Facts and Figures of the 2014 Philippine Psychometrician Licensure Exam

Some of our data here are facts, others are projections that we can only validate after the filing of application and after the release of the result of the Psychometrician Licensure Exam.


1st ever Licensure Exam for Psychometrician - Psychology Graduates in the Philippines

RA 10029 - AN ACT TO REGULATE THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY CREATING FOR THIS PURPOSE A PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES


2 days of exam (October 28-29, 2014)

2 sessions/day (AM/PM)

2 hours = 120  mins allotted time 

4 subjects covered - Psychological Assessment, Abnormal Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Theories of  Personality

100 items/questions (outcome based assessment - 3 Subjects)
1 mins and 2 secs/question (100 items)


150 items/questions (outcome based assessment - Psychological Assessment) 
.80 seconds/question (150 items)

75% passing grade - General Weighted Average

60% no grade lower in any subject

?X  total no. of examinees

4:1  females for every male (projection based on the online survey)

3 women compose the PRC Board of Psychology (Dr. Mirriam P. Cue, Chairperson, Dr. Imelda Virginia G. Villar and  Dr.Alexa P. Abrenica serve as members)


60 days = 2 months to go before exam (as of 28 August 2014)

What to do?

Before exam
1) Study, read, review and familiarize with the basic concepts and theories
2) Learn about outcome based assessment
3) Understand Bloom Taxonomy (no it is not part the exam) it just uses the approach
4) Read this blog and be updated on our FB page.

During exam
1) Relax and keep focused (Inhale - Exhale) - say your prayer, seek guidance
2) Scheme and scan the test
3) Divide your time equally - be conscious of time and spread it evenly among the test items.
4) Never skip an item - answer all items - guess if you must!
5) Be analytical, critical, cunning, and use lot's of common sense as well.

After exam
1) Relax and pray some more!
2) Rejoice when the result is out -pass or not (be proud you survived the first ever in Philippine history's
outcome-based  assessment for Psychometrician Licensure Exam).
3) Do not lose hope there will be another chance!

Tell us what we should include in the list.

Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV) - Documentary Requirement

In the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10029 or the Psychology Act of 2009,  applicants whose TOR does not have an SO this rule applies found in:

Sec. 13-A Documentary Requirements to the Licensure Examination of Psychometricians

c. Original and photocopy of transcript of records (with scanned picture) indicating the Special Order (S.O.) number, and where school is exempted from the issuance of an S.O. a Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV) from CHED.

We are sharing here samples of CAV - Certification, Authentication and Verification issued by CHED REgional IV-A (CALABARZON) and CHED National Capital Region shared to us by our two of our blog and FB readers who got their CAV lately.

Mr. Carl Reman shared his experience below:

The first thing na ginawa ko ay nagfile po ako ng request sa Registrar's Office. I paid 250.00 for the authentication of my TOR and Diploma. They also gave me an endorsement letter. When I'm in CHED na po okay naman po ang experience. Make sure may dala pong valid ID. 

May mga guard naman po sa bawat floor so pwede po silang tanungin kung saang room ang CHED regional office. I gave my documents to the administrative clerk then waited for few minutes. Then I paid PhP 40.00 and waited for some minutes. After they will check with you  kung tama po ang spelling ng name, school, address. Then kapag okay na po papareceive'an na nila yung draft ng CAV then yun okay na po.

Photo by  Mr. Carl Reman

Sample of CAV of Riyan

Nakuha ko na po yung CAV ko, nakita ko po kagabi sa blog mo na may ngtatanong anong itsura ng CAV.. sesend ko po sample galing nung sa akin.. saka naitanong nyo rin po kung gaano kadami ung tao sa PRC.. meron din po akong picture.. mabilis ko lng nmn po napasa ung sa akin since for completion lang naman po kasi. 

Photo by Riyan

Photo by Riyan

Photo by Riyan

Photo by Riyan

This was not the the scenario I saw last time.  All seats were taken and there were more people lining up from ground floor up to this Hall of the Application Division.  Note that until the end of the year there will be 16 professions that will take place so file not your application to avoid the rush.

