protect the public from poorly trained psychologists, then data supporting its use for that purpose are urgently needed. Sharpless and Barber offer suggestions for evaluating the EPPP against this criterion. Although a step in the right direction, these suggestions do not fully satisfy the need for predictive validation. Our greatest difference with Sharpless and Barber concerns their recommendation for abandoning generic licensing in favor of specialty exams tied to subfields. Segmenting licensure in this manner would deviate from the profession’s long-standing commitment to broad and general training and would necessarily be accompanied by an undesirably narrowed scope of practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenges to the assessment of competence and competencies.

Challenges to the assessment of competence and competencies in professional psychology are discussed in this article. These include difficulties in defining competencies in precise and measurable terms; reaching agreement within the profession about the key elements of each competence domain; establishing an armamentarium of tools for assessing all components of competence, including the knowledge base, skills, and attitudes (and their integration); determining appropriate agreed-upon minimal levels of competence for individuals at different levels of professional development and when "competence problems" exist for individuals; assuring the fidelity of competency assessments; and establishing mechanisms for providing effective evaluative feedback and remediation. But even if these challenges can be met, perhaps the single biggest obstacle would be convincing those who are skeptical of the value of the culture shift toward the implementation of comprehensive competence assessments across the professional life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guiding principles and recommendations for the assessment of competence.

This article presents guiding principles for the assessment of competence developed by the members of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Assessment of Competence in Professional Psychology. These principles are applicable to the education, training, and credentialing of professional psychologists, and to practicing psychologists across the professional life span. The principles are built upon a review of competency assessment models, including practices in both psychology and other professions. These principles will help to ensure that psychologists reinforce the importance of a culture of competence. The implications of the principles for professional psychology also are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Striving for competence in the assessment of competence: Psychology's professional education and credentialing journey of public accountability.

The history of psychology's development as a licensed profession is traced over the past 60 years through the evolution of the profession's quality control practices in education and credentialing. These two essential features of a profession began at about the same time, but evolved quite independent of one another for the first 30 years. Shaped by events of the 1970s and 1980s, however, there has been a gradual convergence of focus by those responsible for professional education and credentialing on how best to assess the quality of professional education programs and their graduates who apply for licensure. Although at first this focus was predominantly on the content of curriculum taught and the knowledge examined, increasingly over the past decade there has been a shift of emphasis to the broader, more complex construct of competence to practice for which examination of knowledge is a necessary but insufficient assessment. The article describes the events and structures that led to this outcome and concludes with comments about the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Blueprint for Training and Practice: A contemporary design for school psychology.

Suggests that School Psychology: A Blueprint for Training and Practice (National School Psychology Inservice Training Network, 1984) and School Psychology: The State of the Art by the 2nd author (1984) are not finished products; detailed designs—the specifications for building contemporary models of practice and training—need to be charted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding the perceptions and experiences of faculty who teach multicultural counseling courses: An exploratory study.

Professional psychologists who teach multicultural counseling courses often face significant challenges, and very little information is available on their perceptions and experiences. A survey blending quantitative and qualitative questions was distributed to 169 faculty members who teach multicultural counseling courses. Results indicate that most faculty members surveyed typically incorporated self-disclosure when teaching and viewed their cultural identity as influential in how they teach. They also identified the specific teaching strategies they used and specified common group dynamics in class. Understanding the perceptions and experiences of faculty members who teach multicultural courses is essential to providing support for the important work done by these multicultural educators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jessica Henderson Daniel: Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology.

Announces Jessica Henderson Daniel as a recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology for 2002. A biographical statement is included, along with major works and contributions for the field. Daniel received this award for her career in instruction and training in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Edward A. Wise: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Independent or Institutional Practice in the Private Sector.

This document presents the citation awarded to Edward A. Wise, recipient of the 2005 APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Independent or Institutional Practice in the Private Sector. A brief biography and a selected bibliography of Wise accompany the citation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fostering a Culture Shift: Assessment of Competence in the Education and Careers of Professional Psychologists.

What is professional competence and how should it be assessed? Professionalism in psychology requires the habitual and judicious use of knowledge and skills as well as ongoing assessment. The authors synthesize discussions of the Assessment of Competence Workgroup that met during the Competencies Conference: Future Directions in Education and Credentialing in Professional Psychology. The workgroup discussed how to establish a culture of competence and elaborated principles and considerations necessary for the development of methods to assess competence. Principles identified include maintaining a developmental perspective, practicing multicultural sensitivity, and conducting formative and summative, career-long assessment. Recommendations are offered that support a "culture shift" from the current levels of competence assessment to an embracing of continual assessment of professional knowledge and skills over the life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Adolf-Würth-Center for the History of Psychology at the University of Würzburg: Its history, present, and future.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 14(1) of History of Psychology (see record 2011-03824-004). The captions for the images included in the article inadvertently omitted. The images with their captions are presented in the erratum.] The Adolf-Würth-Center for the History of Psychology at the University of Würzburg is the successor of the former Institute for the History of Modern Psychology in Passau, founded in the early 1980s by Professor Werner Traxel. In 2009, the Institute moved to Würzburg and was reopened there. With an exemplary sponsorship by Prof. Dr. H.C. Mult. Reinhold Würth and the Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG it was possible to realize good spatial conditions for the archive, offering new perspectives for research in the field of history of psychology. This article describes the development of the Adolf-Würth-Center for the History of Psychology and its predecessor, the historical collections, and the service offered by the Adolf-Würth-Center as well as its tasks and goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: A reply.

