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REVIEW Integrated report
writing continues to develop as an essential dimension of training
and competence. The ability to accurately convey an
individual’s psychological functioning is an essential skill for
today’s clinician across numerous professional settings. While
much has been published on test administration and scoring, Wolber and Carne’s “Writing Psychological
Reports: A Guide for Clinicians 2nd ed” explores integrated report writing
in a concise, organized, and engaging format.
The book consists of seven chapters, and begins with an overview of
issues to be considered when endeavoring to write a psychological report.
Such issues include the rationale for report writing, general guidelines
for report writing, confidentiality and ethics, the emergence of test computerization,
characteristics of the report writer. The first chapter concludes
by presenting a suggested outline for reports, upon which the majority
of the forthcoming text is based.
The text then delves into each aspect of the suggested outline’s “pre-results”
sections. Information included in this section involves report heading
and demographics, reason for referral, notification of purpose and limits
of confidentiality, evaluation instruments and sources of information,
background information, and behavioral observations. The purpose
of each section, along with an explanation of appropriate word usage and
section length is given.
From the same outline previously offered, the book then examines the
results portion of a report, starting with intellectual and cognitive functioning.
Dimensions of these constructs covered include orientation, sensation/perception,
intellectual and cognitive function, academic achievement, language development,
and other cognitive functions such as visuomotor functioning, abstractness-concreteness,
calculating, and memory. Incorporating data suggesting localization
and degree of impairment, as well as other questionable findings is then
discussed.
The results domain is then further explored, incorporating the subject
of personality functioning. After an introduction that addresses
the difficulty and variance personality function can have from one paradigm
to the next, the text supports an eclectic approach to conceptualizing
an examinee’s personality. Emotional factors, intrapsychic factors
such as ego defenses, conflicts, manifestations of intrapsychic issues,
self-perception and identity, insight are explored. The text then
explores factors related to interpersonal functioning, including statements
addressing passive-active/hostile-dependent dimensions of the personality,
issues of autonomy, position within the family, social functioning and
dynamics, social skills and learning style, sexual feelings, and interpersonal
conflicts.
The impressions/diagnoses section of the outline is then explored, demonstrating
both paragraph form and the specific multi-axial system of conveying diagnoses.
The summary and recommendations section of the outline is then presented,
offering suggested wording and length for the section, as well as integrating
such factors as immediate needs, integration of strengths, and other suggestions
for recommendations. A brief conclusion is then presented, offering
recommendations for ensuring the quality of a report. The book concludes
with three appendices, offering questions one can review in completing
each section of the outline, a suggested open format for a psychological
report, and an example of a psychological evaluation.
Among the many positive qualities of this book are its organized presentation,
the author’s engaging and concise writing style, and broad applicability
to various psychological assessments. The author uses relevant examples
and offers explanations for suggestions to demonstrate numerous points
of practical significance. The book is a useful reference, and is
appropriate for graduate students, professors, and psychologists practicing
across a broad range of settings. |