Photo by Ms. Jane Sevilla

Taking Multiple Choice Exam: Strategy and Reminders

Image source - http://www.spring.org.uk/images/multiple_choice2.jpg Updated 13 October 2014 (Note we updated the time consideration for answering each item per the new schedule of the Program for the Licensure Exam for Psychologists and Psychometricians. Refer below.) This is a general suggestion and be reminded  of those strategyies that you think will be helpful for you in taking the Psychometrician Licensure Exam. The exam will be multiple choice - outcome-based assessment and it will be a machine scored/validated exam. So be careful and do not put unnecessary marks and smudges on your answer sheet. Answer all items otherwise the rest of your correct answered items might not be read by the machine. Observe time. Before submitting your answer sheet make sure to review that you did not miss any items. READ, STUDY and REVIEW! Relax and Enjoy and be Proud for being part of the pioneers-history-in-the-making first Psychometrician Licensure Exam!  At DAPAT PUMASA! BAWAL ANG BUMAGSAK! THINK POSITIVE! PRAY! FULFILL YOUR PROPHECY! Studying for a multiple choice exam requires a special method of preparation distinctly different from an essay exam. Multiple choice exams ask a student to recognize a correct answer among a set of options that include 3 or 4 wrong answers (called distracters ), rather than asking the student to produce a correct answer entirely from his/her own mind. For many reasons, students commonly consider multiple choice exams easier than essay exams. Perhaps the most obvious reasons are that: The correct answer is guaranteed to be among the possible responses. A student can score points with a lucky guess. Many multiple choice exams tend to emphasize basic definitions or simple comparisons, rather than asking students to analyze new information or apply theories to new situations. Because multiple choice exams usually contain many more questions than essay exams, each question has a lower point value and thus offers less risk. Despite these factors, however, multiple choice exams can actually be very difficult and are in this course. Consider that: Because multiple choice exams contain many questions, they force students to be familiar with a much broader range of material than essay exams do. Multiple choice exams also usually expect students to have a greater familiarity with details such as specific dates, names, or vocabulary than most essay exams do. Students cannot easily "bluff" on a multiple choice exam. Finally, because it is much more difficult for a teacher to write good multiple choice questions than to design essay questions, students often face higher risks due to unintended ambiguity. [This is NOT the case with Vogeler's tests!] To prepare for a multiple choice exam, consider the following steps: Begin studying early Multiple choice exams tend to focus on details, and you cannot retain many details effectively in short-term memory. If you learn a little bit each day and allow plenty of time for repeated reviews, you will build a much more reliable long-term memory. Make sure that you identify and understand thoroughly everything that your instructor emphasized in class. Pay particular attention to fundamental terms and concepts that describe important events or features, or that tie related ideas and observations together. These are the items that most commonly appear on multiple choice exams. As you study your class notes and your assigned readings, make lists and tables. Concentrate on understanding multi-step processes, and on ideas, events, or objects that form natural sequences or groupings. Look for similarities and differences that might be used to distinguish correct choices from distracters on an exam. If your textbook highlights new vocabulary or key definitions, be sure that you understand them. Sometimes new words and concepts are collected at the end of a chapter. Check to be sure that you have not left any out by mistake.Do not simply memorize the book's definitions. Most instructors will rephrase things in their own words as they write exam questions, so you must be sure that you really know what the definitions mean. Brainstorm possible questions with several other students who are also taking the course. Practice on sample questions, if you have access to a study guide or old exams.   