Abstract
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Test is used by the psychologists to determine the extent of depression among the patients so that adequate interventions and treatments can be incorporated to hinder the extent of depression. There are certain errors that can effect the test specially when respondents fail to understand the questions and are under influence of drugs or alcohol, due to which their responses do not remain valid to draw conclusions. The errors during the manual calculation of scores can lead to false interpretation whereas the prevalence of construct validity is also required to incorporate the consistent level of depression among the respondents. The APA ethical principles require the psychologists to keep record of their findings to reflect and reassess the scores and, adapt the test in order to examine the respondents and it is also effect the interpretation of the results. The APA principles require the informed consent of the respondents and restricts the psychologists to incorporate subjective judgments and ethnic biases while drawing interpretations. The administration of the test requires standardization so that all respondents are evaluated at the same level and the psychologists should eliminate the age factor while interpreting the results. Differential validity can also be observed among the respondents of different ethnical background and psychologists are required to assess and interpret the results while disregarding the ethnical background. Technological advancements in psychological testing ensure the standardized environment, language compatibility and time efficiency. It can also ensure the validity of tests by ensuring that missing values, duplication and calculation errors do not prevail. However, it will restrict the interaction between respondent and psychologists due to which the psychologists can overlook the behavioral aspects of depression. It is required that psychologists remain adept at the technological changes and ensure personal interaction to understand the inclinations and root causes of depression.
Keywords: Beck Depression Inventory, APA Ethical Principles, Technology.
Part One: Test Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) test is a self-report psychological test that helps the psychologists to understand the extent of depression by determining the symptoms and attitudes of depression. The common errors that are observed while administering this test comprise of the adequate understanding of the questions. The BDI test is comprised of 21 items and it is necessary that all items are understood by the patient or respondent. If any of these items are not being understood by the respondent, then it can effect the scoring and interpretation of the results because the respondent would not have responded in a right manner (Wang & Gorenstein, 2013).
It is also necessary that the respondent is not under the influence of any drug or alcohol because it can effect the level of dopamine and hence, can effect the response and the result will not be reliable. Dopamine level reduces the level of anxiety and depression due to which the respondent can indicate less level of depression regardless of the actual extent of depression. In this manner, administrative errors can prevail due to the lack of understanding of questions and under influence of drugs or alcohol (Wang & Gorenstein, 2013).
The effectiveness of the BDI test is highly dependent on the measure of score and BDI provides the simple procedure of measure by means of adding up all the scores. However, if the test is conducted manually then error in counting or addition may take place and can effect the overall rate. Similarly, if computerized test has been conducted then the prevalence of possible bug in the system can effect the overall scores (Titov et al., 2011).
It is necessary to ensure that the extent of depression observed via BDI test can provide similar results by using any other test measure, by means of eradicating the error of construct validity. The error in interpretation can also prevail if the respondent is not depressed and can indicate initial stage of depression with the prevalence of low scores. In this case, the psychologist may neglect the prevalence of initial stage of depression which can eventually result in the occurrence of depression if it is left untreated (Titov et al., 2011).
In accordance with the APA ethical principles, it is necessary that the psychologists contain the reports of diagnosis in order to support their findings. The psychologists should justify their findings by accepting the prevalence of errors so that the diagnostics are not exaggerated, which eventually indicate the direct relation to the interpretation of the results. The psychologist is allowed to interpret, adapt and score the tests on the basis of his judgments and experience, which can eventually effect the administration, scoring and interpretation of the results (APA, 2010).
The ethical principles of APA require that the informed consent from respondents has been acquired, however, it can effect the test administration and the patients can manipulate their answers in order to hinder their extent of depression and persist the state of denial. The ethical principles also require that the psychologists consider the situation and language proficiency of the patient (APA, 2010). If the patient has been through some disturbing events that the psychologists can perceive the prevalence of depression regardless of the scores which can effect the interpretation. Similarly, if the patient is not proficient in English, then the psychologist can drive results on the basis of subjective judgment by means of disregarding the scores.
The APA principles require that the psychologists are competent enough to conduct the assessment and if the psychologist is not familiar with the dimensions of BDI test, then it can effect the overall assessment of the psychological tests. The principles require that the process of administration, scoring and interpretation is not delegated to any other psychologist, subordinate or intern because these individuals may not be adept at incorporating the test which can eventually effect the findings of the test and can hinder the effect of suggested treatments and interventions (APA, 2010). In order to eradicate the testing errors and follow the APA principles, the following steps are required to be considered:
The respondents or patients understand all the items of the Beck Depression Inventory Test.
The respondents are not under any influence of drug or alcohol.
The psychologist is adept at administering, scoring and interpreting the results.
The psychologist should not rely on the score of the test, and should also consider other physical symptoms of depression, like loss of interest in daily activities, loss of appetite, anger, irritability, changes in sleep patterns, sudden weight gain or weight loss, aching muscles, headache, back pain and trouble remembering things.
The psychologist should not delegate testing mechanism to any other individual and should recheck the score if the scores are calculated manually.
Part Two: Test Fairness
The standardization ensures that the test has been conducted in a consistent manner across all the populations and represents a large number of population. The BDI test is often translated in different languages so that respondents can understand the questions and respond in an effective manner. Since standardization require consistency in the administration and procedure of test, the language change can imply questionable considerations on the validity of results and can effect the administration and interpretation of the results (Tavakol & Dennick, 2011). Moreover, the individuals who belong from specific age groups are considered to have a strong extent of depression due to which such age groups are perceived to have a high rate of depression and hence, the prevalence of test norms is observed effecting the interpretation of results.
