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European Journal of Psychological Assessment, Vol. 17, Issue 3, pp. 187–200
R. Fernández-B allesteros et al.: EJPA 17 (3),for 2001AssessmentHuber Publishers Guidelines © the Hogrefe & Process (GAP)

Guidelines for the Assessment Process (GAP): A Proposal for Discussion
R. Fernández-Ballesteros1, E.E.J. De Bruyn2, A. Godoy3, L.F. Hornke4, J. Ter Laak5, C. Vizcarro1, K. Westhoff6, H.Westmeyer7, and J.L. Zaccagnini3
Autonoma University of Madrid, Spain, 2University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 3 University of Malaga, Spain, 4RWTH Aachen, Germany, 5University of Utrecht, The Netherlands, 6 University of Dresden, Germany, 7Free University of Berlin, Germany
Keywords: Assessment process, guidelines, standards, quality control, evaluation
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Summary: Current existing or proposedstandards and guidelines in the field of psychological assessment are confined to psychological tests and psychological testing. But tests constitute only one category of psychological assessment procedures, and testing is only one of many available strategies or classes of actions in the course of the assessment process. Tests and testing are closely linked to a certain approach to psychologicalassessment, i. e., the psychometric one. This is one reason why it is relatively easy to formulate and establish standards or guidelines in the case of psychological tests and testing. The much more comprehensive assessment process is an indispensable part of any approach to psychological assessment, even of those that do not use psychometric tests. This makes the formulation of guidelines for theassessment process an ambitious and very difficult enterprise. But it can be done, at least at the level of recommendations that could help the assessor to cope with the complexities and demands of assessment processes in various contexts of psychological assessment. The European Association of Psychological Assessment (EAPA) decided to sponsor the development of Guidelines for the Assessment Process(GAP), setting up a Task Force for this specific purpose. The GAP introduced in this paper are intended as a first proposal to initiate a broad discussion about how to improve the practice of psychological assessment and the education and training of psychological assessors. struction (APA, 1999; see, in this issue, Eignor, 2001); some guide test adaptation, that is, the translation and adaptationof a given test (constructed in a given language) to other languages and/or cultures (Hambleton, 1994; see, in this issue, Hambleton, 2001); some deal with criteria for tests providers (see, in this issue, Muñiz, et al., 2001); some are concerned with the civil rights and responsibilities of test-takers (Fremer, 1997); others refer to test-users (Bartram, 1997; see, in this issue, Bartram, 2001).But all of the guidelines, standards, norms, or principles listed refer to the different aspects involved in tests or testing in practical applications. Thus, standards for psychological testing refer mainly to test construction; criteria for test suppliers concern test publication and distribution; guidelines for test translation are
EJPA 17 (3), © 2001 Hogrefe & Huber PublishersIntroduction
In recent years, interest and involvement in psychological assessment have increased. Several national and international organizations are working on the development of standards, principles, and/or guidelines for regulating and optimizing the scientific and practical activities of the assessor. Modern globalization requires a core of internationally approved principles that allow evaluation ofthe quality of the teaching, training, and practice of psychological assessment in order to safeguard the interests of clients. Several principles, norms, standards, and guidelines have been developed; some of them refer to test con-

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R. Fernández-Ballesteros et al.: Guidelines for the Assessment Process (GAP)

related to the utilization of a given test – developed in one social...