Answering Multiple Choice Questions There are many strategies for maximizing your success on multiple choice exams. The best way to improve your chances, of course, is to study carefully before the exam. There is no good substitute for knowing the right answer. Even a well-prepared student can make silly mistakes on a multiple choice exam, however, or can fall prey to distracters that look very similar to the correct answer. Here are a few tips to help reduce these perils: Before you begin taking the exam, enter all pieces of required information on your answer sheet If you are so eager to start that you forget to enter your name and ID number, your results may never be scored. Remember: your instructor will not be able to identify you by handwriting or similar text clues. Always cover up the possible responses with a piece of paper or with your hand while you read the stem, or body of the question. Try to anticipate the correct response before you are distracted by seeing the options that your instructor has provided. Then, uncover the responses. If you see the response that you anticipated, circle it and then check to be sure that none of the other responses is better.  If you do not see a response that you expected, then consider some of the following strategies to eliminate responses that are probably wrong. None of these strategies is infallible. A smart instructor will avoid writing questions for which these strategies work, but you can always hope for a lapse of attention. Responses that use absolute words, such as "always" or "never" are less likely to be correct than ones that use conditional words like "usually" or "probably." "Funny" responses are usually wrong. "All of the above" is often a correct response. If you can verify that more than one of the other responses is probably correct, then choose "all of the above." "None of the above" is usually an incorrect response, but this is less reliable than the "all of the above" rule. Be very careful not to be trapped by double negatives. Look for grammatical clues. If the stem ends with the indefinite article "an," for example, then the correct response probably begins with a vowel. The longest response is often the correct one, because the instructor tends to load it with qualifying adjectives or phrases. Look for verbal associations. A response that repeats key words that are in the stem is likely to be correct. If all else fails, choose response (b) or (c). Many instructors subconsciously feel that the correct answer is "hidden" better if it is surrounded by distracters. Response (a) is usually least likely to be the correct one. If you cannot answer a question within a minute or less, skip it and plan to come back later. Transfer all responses to the answer sheet at the same time, once you have marked all questions on your exam. (If you try to do several things at once, you increase the probability of making a mistake. Saving the relatively mindless job of filling in bubbles until the last step reduces the probability of making silly errors.) Note - for a 100 items for 2hours = 120  mins allotted time. For 100 items/questions (outcome based assessment) = 1 mins and 2 secs to answer each question  For 100 items on subjects: Theories of Personality, Industrial Psychology and Abnormal Psychology the allotted time is 3 hours or 180 minutes for each of the subject. So we have 1 minute and 48 seconds to answer each question. But for Psychological Assessment for the 150 items with 180 minutes (3 hours)  time allotted, we only have  1 minute and 12 seconds to answer each item. So budget your time wisely when answering the questions. (Thanks to Christian for pointing out our previous error of converting minutes to seconds.) Be sure that you have filled the appropriate bubbles carefully IN PENCIL.  Your instructor/proctor will probably never take a close look at your answer sheet, so if you fail to fill in bubbles completely or if you make stray marks, only the computer will notice, and you will be penalized. Erase any accidental marks completely. Take the time to check your work before you hand in the answer sheet. Unlike an essay exam, on which you may later appeal a grade on the grounds that the instructor misunderstood your response, a multiple choice exam offers you no opportunity for "partial credit." If you filled the wrong bubble, your answer is 100% wrong. Source: Center for Teaching Excellence http://people.uwec.edu/ivogeler/multiple.htm Related Read: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/45668_8.pdf http://www.washington.edu/oea/services/scanning_scoring/scoring/item_analysis.html