The psychologists or test-takers are required to administer the test using the standard procedures and if the test-taker is involved in explaining the items or questions to the respondent, then the response of the respondent can be driven by the explanation of the psychologist. In this manner, the response can be involuntarily shaped by the psychologists which can effect the administration. Moreover, differential validity can also be observed if the respondents represent specific ethnic background and events related to their ethnicity (Azocar et al., 2001). For example, war refugees are considered to have encounter many disturbing events due to which psychologists may perceive the prevalence of depression regardless of their scores. The notion remains same for individuals who are diagnosed with chronic diseases, experienced traumatic situations and familial issues.
The BDI test is universally accepted as an effective test to determine the extent of depression on the basis of standardization. If the standard procedures are not followed then it can effect the validity of the results and hence, changing or translating the standard language can effect how respondents perceive the phrases. It can effect the extent of response and can eventually effect the validity of the results. Similarly, if the respondents’ responses are effected by any external factor, i.e. interpreter or test-takes, in which the meaning of the question is explained to the respondents, then their response will be effected and can question the validity of the results (Azocar et al., 2001).
In accordance with the APA principles, the psychologists are required to eliminate the prevalence of the factors that can effect their judgments cause biasness and these factors mainly account for race, gender, ethnic, cultural and religious differences. Similarly, the principles also require psychologists to understand that all individuals should be provided with the quality services and assessments in order to ensure justice and fairness, which can also eliminate the prevalence of biasness in the diagnosis and treatments. Moreover, the psychologists are required to standardize the test in order to ensure that the respondents can provide answers in an effective manner and the validity of the test prevails across the population (APA, 2010). In order to hinder the violation of the APA principles, following steps are required to be incorporated:
The psychologists have to ensure that the standard method of translation is used to ensure the consistency and validity of results.
The psychologists have to ensure that their interpretation and findings are not driven by the ethnicity, gender and age of the respondents.
The psychologists should make sure that the answers of respondents are effected due to their presence or interaction with the respondents.
Part Three: Technology and Psychological Testing
Technology has ensured the standardized administration of the psychological testing, in which these tests are incorporated online and tend to provide a standardized environment to the respondents. It helps the respondents to understand the meaning of the phrases without being in contact with the test-takers and hence, the biasness in their responses decreases. The advanced computer and statistical modeling ensures the effective means of measuring scores in which complex mathematical processes are incorporated via the statistical software that ensure the validity of test scores. In this manner, human error due to the manual calculations has been eradicated due to the prevalence of technological advancements in testing (Nicholson, 2011).
The psychologists do not need to ensure the effective scoring and administration mechanism due to the automation of standard tests and scoring or measuring mechanism due to which psychologists can focus on interpreting the results and formulating adequate interventions and treatments for the patients diagnosed with depression. The computerized tests can be conducted in a diversified environment and can address a large number of population with the prevalence of valid results and their accuracy can also be maintained due to the lack of prevalence of missing values, duplication and interpretation errors (Nicholson, 2011).
Psychological tests incorporated by the technological means ensure their cost effectiveness, time efficiency and accuracy. Moreover, the data that is collected electronically can be saved in the electronic database so that psychologists can retrieve this data in an efficient manner. Moreover, the collected data can be correlated and analyzed in accordance with different variables in order to provide the psychologists with the insights about the root causes of depresses in a large population. This extent of data usage is ethically questioned because the data is recorded for over a period of years and is used to draw conclusions over a large population (Kaslow et al., 2011). However, the prevalence of technological advancements reduces the interaction of respondents and psychologists due to which the initial symptoms of depression can be overlooked by the psychologists.
The computerized psychological tests do not ensure the lack of manipulation of data by the respondents and also cannot ensure the honest response from the respondents. The online consent form is usually not effectively read by the respondents do to which most of the respondents remain unaware about the use of the shared data. The computerized tests are only focused on identifying the specific attribute whereas, tests that are conducted and administered personally by the psychologists ensure the interaction between the respondent and psychologist due to which the psychologists can determine the prevalence of root causes and can understand the extent of depression in an effective manner (Nicholson, 2011).
In accordance with the APA principles, the technology in psychological testing limits the adequate interaction between the respondents and psychologists due to which underlying effects and causes of depression are not identified. The psychologists who are not computer savvy and cannot operate the adequate software are considered ineligible to provide services to their clients regardless of their academic and professional experience (APA, 2010). In order to minimize the violation of APA principles, the following suggestions are required to be followed:
The psychological tests can be modified so that they cannot proceed under the prevalence of the missing values in the collected data.
The psychologists can address the respondents personally in order to acquire their consent.
The psychologists can ensure the adequate duration of personal interaction with the respondents in order to determine the root cause of their depression so that effective interventions can be made.
The psychologists need to become familiar with the technological advancements in order to ensure their integrity with the APA principles and enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities to provide quality services.
References
APA. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychological Association. Available from: https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/principles.pdf
Azocar, F., Arean, P., Miranda, J., & Muñoz, R. F. (2001). Differential item functioning in a Spanish translation of the Beck Depression Inventory. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57(3), 355-365.
Kaslow, F. W., Patterson, T., & Gottlieb, M. (2011). Ethical dilemmas in psychologists accessing Internet data: Is it justified?. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(2), 105.
Nicholson, I. R. (2011). New technology, old issues: Demonstrating the relevance of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists to the ever-sharper cutting edge of technology. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 52(3), 215.
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International journal of medical education, 2, 53.
Titov, N., Dear, B. F., McMillan, D., Anderson, T., Zou, J., & Sunderland, M. (2011). Psychometric comparison of the PHQ-9 and BDI-II for measuring response during treatment of depression. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy,40(2), 126-136.
Wang, Y. P., & Gorenstein, C. (2013). Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II: a comprehensive review. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 35(4), 416-431.