H. Tennen, J. A. Hall, and G. Affleck (see PA Vol, 31710) argued in their critique of depression research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) that investigators have failed to comply with several methodological recommendations often cited in the depression literature. They recommended resetting minimum criteria for publication of depression research in JPSP. In this article, it is asserted that Tennen and his colleagues did not consider a number of critical issues surrounding this set of methodological criteria. It is also contended that insufficient data are available to require strict adherence to several of the criteria. In light of the complexities surrounding Tennen et al.'s methodological criteria, it is concluded that JPSP's editors, reviewers, and readers would do better to evaluate studies on a case-by-case basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Engineering new designs for school psychological service delivery: A commentary on School Psychology: A Blueprint for Training and Practice..

Responds to School Psychology: A Blueprint for Training and Practice (National School Psychology Inservice Training Network, 1984) by asserting that when making plans that further the application of psychology to the educational process and to the development of new designs for service delivery, more attention should be given to theoretical and empirical knowledge for school psychological practice, the necessary linkages between knowledge and practice, as well as specific implications for education and training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rodney R. Baker: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Practice in the Public Sector.

Provides the biography of Rodney R. Baker and announces that he has received the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Practice in the Public Sector (2004) for his distinguished career in the Department of Veterans Affairs and his exemplary contributions as psychologist, manager, educator, and leader. A selected bibliography is also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A response to Shealy, Cramer, and Pirelli's "Third party presence during criminal forensic evaluations: Psychologists' opinions, attitudes, and practices".

I provide my position on third-party observation in criminal forensic assessments studied by C. Shealy, R. Cramer, and G. Pirelli (see record 2008-17522-001), comment on the traditional authority reflected by the study, note the statements on the issue by the Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (2007) and the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (2001) and the proposed third draft of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology by the Committee on the Revision of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (2008), and offer a rationale for allowing observation. The study by Shealy, Cramer, and Pirelli documented traditional authority on observation in forensic assessment, not evidence-based practice. Because there is scant data of the effects of observation on outcomes, in order to define evidence-based practice and inform the reality of assessments that are observed, psychologists should research the effects of third-party observation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression research methodologies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: A review and critique.

Personality and social psychological studies of depression and depressive phenomena have become more methodologically sophisticated in recent years. In response to earlier problems in this literature, investigators have formulated sound suggestions for research designs. Studies of depression published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) between 1988 and 1993 were reviewed to evaluate how well these recommendations have been followed. Forty-one articles were examined for adherence to 3 suggestions appearing consistently in the literature: (a) multiple assessment periods, (b) multiple assessment methods, and (c) appropriate comparison groups. The studies published in JPSP have not adhered well to these standards. The authors recommend resetting minimum methodological criteria for studies of depression published in the premier journal in personality and social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

David W. Johnson: Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training.

Provides the biography of David W. Johnson and announces that he has won the Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training for programmatic research, comprehensive research reviews, and revision of theory over four decades of persistence that have provided the knowledge foundation for cooperative learning, constructive controversy, conflict resolution, and peer mediation training. A selected bibliography is also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A critical analysis of cross-cultural research and testing practices: Implications for improved education and training in psychology.

Psychological research that involves cross-cultural comparisons has increased considerably during the last decade and is expected to escalate further. Given its growing popularity within mainstream psychology, cross-cultural research no longer can be considered the sole domain of experts trained in this specialization. Concomitant with this expansion, important methodological advances in quantitative psychology (e.g., measurement, statistical analysis, and research design) impact the study of cultural differences. The purpose of this article is to heighten awareness of important methodological advances among psychologists being prepared for or engaged in teaching, research, consultation, or other forms of practice that focus on diverse cultural groups. Credible and unbiased research findings coupled with psychometrically sound selection and use of assessment instruments contribute importantly to attaining the gold standard for all psychological research and testing practices. This article highlights methodological advancements and other issues that bear importantly on both the preparation and subsequent practices of psychologists in ways that promote credibility and lessen bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training: Richard Lehrer.

Richard Lehrer, recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training, is cited for research demonstrating what mathematics and science education might look like if designed to build coherently and cumulatively toward important ideas. Lehrer’s research focuses on children’s mathematical and scientific reasoning. Working closely with teachers and students, he has advanced and tested approaches to teaching mathematical and scientific concepts built upon everyday experiences. His work has shown how an understanding of psychology and cognition can be effectively applied to improve learning in math and science. In addition to the citation, a biography and selected bibliography of Lehrer's works are provided. Also included is Lehrer's paper, entitled "Designing to develop disciplinary dispositions: Modeling natural systems," a version of which Lehrer delivered at the American Psychological Association's annual convention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)