Dr. Cue's Statement Regarding Equivalency

NEW UPDATE from Dr. Cue
as of 26 August 2014, 12:00AM


The Certificate of  Equivalency is asked only if and when: 

a) you finished your degree abroad 
b) when finished a degree in Psychology by some other name and 
c) when you took a professional subject in the board by some other name that is not obviously equivalent to the board subject under consideration. 

Please note that we are only implementors of the law so any deviation on matters related to the educational curriculum must be certified by CHED, else the application will be denied. 

We trust each and every applicant to submit his/her application at any PRC office soonest so there is still time to work out any deficiencies.

Finally here is the much awaited reply from Dr. Mirriam P. Cue, Chairperson of the PRC Board of Psychology on the issue of Equivalency.  

You should check with the applications division on the requirements. The PRB already sat down with them... Yes, some subjects do not need any certificate of equivalency anymore, like Psychological Testing for Psychological Assessment; Psychopathology for Abnormal Psychology, etc. But for subjects not in the list, you have to seek equivalency from CHED. I suggest you apply now so you would know what your deficiencies are while you still have the time to go about it.

For those of you applying inform PRC that such clarifications was already made by the Psychology Board. Psychological Testing is similar/same with Psychological Assessment and Psychopathology for Abnormal Psychology.

Hope this matter is now clarified for those asking about this issue.

Survey Respondents Job Categories and Motivation to take the Licensure Exam

Job Categories

As expected many of psychology graduates are working in an industrial setting working as human resource officer and personnel. Others are performing duties outside the HR function such as marketing, researcher, hotels, sales and others even have their own business.

Education and school settings is the next popular job for our survey respondents. Work includes teacher, instructor and some perform double function as guidance counselor also. Others in the entry position would be working as assistant to the guidance counselor and some are working as play therapist and doing coaching work.

The rest of the survey respondents work in the government, military and one respondent belong to a religious order as a nun. Expected also is the big number of those respondents who just newly graduate and applying for job at 32%.


Industrial Setting
Account officer/Staff/Bookkeeper/Payroll
Administrative Assistant/(NGO)
Bank Employee/Employee
Business Development Associate/Marketing Strategist
Collection Assistant /Insurance Specialist/Underwriting Operator
Customer Service/Care Representative/Call Center/Live Chat Specialist /
Data Analyst / Transcriptionist
Hotel coordinator/reservation / Liaison Officer/ Telecom operator
HR Staff/Assistant/Clerk/ Personnel Data Maintainer/ Office Staff/Secretary/Personnel/Assistant
HR Officer/Practitioner
HR Supervisor (HR Generalist) / Guidance Counselor
Human Resource Coordinator/Officer/Specialist
Program Specialist / Project Employee
Recruitment and Placement
Researcher (Company)
Sales Coordinator/Operations
Self-employed/Businesswoman/Proprietor
Supervisor/Onsite

Education/School
Assistant Guidance Counselor
College Instructor (State College)
ESL Teacher (Online)
Guidance Assistant/Clerk/Staff/Personnel/Testing Officer
Guidance Counselor/Advocate
Psychometrician (School)/Counselor
SPED Teacher /Learning and Development Associate
Teacher (Public School/Guidance)/Lecturer/ Preschool Teacher/private tutor/instructor/faculty
Testing Assistant/Associate/Staff
Voice/swimming coach/trainer/play therapist

Clinic and Hospital
Behavioral Therapist / Trauma Worker
Caseworker /Child Protection Officer
Community facilitator/organizer
Nurse / Nursing Aide I
Physician
Psychologist/ Consultant/Consulting Psychologist
Students/Family Welfare and Formation Officer/assistant

Government
Students
Others
Applying for jobs


Motivation or Purpose for the Licensure Exam

Part of the survey was the question about the motivation or purpose of respondents in taking the first licensure exam for Psychometrician. Categorizing the main reasons for taking the licensure exam we came up with the following:

A. Apply for job/employment

• for credential/eligibility

Majority response since many of the respondents are newly graduate and looking for job.


B. Use licensure to current job or work

• promotion - shift to another work or position
• professional growth/promotion
• public service
• requirement of their job
• permanent position
• provide assistance/help

As noted above majority in the job category is classified in the industrial setting, working in HR or personnel, some are already doing the job of psychometrician and others are assisting psychometricians mostly in an academic or school setting. There are also those who are working in a clinical/medical setting.

Below are quotes from respondents:

I WANT TO BE A PSYCHOMETRICIAN.
TO PRACTICE AS PSYCHOMETRICIAN.

A stepping stone to be a future Psychologist, after I pass the exam I'll get a job as a psychometrician in a clinical setting.

