BCP Ethics and Professional Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A supervising neuropsychologist instructs a psychometrist to alter a test score to make a patient appear more impaired for disability purposes. The psychometrist should:
- Comply, as the supervising neuropsychologist bears sole ethical responsibility
- Refuse, document the instruction, and consult relevant ethical guidelines or legal counsel (Correct answer)
- Alter the score but note the discrepancy privately
- Ask the patient whether they want the score changed
Correct answer: Refuse, document the instruction, and consult relevant ethical guidelines or legal counsel
Falsifying test data is an ethical violation for which the psychometrist bears personal responsibility regardless of supervisory pressure.
Question 2: Cultural competence in psychometric testing primarily requires the psychometrist to:
- Translate test instructions verbally into the examinee's native language mid-test
- Be aware of how cultural and linguistic factors may affect an examinee's performance and report accordingly (Correct answer)
- Administer only tests normed on populations matching the examinee's ethnicity
- Avoid discussing cultural background with examinees to prevent bias
Correct answer: Be aware of how cultural and linguistic factors may affect an examinee's performance and report accordingly
Recognizing and reporting the potential influence of cultural and linguistic factors helps ensure fair interpretation of psychometric data.
Question 3: Which action by a psychometrist would constitute a breach of professional boundaries?
- Explaining the purpose of a test to the examinee before beginning
- Accepting a gift of significant monetary value from a grateful patient's family (Correct answer)
- Documenting behavioral observations during testing
- Using standardized prompts during test administration
Correct answer: Accepting a gift of significant monetary value from a grateful patient's family
Accepting gifts of significant value from patients or their families violates professional boundary standards and can compromise objectivity.
Question 4: The primary purpose of the NAN (National Academy of Neuropsychology) Policy and Planning Committee's position papers relevant to psychometrists is to:
- Replace state licensure requirements for psychometrists
- Provide guidance on best practices, ethical standards, and appropriate roles in neuropsychological assessment (Correct answer)
- Establish billing codes for psychometric services
- Certify psychometrists independently of the ABRET and ABPP
Correct answer: Provide guidance on best practices, ethical standards, and appropriate roles in neuropsychological assessment
NAN position papers offer professional guidance on ethical conduct, scope of practice, and best practices for technicians in neuropsychological settings.
Question 5: An examinee refuses to complete a subtest midway through testing. The psychometrist should FIRST:
- Mark all remaining items as incorrect and continue with the next test
- Stop, note the refusal behaviorally, and consult the supervising clinician (Correct answer)
- Encourage the examinee to continue by offering incentives not outlined in the test manual
- Administer the subtest again from the beginning to get a valid score
Correct answer: Stop, note the refusal behaviorally, and consult the supervising clinician
Refusals must be documented as behavioral observations and managed in consultation with the supervising clinician to preserve assessment validity.
Question 6: When a minor is the examinee, informed consent for neuropsychological testing must be obtained from:
- The minor examinee only, provided they are over age 12
- A parent or legal guardian, with assent sought from the minor as developmentally appropriate (Correct answer)
- The referring physician, who acts as a proxy for the family
- The school district if testing is education-related
Correct answer: A parent or legal guardian, with assent sought from the minor as developmentally appropriate
Legal consent for minors must come from a parent or guardian, though the minor's assent should also be sought when developmentally feasible.
Question 7: A psychometrist who identifies signs of acute suicidal ideation in an examinee during testing should:
- Complete the testing session to avoid disrupting standardization before reporting
- Immediately stop testing and notify the supervising clinician or appropriate clinical staff (Correct answer)
- Ask the examinee to fill out a safety contract and continue with testing
- Document the observation in the report without taking immediate action
Correct answer: Immediately stop testing and notify the supervising clinician or appropriate clinical staff
Acute safety concerns override standardization protocols; the supervising clinician must be notified immediately.
BCP Ethics and Professional Standards 3
A supervising neuropsychologist instructs a psychometrist to alter a test score to make a patient appear more impaired for disability purposes.
The psychometrist should: