coun5106week9

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Example Title: u09a1 Elements of an APA Paper: Final Assignment Learner Name: Michelle Wyatt Department of Counseling and Family Therapy, Capella University COUN5106: Assessment, Tests, and Measures Professor Name: Stephanie L. Brooke-Werley, PhD, NCC Date: December 2023

2 River Bend City Case Scenario There are many scenarios that a counselor will face when working with clients, or students in a school setting. Individuals will be facing many changes of development, personality, and making career decisions as they progress through school. This paper will discuss a case study provided and apply assessments and checklists for symptoms, personality, and career decisions. Three different assessments will be utilized in Sophia’s case: The Symptom Checklist-90 Revised for initial assessment, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MTBI) for personality, and the RIASEC test for career assessment. Primary Question for Identified Case Scenario Sophia is a High School student, 17 years old, planning to attend college after graduating, and will have been the only one in her family to do so. She has done well academically and scored above average on her SATs. Sophia is unsure of what she wants to study in college and doesn’t know many people who have attended college to provide her information. Although members of her family own a restaurant they are supportive of her future goals and encourage her to pursue specific career choices, but she is not clear on what she wants to do. She has stated that the thought of becoming a doctor was a choice she once thought about, however, working for her parents at the restaurant made her rethink that choice. She decides to seek assistance from a counselor to obtain more information on the processes. Sophia is in a state of indecision and confusion about what she wants for her future. The primary question is what are her interests? What, or who, is affecting her decisions about her future? When she figures out what she likes, and may be good career wise, she can go on to look for opportunities that fit those interests. It is clear that Sophia wants to go to college, but her family continues making her decisions for her. This seems to be derailing her from her goals and

3 dreams, which can affect her decision-making process. There is no self-efficacy when it comes to her decision making and could cause anxiety, depression, and shame in the long run. If Sophia is not able to make choices for herself, then she may not pursue further education or find a career based on her own interests, rather her family’s wants for her. Assessment Tools for Case Scenario Initial assessments help a counselor by gathering information about a client to implement the right treatment or intervention for that client, or student in Sophia’s case. This is essentially an interview process between the client and counselor to gain rapport, and for counselors to observe the behaviors of the client while taking the assessment. While the client takes the self- reported questionnaire, the counselor should observe their behaviors during the intake to look for behaviors that may affect their answers. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised is a widely used self-reported, and comprehensive, assessment that addresses a person’s purpose (Gomez et al., 2021). It is a self-reported questionnaire that addresses 9 primary symptoms: somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, inadequacy/inferiority, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism (Gomez et al., 2021). Background Information and Hypothetical Results for Case Scenario Assessment results provide an overview of the client’s past to be able to understand their current issues or concerns (Whiston, 2017). Counselors use assessments to gather information about a person that will help a counselor to create a plan that involves collaborative counseling and provision services (ASCA, 2023). A study was done on the SCL-90-R and its correlation between family functioning and the symptoms from the checklist. A sample of 2090 students with 49.7% males and 50.3% females with a mean age of 16.22 years (Gomez et al., 2021). There have been associations between family relationships and reactive manifestations that could

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4 affect one's depressive or anxious behaviors. When there is reliance on family for decision making, if not supportive and collaborative, can lead to limited adult independence. Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales IV (FACES IV) was used in conjunction with the SCL-90-R to measure family relationships, well-being, satisfaction, and communication (Gomez et al., 2021). The Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised was shown to be a good fit in four confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models. Five different structural dimensions were supported. The strengths of the study were the sample size was large and the comprehensive examination of symptoms dimensions with family functioning. Limitations included no control of effects, which could confuse results. Unfortunately, there was no informed consent in this study prior to examination which could directly affect results. Due to this being a self-reported questionnaire, ratings could be affected by the collection process (Gomez et al., 2021). Future research should include indirect external validities. Assessment Linked to Practice of Counseling After the checklist has been completed and results interpreted, a personality assessment can be used to determine personality characteristics and interpersonal relationships (Tang, 2018). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is an assessment created by a mother-daughter duo that identifies work values and needs an individual would want to have satisfactory work experiences. It uses constructs of Carl Jung’s theory of personality, who believed individuals had unconscious performances toward mental and psychological preferences (DeVries & Beck, 2020). The MBTI is used by professionals to build a personality profile for the client. It is based on four profile dichotomies: extroversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving (Tang, 2018). This assessment can help Sophia identify her patterns of thought and shape her mindset to her wants and needs rather than those of her family. The MBTI