Being a licensed Psychometrician makes me more eligible in practicing Psychology particularly in being a General Psychology instructor. 

Not only that, I can also explore other areas of practice. Since I work in the academe, I can also do related work as a psychometrician in this field particularly in the Guidance Office or Student Affairs.

First and foremost, my purpose why I'll take the upcoming board exam is to be able to have a license. It is of great honor and pride to be part of the Pioneer passers. Aside from that, having a license is indeed of great honor every person can ever have. If I would be able to pass, I would use my license through rendering my service of other people especially in the administration and interpretation of objective psychological tests.

Having a license as a Psychometrician is credential. I can use it for employment and career advancement purposes.

Help individuals especially children assess their intellgience, personality skills to be a better and responsible citizen of the society.

I am currently working in a medical center, when i pass, i will probably shift from Human Resource to the mental health division.

I have worked for two years as an Institutional Psychometrician before I became a Guidance Counselor. I may say that to be a licensed Psychometrician would give me sense of professionalism in doing works related to psychometrics.

I want to be an expert in the field of psychometric so that it will be easy for me to be a psychologist.

I want to continue my profession to become a clinical psychologist, and I really want to start my career as a psychometrician to help me grow my knowledge that will be my advantage for me to be a psychologist.

I will be a dedicated practitioner of Psychology and this will ignite my dream to become a registered Psychologist: Play Therapist, Art Therapist, Researcher.

I will use it appropriately. i don't take any advantage to my clients. And I will be fair and just Psychometrician. 

I will use it to enter Medical Assistance Corps (MAC) in the military. 

I will use my license as a ticket in applying Government Office. 

If I pass the licensure examination I would like to practice it in the industrial setting preferably in the Human Resource Department in recruitment or in the performance appraisal. This licensure examination would help me to practice my degree because as of now I didn't practice and my job is not related to my course.

I'm planning to resign within this year and I wanted to go back to my previous job as A Human Resource again, once I become a registered Psychometrician it will help me to reach my goals. 

I'm really passionate about Psychology and I just really want to be a licensed psychometrician.

I also think that passing the exam would allow me to have lots of career opportunities.

No idea or plans as of yet.

Personal reasons.

To be called a certified Psychometrician and to land a good job to fulfill my passion.

To feed my sense of striving for excellence and if i am a psychometrician i'll have privilege to work in government and share my profession.

To have edge over the other psychology graduates specially in applying for job.

To legally evaluate Psychological Assessment and to prepare for a Psychology M.A.

To practice psychometrician at least two years so that i could take board exam for psychologist.

To  put up a Testing Center business.

To serve my country in the best way possible.

To teach psychology subjects.

Will definitely use it for work (recruitment & placement) specially in choosing a right examinations for employees and giving accurate results for their examination.

Related posts:

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/08/125-schools-represented-in-the-survey.html

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/08/initial-result-of-survey-and-sign-up.html

Psychological Assessment in Forensic Psychology

In our next installment of the result of the blog survey, will be doing a blog post about the different jobs of the survey respondents. Majority are working in an industrial setting as HR personnel or managers, staff and various other positions;  in education setting, as teachers, instructors, counselors, psychometrician;  and clinics and hospitals as psychologists, physician, etc.; in the government, and a minority in the military and police.

It is interesting to note that military and the police are establishments or fields that are overlooked by many psychology graduates. Looking at the the PRC board exam for Criminologists a portion of the exam (15%) is about  Sociology of Crimes and Ethics particularly on the topics: Introduction to Criminology and Psychology of Crimes, Philippine Justice Systems, Ethics and Values, Juvenile Delinquency, Human Behavior and Crisis Management, Criminological Research and Statistics.

Those topics are so much appropriate as field of study for Psychology majors. Although in some schools especially in their graduate programs the course in Forensic Psychology is being offered. But I think even in undergraduate course it should already offered so Psych majors have more possible opportunities to explore and so they could consider work in the military and police. There should be convergence with courses and subjects in Criminology. Also with courses being made interdisciplinary, Psychology with its many possible applications should be made more interdisciplinary with other subjects such as Criminology, Forensic Psychology, Military Psychology, Sports Psychology, Health Psychology, School Psychology, Climate Psychology, Law, Social Work, etc.

