Course

Unit 1

The Diagnostic Process

Steps in psychological diagnosis. Initial interview and case history. Ethical considerations in testing. Cultural sensitivity and bias in assessments. Report writing structure and guidelines. use Google Forms or Microsoft Forms to design mock intake forms and digital case history templates to practice collecting structured data.

Unit 2

Psychometric Foundations

Objectivity, reliability, validity. Norms, standardisation, and test construction. Clinical vs statistical significance. Test selection based on psychometric properties. Ethical use of test scores. Use Microsoft Excel or Jamovi (open-source) to calculate reliability coefficients and visualise score distributions through basic graphs and charts.

Unit 3

Personality and Clinical Assessment

Projective tests: Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Objective tests: MMPI, MCMI, 16PF, NEO-PI-R, TCI. Clinical screening tools: BDI, HAM-A, GHQ. Interpretation and integration of personality assessment results. Case examples and diagnostic exercises. Practice digital scoring of inventories using spreadsheet templates and learn to present results visually using bar charts and radar plots.

Unit 4

Cognitive and Neuropsychological Testing

Intelligence tests: WAIS, WISC, Binet scales. Performance-based tests: Raven’s Progressive Matrices. Neuropsychological assessments: Bender-Gestalt, Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Luria-Nebraska Neuro Psychological Battery, CANTAB, PGIBBBD(Dr Dwarka Prashad). Brain-behaviour relationships and diagnostic implications. Age-specific adaptations and interpretation. Use of free online cognitive task simulators (e.g., PsyToolkit) to understand the structure and administration of cognitive and neuropsychological assessments in digital formats.

Unit 5

Computer-Aided Testing and Applied Diagnosis

Introduction to digital and software-based testing tools. Advantages and limitations of computer-aided assessments. Integrating interviews, test results, and observations. Writing integrated diagnostic reports. Presentation of cases in class: peer review and feedback. Learn APA-compliant digital report formatting using Google Docs/Word, apply AI-based grammar assistance tools (like Grammarly), and use data visualisation dashboards (like Canva or Chartbuilder) to present diagnostic findings effectively.

Text Books / References

Textbooks

1. Cohen, R. J., & Swerlik, M. E. (2018). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
2. Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2017). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
3. Groth-Marnat, G., & Wright, A. J. (2016). Handbook of Psychological Assessment (6th ed.). Wiley.
4. Gregory, R. J. (2021). Psychological testing: History, principles, and applications (8th ed.). Pearson.
5. American Psychological Association. (2022). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/

Suggested Readings

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). Author.
2. Hinkle, J. S., & Henderson, D. A. (Eds.). (2014). The DSM-5® guidebook: The essential companion to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
3. Youngstrom, E. A., Choukas-Bradley, S., Calhoun, C. D., & Jensen-Doss, A. (2015). Clinical guide to the evidence-based assessment approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 44(6), 921–930. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2015.1055850

Diagnostic Assessment II is an advanced-level course that extends students understanding of psychological testing beyond the basics. This course focuses on in-depth learning of administering, scoring, interpreting, and integrating a variety of psychological assessments. It includes a broad spectrum of testsranging from personality and cognitive performance assessments to neuropsychological evaluations and computer-based assessmentsproviding students with practical, hands-on experience. The curriculum is structured to enhance critical analysis of psychometric principles such as reliability and validity, while also emphasising the importance of ethical and cultural considerations in psychological diagnostics. Students are trained to synthesise diagnostic information from several sources and present their findings clearly and effectively, preparing them for professional practice in psychological assessment.

Course Objectives

• To deepen students’ theoretical and practical knowledge of psychological test administration and interpretation.
• To enable students to critically evaluate psychological tools based on psychometric principles.
• To train students in the full process of psychological diagnosis, from clinical interview to reporting.
• To develop proficiency in administering a range of tests across domains such as personality, intelligence, performance, and neuropsychology.
• To familiarise students with ethical, cultural, and contextual factors in psychological diagnosis.
• To introduce basic digital tools and software for data entry, scoring, and visualisation in psychological assessment.

Course Outcomes

• CO1: Administer and interpret a range of psychological tests with precision and professionalism.
• CO2: Evaluate the objectivity, reliability, and validity of diagnostic tools.
• CO3: Conduct structured interviews, behavioural observations, and computerised assessments.
• CO4: Synthesise multi-method diagnostic data and write clear, comprehensive psychological reports.
• CO5: Recognise the limitations and ethical issues involved in psychological assessment.

CO-PO Mapping