Psychological Tests Published on eBay
eBay has begun selling Psychological tests used in the assessment and evaluation of criminal defendants, students and others, including TBI victims, online. Harcourt, the publisher of the Weschsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) argues that allowing such public dissemination of the test will impugn the test's credibility since unscrupulous lawyers or parents will attempt to abuse its availability.
Given more than a million times a year nationwide, according to Harcourt, the intelligence tests often are among numerous tests ordered by prosecutors and defense attorneys to determine the mental competence of criminal defendants. A low IQ, for example, can be used to argue leniency in sentencing.
This issue, whether to allow dissemination of psychological tests to non-psychologists, in cases of traumatic brain injury is ongoing. Frequently, neuropsychologists who do not want the raw data they have compiled for a testee scrutinized, will assert that releasing test booklets is a violation of ethics. Doing so, they argue, will allow lawyers to coach their clients to give false results.
"In order to maintain its integrity, there needs to be limited availability," Harcourt spokesman Russell said.
This issue is frequently seen in cases of traumatic brain injury when plaintiff lawyers try to analyze the results of the testing done at the insurance company's insistence.
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