Let's take a more closer look into Forensic Psychology this time.

Image source - http://www.uhv.edu/asa/images/For_Psy_logo.jpg

Thus, the practice of forensic psychology, and perhaps the most frequent duty of forensic psychologists, is the psychological assessment of individuals who are involved, in one way or another, with the legal system. Therefore, although it is necessary to have training in law and forensic psychology, the most important skills a forensic psychologist must possess are solid clinical skills. That is, skills like clinical assessment, interviewing, report writing, strong verbal communication skills (especially if an expert witness in court) and case presentation are all very important in setting the foundation of the practice of forensic psychology. With these skills forensic psychologists perform such tasks as threat assessment for schools, child custody evaluations, competency evaluations of criminal defendants and of the elderly, counseling services to victims of crime, death notification procedures, screening and selection of law enforcement applicants, the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder and the delivery and evaluation of intervention and treatment programs for juvenile and adult offenders. The practice of forensic psychology involves investigations, research studies, assessments, consultation, the design and implementation of treatment programs and expert witness courtroom testimony.

Source - http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2013/09/forensic-psychology.aspx

Image source - http://comps.canstockphoto.com/can-stock-photo_csp11787716.jpg

Forensic Psychology is the intersection between psychology and the justice system. It involves understanding fundamental legal principles, particularly with regard to expert witness testimony and the specific content area of concern (e.g., competence to stand trial, child custody and visitation, or workplace discrimination), as well as relevant jurisdictional considerations (e.g., in the United States, the definition of insanity in criminal trials differs from state to state) in order to be able to interact appropriately with judges, attorneys and other legal professionals. An important aspect of forensic psychology is the ability to testify in court as an expert witness, reformulating psychological findings into the legal language of the courtroom, providing information to legal personnel in a way that can be understood.^[1] Further, in order to be a credible witness the forensic psychologist must understand the philosophy, rules, and standards of the judicial system. Primary is an understanding of the adversarial system. There are also rules about hearsay evidence and most importantly, theexclusionary rule. Lack of a firm grasp of these procedures will result in the forensic psychologist losing credibility in the courtroom.^[2] A forensic psychologist can be trained in clinical, social, organizational or any other branch of psychology.^[3]

Generally, a forensic psychologist is designated as an expert in a particular area of expertise. The number of areas of expertise in which a forensic psychologist qualifies as an expert increases with experience and reputation. Forensic neuropsychologists are generally asked to appear as expert witnesses in court to discuss cases that involve issues with the brain or brain damage. They may also deal with issues of whether a person is legally competent to stand trial.

Questions asked by the court of a forensic psychologist are generally not questions regarding psychology but are legal questions and the response must be in language the court understands. For example, a forensic psychologist is frequently appointed by the court to assess a defendant's competence to stand trial. The court also frequently appoints a forensic psychologist to assess the state of mind of the defendant at the time of the offense. This is referred to as an evaluation of the defendant's sanity or insanity (which relates to criminal responsibility) at the time of the offense.^[4] These are not primarily psychological questions but rather legal ones. Thus, a forensic psychologist must be able to translate psychological information into a legal framework.^[5]

Forensic psychologists may be called on to provide sentencing recommendations, treatment recommendations or any other information the judge requests, such as information regarding mitigating factors, assessment of future risk and evaluation of witness credibility. Forensic psychology also involves training and evaluating police or other law enforcement personnel, providing law enforcement with criminal profiles and in other ways working with police departments. Forensic psychologists may work with any party and in criminal or family law. In the United States they may also help with jury selection.^[6]

Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_psychology

Photo: Andy Molloy/ Kennebec Journal/ AP Photo
Image source - http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201409/the-last-true-hermit?currentPage=1

