3 credits

This course focuses on issues in research and clinical assessment of couples and families. Assumptions and values underlying assessment approaches will be discussed.  Specific assessment techniques will be discussed, evaluated, and administered. Ethical, legal, and practical issues will be explored. Attention will be paid to theoretical underpinnings of measures as well as their psychometric properties. 

Students successfully completing this course should be able to do the following: 

1. Understand specific issues associated with research and clinical assessment of couples and families.
   

2. Understand the connection between ways of observing and assessing couples or families, the underlying assumptions and values of such actions, and diversity in research and clinical populations.
   

3. Review and critique specific assessment measures of the following types: observational coding schemes, global rating scales, narrative methods, self-report instruments, projective techniques, and family structure/network assessments.
   

4. Select a battery of instruments appropriate for a family with whom the student will work, administer the instruments to the family, and prepare an interpretation of findings. 
   

5. Understand legal, ethical, and practical issues associated with use of assessment measures.

At least 9 hours per week, including class time

American Psychological Association (1999). Standards for educational and psychological testing. (2nd Ed.) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 

Corcoran, K., & Fischer, J. (2000). Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook. Vol. 1: Couples, families, and children. (3rd edition). New York: Free Press.  

Fiese, B.H., Sameroff, A.J., Grotevant, H.D., Wamboldt, R.S., Dickstein, S., & Fravel, D.L. (1999). The stories that families tell: Narrative coherence, narrative interaction, and relationship beliefs. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. Vol 64(2), Serial No. 257.

McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Shellenberger, S. (1999). Genograms: Assessment and intervention (2nd Ed.) NY: Norton.

Course packet.