The psychological evaluation process is one of the most important components of intervention in the field of psychology. It is thanks to this that it is possible to propose effective measures to deal with specific problems based on what has been observed.

In this article we will see how a psychological evaluation is defined and what the diagnosis it leads to is .

The birth of the idea of psychological evaluation

The historical moment in which the greatest boom and scientific development of the psychological particularities of the human being took place corresponds mainly to the 19th and 20th centuries (although a considerable volume of previous studies and research is assumed).

With this and from the development of certain knowledge disciplines such as statistics, pedagogy, experimental psychology among others, it was possible to establish some first approaches to the concept of diagnosis .

As in most aspects linked to the field of psychology, the definition of this phenomenon has been reformulated based on the new contributions that the authors have proposed throughout history.

Within the most contemporary perspectives, three theoretical currents have served as a basis to explain what type of variables should be the object of diagnosis : the environmentalist (emphasis on situational factors as behavioural determinants), the interactionist (relevance of the interaction between subject and environment) and the cognitiveist (cognitive style as behavioural basis).

The psychological diagnosis and its components

The findings of the three psychological currents mentioned above have made possible a deeper and more complete definition of what the diagnostic process involves. According to its general meaning, diagnosis implies the analysis of data collected with the aim of evaluating (or knowing) certain aspects of diverse nature .

Applying this characterization to the field of psychology, the object of study is the description of the cognitive, emotional and behavioral particularities of a particular subject. Therefore, it seems relevant for this purpose to consider how this individual relates to his usual interaction contexts .

Furthermore, it is assumed that the diagnosis has the ultimate purpose of intervention (as the most frequent, although not the only objective) and is always delimited within the scientific-technical field . Its process involves the combination of different work methodologies.

The three elements of diagnosis in psychology

A diagnosis has three main elements: the subject on which the process falls, the object that establishes the contents of the diagnosis and its purpose, which motivates the application of a specific intervention where the causes or factors that lead to the observations set out in the diagnosis are reflected.

In addition, the proposed intervention can be classificatory (where the subject stands in relation to a reference group), modifying (which influencing factors should be changed), preventive (implementation of alternatives to avoid a given future situation) or restructuring (reorganisation of influencing factors for preventive purposes).

The phases of the general psychological diagnostic process

The contributions made by the authors who are experts in the field on the number and type of procedures that should make up the diagnostic process are diverse. It seems that, however, there is a certain consensus in including four main phases , each of which has different more specific stages.

1. Planning

In the planning phase, a distinction is made between the search for preliminary information regarding the subject and his or her environment, an analysis that supports the initial assumptions (depending on the classificatory, preventive or restructuring nature of the diagnosis) and, finally, the configuration of the diagnostic development where the variables of analysis initially proposed are established.

2. Development

A second stage consists of the development of the process, in which the theoretical framework on which to base the contributions that facilitate the study of the units of analysis is defined, being as simple as possible and presenting an adequate predictive capacity on the results of future observations.

3. Hypothesis testing

Subsequently, a third step is the verification of the theoretical hypotheses initially proposed with respect to what was found in the observations made during the evaluation.

4. Report writing

Finally, a report of results should be prepared in which the relevant data of the evaluator and the evaluated person are included, those referring to all the procedures applied during the process, the findings and their assessment and, ultimately, the relevant guidelines that will guide the subsequent intervention process.

The report must be appropriate to the recipient in terms of the form and type of language used, as well as the tone and expressions used in it, so that the recipient understands it.

Characteristics of the Psychological Report

A psychological report is a document that reflects the result obtained from the analysis and contrast of hypotheses initially raised, which have motivated the evaluation of the subject in question.

This instrument has an objective character, in such a way that the communication of the data found to the addressee is facilitated .

Generally speaking, a report should include information identifying the evaluator and the person evaluated, the objectives behind the report, a description of the techniques used to collect information, the procedure used, the results obtained, the examiner’s conclusion and final assessment, and guidance to be implemented as an intervention.

