Using Standardised Vignettes to Assess Practicum Competencies in Psychology and Other Disciplines: Final Report

Craig J. Gonsalvez, Josephine A. Terry, Frank Deane

Research output: Book/Research ReportResearch report

Abstract

Supervisors' ratings of psychology trainees' competence in field settings are a critical component of training assessment. There has been little systematic research regarding the validity of these assessments, but the available evidence suggests we have a problem! Supervisors' judgments may be affected by systemic biases that pose a serious threat to assessment credibility. The current study is part of a research collaboration among six universities that endeavors to develop and evaluate a new method the use of vignettes against outcomes derived from a conventional rating scale. Individual vignettes were designed and subjected to a rigorous process of peer-review and revisions, before final vignettes were assigned calibration scores by a group of experts. A catalogue of vignettes (n = 41) that represent various domains of competence across several developmental stages was compiled. University and field supervisors used the conventional rating scale and the vignette-matching procedure (VMP) to evaluate competencies at end-placement. Data from a pilot (n = 20) and a follow-up study (n = 57) suggest that compared with a conventional rating scale, the VMP reduced leniency and halo biases. The VMP has the potential to improve outcomes of competency assessments in field placements and merits further research and development.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationCanberra, A.C.T.
PublisherAustralia. Department of Education and Training
Number of pages72
ISBN (Print)9781760510077
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Bibliographical note

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, and where otherwise noted, all material presented in this document is provided under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode.

Keywords

  • clinical
  • competency-based education
  • internship and residency
  • psychology\

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Using Standardised Vignettes to Assess Practicum Competencies in Psychology and Other Disciplines: Final Report'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this