Because of this "conversion," many psychologists, and presumably psychological testing corporations, are exploring ways to keep client responses separate from test materials that reveal the nature or content of psychological tests. As an example, if a psychologist records client responses on WAIS-III scoring sheets that contain the test items, the scoring sheets are now under Standard 9.04's definition of test data. When materials that would otherwise be test materials under Standard 9.11 contain information unique to a particular client, those materials become test data and thus fall under Standard 9.04. By virtue of these mutually exclusive definitions, what are test data cannot be test materials and what are test materials cannot be test data. The mutually referential definitions in Standards 9.04 and 9.11 thus define test data as what is unique to this particular client, while test materials do not include anything unique to this particular client. Standard 9.04 elaborates by stating that "Those portions of test materials that include client/patient responses are included in the definition of test data." By using the term "test materials," Standard 9.04 links itself to Standard 9.11, "Maintaining Test Security." The point of contact is the term "test materials," which Standard 9.11 defines as "manuals, instruments, protocols, and test questions or stimuli and does not include test data as defined in Standard 9.04." Put another way, what derives from a specific client and indicates or reveals something about that particular client falls under this definition. Standard 9.04 defines test data as "raw and scaled scores, client/patient responses to test questions or stimuli, and psychologists' notes and recordings concerning client/patient statements and behavior during an examination." This definition includes any information the psychologist collects that is unique to a particular client. "Ethics Rounds" then offers further points for psychologists to consider as they review release of test data under the new Ethics Code. The following analysis of Standard 9.04 examines the definition of "test data" and describes the standard's obligations and exceptions. Identifies exceptions that permit (although do not require) psychologists to withhold test data. Says that psychologists disclose test data pursuant to a client release (clause a) or, in the absence of a client release, do not disclose test data unless legally mandated to do so (clause b) Standard 9.04 no longer uses the terms "appropriate" or "qualified." Perhaps most important, Standard 9.04 now emphasizes client consent as the touchstone for when, and to whom, test data are to be released. The former standard regarding release of test data, Standard 2.02(b) in the 1992 code, stated that psychologists refrain "from releasing raw test results or raw data to persons, other than to patients or clients as appropriate, who are not qualified to use such information." In interpreting Standard 2.02(b), psychologists struggled with when it was "appropriate" to release test data to patients and what persons were "qualified" to receive the data. Council was unanimous in approving the new code.Įthical Standard 9.04 "Release of Test Data" represents an important and far-reaching change in APA's new Ethics Code. The Ethics Code Task Force, charged with revising the 1992 code, spent five years and reviewed over 1,300 comments before submitting its seventh draft to council for consideration. In August 2002, our Council of Representatives adopted a new Ethics Code, which became effective this past June 1.
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