Psychology Assessment Report
A psychological assessment report is created by psychology professionals to inform groups or
individuals of the assessments appropriate for their current needs. This type of report also
includes a summary of the services provided to these groups or individuals. This evaluation is
used by the various entities to assess basic needs, competencies, preferences, skills, traits,
dispositions, and abilities for different individuals in a variety of settings.
Psychological reports vary widely depending on the psychology professional creating it and the
needs being assessed. Some of the psychology professionals who create this type of report include counselors, school psychologists, consultants, psychometricians, or psychological
examiners. This type of report may be as short as three pages or as long as 20 or more pages
depending on the needs of the stakeholders. Many reports include tables of scores that are
attached either in an appendix or integrated into the report. Despite the many variations in
assessment reports, most include the same essential information and headings.
Students will choose one of the personality assessment scenarios from the discussions in Weeks
Two, Three, or Four to use as the basis of this psychological assessment report. Once the
scenario has been chosen, students will research a minimum of four peer-reviewed articles that
relate to and support the content of the scenario and the report as outlined below. The following
headings and content must be included in the report:
The Reason for Referral and Background Information
In this section, students will describe the reasons for the referral and relevant background
information for all stakeholders from the chosen personality assessment scenario.
Assessment Procedures
In this section, students will include a bulleted list of the test(s) and other assessment measures
recommended for the evaluation of the given scenario. In addition to the assessment(s) initially
provided in the personality assessment scenario from the weekly discussion, students must
include at least three other measures appropriate for the scenario.
Immediately following the bulleted list, students will include a narrative description of the
assessments. In the narrative, students will examine and comment on the major theoretical
approaches, research methods, and assessment instruments appropriate for the situation and
stakeholder needs. In order to defend the choice of recommended assessments, students will
evaluate current research in the field of personality theories and provide examples of how these
assessments are valid for use in the chosen scenario. For additional support of these
recommended assessment measures, students will evaluate the standardization, reliability and
validity, and cultural considerations present in these personality assessments that make them the
most appropriate tools for the given scenario. Students will conclude the narrative by assessing
types of personality measurements and research designs often used in scenarios like the one
chosen and providing a rationale for why some of those assessments were not included.
General Observations and Impressions
In this section, students will describe general observations of the client during the assessment
period provided in the chosen personality assessment scenario and explain whether the client’s
behavior might have had a negative impact on the test results. Students will analyze and
comment on how the APA’s Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct affected the implementation
of the personality assessment during the initial process. Based on the observations and analysis,
students will assess the validity of the evaluation and make a recommendation for or against the
necessity for additional testing.
Test Results and Interpretations
In this section, students will analyze the results of the assessment provided in the chosen
personality assessment scenario. Based on the score, students will interpret the personality
factors (conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, introversion, extroversion, work drive,
self-directedness, etc.) that are present.
Note: Typically, this section reports test results and is the longest section of a psychological
assessment report because the results of all the tests administered are analyzed and reported Some psychologists report all test results individually, while others may integrate only a portion of
the test results. However, in this report, only the assessment presented in the chosen personality
assessment scenario will be included.
Summary and Recommendations
In this section, students will summarize the test results. They will provide a complete explanation
for the evaluation, the procedures and measures used, and the results and include any
recommendations translating the evaluation into strategies and suggestions to support the client.
Finally, students will provide any conclusions and diagnostic impressions drawn from the
previous sections of the report.
Pathbrite Portfolio
The Masters of Arts in Psychology program is utilizing the Pathbrite portfolio tool as a repository
for student scholarly work in the form of signature assignments completed within the program.
After receiving feedback for this Psychological Assessment Report, please implement any
changes recommended by the instructor, go to Pathbrite
(Links to an external site.)
and upload the revised Psychological Assessment Report to the portfolio. Use the Pathbrite
Quick-Start Guide
(Links to an external site.)
to create an account if you do not already have one. The upload of signature assignments will
take place after completing each course. Be certain to upload revised signature assignments
throughout the program as the portfolio and its contents will be used in other courses and may
be used by individual students as a professional resource tool. See the Pathbrite (Links to an external site.)
website for information and further instructions on using this portfolio tool.
Writing the Psychological Assessment Report
The report:
Must be six to ten double-spaced pages in length and formatted according to APA style as
outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must include the required headings and content as listed above.
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must utilize assessment manuals as necessary to support the inclusion and results of the
assessments.
Must use a minimum of four peer-reviewed sources, at least two of which must be from the
Ashford University Library.
Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in
the Ashford Writing Center.