In addition, e he format and style of a psychological report can be differentiated according to the criterion used as a basis for its preparation: theoretical (according to the guidelines of a specific theoretical model), technical (organizing the results from the tests and techniques applied) and problem-based (the demand or reason for consultation marks a specific structure in the report).

On the other hand, the psychological report has legal validity and is considered a scientific document (the findings are replicable) and useful (it includes final psychological intervention guidelines).

The behavioral or functional approach in psychological assessment

There are several types of approaches that can be taken to guide an individual’s psychological assessment process:

  • Traditional approach (or attribute model): focused on analyzing personality traits as fundamental units of study.
  • Operational or evolutionary approach: model that defends a set of evolutionary stages in the psychological development of the subject.
  • Cognitive approach : focused on the study of the person’s cognitions as the main axis.
  • Psycho-educational approach or prescriptive: more aimed at the area of school learning and the analysis of the intellectual capacities of the students.
  • Behavioral or functional approach: oriented to the evaluation of the relationship between the subject’s internal and external variables as determinants of his/her own behavior.

From the more behavioural (or cognitive-behavioural) psychological streams the functional approach is usually the approach used during the diagnostic reference process . This model allows a more complete study and analysis of the determining variables in the assessment process because it defends the premise that behaviour must be considered taking into account a multiplicity of influential factors, both internal and external.

Thus, human behavior should not be understood as the result of the sum of individual factors , since each interaction that occurs between two (or more) already derives in itself in a type of influence totally different from the aggregate of its original causes. Given its enormous complex and plastic (or modifiable) character, its explanation should be approached following this same philosophy: that of considering its determining elements also as complex and variable.

The characteristics of the functional approach

The functional approach prioritizes environmental or contextual variables (at first) and interactionist variables (at a later stage) as determinants of the individual’s behavior, thus prioritizing the analysis of these types of variables in the diagnostic process. Its postulates derive from the Theory of Behavior Modification and from the contributions of authors such as B. F. Skinner, mainly.

Within this model three perspectives can be distinguished , which differentially emphasize the influence of the environment, the characteristics of the subject or the interaction of two factors: the behavioral-situationalist, the cognitive-behavioral and the cognitive-social behavioral perspectives, respectively.

Given the relevance of the observable factors that this theoretical proposal defends, the variables that it takes as a unit of analysis are those that are given at the present moment, which are accompanied by some background and consequent proximate.

On a methodological level, its assumptions are evaluated experimentally through objective observation of the subject’s behavioural repertoire as a reflection of internal skills and abilities. It corresponds, therefore, to a deductive-inductive intra-subject methodology.

This model has both an intervening (or modifying) and a preventive purpose, since it has incorporated the interaction between the subject and his environment as a variable subject to analysis. Thus, it understands the dynamic power of this relationship between both elements and gives the behavior a meaning of modifiability and adaptability (hence its preventive capacity).

Psychological evaluation as a process

As can be seen from reading the text, the process of psychological evaluation becomes a set of rigorously established procedures that are fundamental to enable an adequate diagnosis and, subsequently, a psychological intervention that is appropriate to the particularities of each individual in particular and to the therapeutic objectives that are to be achieved.

In this sense, the functional approach has been exposed as a model that has a significant theoretical support, which allows a complete analysis on all variables that may be affecting the current state (symptoms, behaviors, cognitions, etc.) of the individual.

Bibliographic references:

  • Horse, V. E. & Simon, M. A. (2001): Manual of Clinical Child Psychology. Madrid: Pirámide.
  • Cohen, R. & Swerdlik, M. (2001): Psychological testing and evaluation. Mexico: McGraw-Hill.
  • Fernández-Ballesteros, R. (2000): Introduction to Psychological Evaluation. Madrid: Pirámide.
  • Forns, M. (1993): Child psychological evaluation. Barcelona: Barcanova.