Pitfalls of the “Passed-Down” Approach to Training in Psychological Testing

This chapter reviews a few clear examples of why the “passed-down approach” of simply learning from someone else without consultation with the test’s published manual perpetuates poor assessment practices. It touches upon “examiner drift” and the likelihood that if you have been away from testing, there are many specifics that you may forget or misremember. The ultimate goal of this chapter is to provide a rationale for returning to the manuals, and to setting up systematic review practices to ensure ongoing standardization and competence.