5 helps clients identify their preferences in judgment, information processing, and behaviors based on forced choices (DeVries & Beck, 2020). Validity and reliability are important in research to ensure consistency in the constructs being measured and susceptibility of external factors (Thamrin et al., 2023). Both were assessed in a meta-analysis and systematic review using 221 studies, finding construct validity and satisfactory reliability (DeVries & Beck, 2020). Significant correlations between MBTI scores, behaviors, and individual MBTI types were found throughout many articles. A test-retest internal consistency of reliability examined across different factors that included different demographics. Reliability was measured by internal consistency and test-retest reliability across several demographic factors, like age, ethnicity, and region of origin (DeVries & Beck, 2020). Reliability scores ranged from 0.81 to 0.91 and showed good reliability over long periods of time, with a range of 0.51 to 0.81 (DeVries & Beck, 2020). There was also limited experience in practice and more clinical experiences may be preferred. Though reliability was present with the MBTI, stability was questionable. Validity was evaluated, among other personality measures, like the CPI 260 and Strong Interest Inventory, using construct validity. There was a clear preference for certain personality types over others in the study. Individuals can explore their personal preferences and learn to manage and respond to situations when they understand their personality tendencies (DeVries & Beck, 2020). A limitation of the study was lack of generalizability due to a small sample size. After administering an assessment tool for personality and identifying needs and wants based on personality traits, a counselor can utilize a career assessment tool to search for a career that will fit those traits. This search can be done to find the skills and career choices that will suit the client based on the results. This can be accomplished by taking an assessment, such as the

6 RIASEC, which refers to six personality types from John Holland. This test is a Holland Code assessment of personality types that helps when career searching. The acronym refers to the different personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. The RIASEC is an easy self-administered assessment in which the scores will be summed up and the top three scores will be the personal profile for the client. Sophia’s completed RIASEC showed that she was strong in investigative, enterprising, and social personality types. Holland’s assumption was that jobs and individuals can be categorized in the same six categories (Kronholz & Osborn, 2022). Those with an investigative trait like to learn, watch, analyze and solve problems (Capella, n.d). Working with her family and around strangers, having problem solving skills is essential in a customer service related job type. Social and enterprising personality types enjoy working with people, which can be observed in her work at the restaurant. Working with customers it is important to have good people skills and customer service. This combination sets a foundation for Sophia as they collectively work for related pathways. Her 3 top traits correlate with one another and show that she could do well in a career involving health services or public and human relations. Based on her responses during her initial counseling session, Sophia stated thoughts of being a doctor as a younger child. Assessment Used with Diverse Clients or Students and Ethical Process Obtaining informed consent is the first step in beginning the counseling process. As a school counselor, gaining rapport will be necessary and crucial for building that client/counselor relationship. It is important to have consideration for different cultures, diverse groups, and demographics. Whiston (2017) states that assessments that do not consider cultural differences can pose issues with clients as culture has a great influence on them as an individual.

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7 The American School Counselor Association (2023) sets standards for use of assessments that help a counselor stay informed on the use of assessments with students. In a school setting, assessments must be research based and show reliable and valid outcomes. They must be free of bias and show cultural sensitivity. The use of assessments must be appropriately implemented considering the client’s age and developmental age, language skills, and competence level (ASCA, 2023). Counselors must remain in accordance with the school policy and state/federal law by informing parents/guardians of the Protection of Pupil Rights when using screeners (ASCA, 2023). Conclusion Assessments are necessary for counseling in many aspects. They help identify needs for clients, and information for the counselor, to develop a plan for that individual. It is important that these tests are evidence-based when administering them to students, and that ethical standards are being adhered to. They must be culturally sensitive and regard those from different demographics. Reliability and validity of assessments is crucial for results to show consistency in the assessment tool. Understanding how to interpret those results is important for the client’s knowledge so that they can make informed decisions for themselves and their future.

coun5106week9

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