I recently came across this article from GQ that used forensic psychology to assess the mental state of the North Pond Hermit :

Chris had recently been given a mental-health evaluation by Maine's forensic service. The report mentioned a possible diagnosis of Asperger's disorder, a form of autism often marked by exceptional intelligence but extreme sensitivity to motions, sounds, and light.
The Strange & Curious Tale of the Last True Hermithttp://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201409/the-last-true-hermit?currentPage=2

To better appreciate this story go to the link to read the whole story.Below are interesting comments exchange about the difference of sociopath from Asperger Disorder based on the above article:

Calmedic19 hours ago

Having spent more than 30 years as a paramedic and wondering why people do certain unexplainable things, I have slowly come to realize that extraordinary social behavior has two roots.  One is the environment you grow up in, the other is an amazing array of mental illness.  

I have learned to recognize looks, behaviors and even facial clues to the causes of inexplicable behavior. Christopher Thomas Knight's look reminds me very much of sociopathic behavior. 

I suppose that is why I am writing a book titled "What I learned"  after more than 36,000 patient contacts.

Jeff Rusteen

solitaire17 hours ago

@Calmedic Are you suggesting Christopher Knight is a sociopath? If so, I disagree with you for several reasons:

1. He was given a mental health evaluation while he was in jail and the only thing mentioned in the evaluation report was a possible diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder, which makes a lot more sense, given Christopher's high degree of intelligence. The loud and constant noise in jail after so many years of peace and quiet and being alone in the woods had to have been pretty terrifying. 

2. The lack of eye contact, nervous behavior and facial clues the author describes and what you see in the photos don't explain everything. Two people may not see the same thing or interpret a description in the same way. What I see is fear - a very deep fear within a man who was perfectly happy to live without interaction with other humans for decades, then incarcerated and forced to live in a cell surrounded by other inmates and guards all of the time.

3. Sociopaths generally act with complete disregard for the laws which govern society and feel no guilt, remorse or sympathy for people affected by their actions. Christopher Knight expressed regret for having "screwed over" his brother Joel and stated that he still "owes him."  He didn't steal for profit or for the adrenaline rush; he only stole what he needed in order to survive and he was extremely cautious and methodical in the way he did it. Sociopaths don't plan their crimes, they act spontaneously.

4. Sociopaths are usually well-liked by others, but will usually allow only one or maybe two people become "close" to them. Christopher chose to abandon and avoid human companionship completely at all costs. He never felt like he "fit in" and didn't have friends.

Your book may well be based on your actual patient contact experiences and apply to patients you have encountered in CA, but you can't reasonably or accurately use what you learned from those experiences and apply it to someone you've only read about, anymore than your paramedic training and experiences qualify you to diagnose mental illnesses or autism.

We hope that with this blog post, future Psychometricians will have more options as to which field to engage and explore. Also a clarification on the difference of sociopath from one who is diagnose with Asperger syndrome.

Next blog post will be the survey result of the work or job that our survey respondents are engage in.

Related Links:
http://psychology.about.com/od/branchesofpsycholog1/a/forensic-psychology.htm

What's in a name, Psychological Assessment?

Image source -http://drjuliaking.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/GettyImages_CC000596.84171129_std.jpg

Different schools have different names for the courses or subjects they offer compared with other schools or with CHED's Course specification for that matter. A particular case is the subject Psychological Assessment that will be given in the upcoming 2014 Psychometrician Licensure Exam. The title Psychological Assessment is different with that of Psychological Testing which is a subject and course offered by most universities or schools.

We have received a lot of questions about applicants' concern whether they need to secure Certificate of Equivalency from CHED about this matter. A sample question we received recently:

Kailangan pa bang humingi ng Certificate of Equivalency sa CHED that certifies na equivalent ang Psych Testing sa Psych Assessment? According kasi sa iba, matagal yun iprocess at sa CHED main office pa mismo hihingi eh mga taga-Bicol kami. May nagtanong na po ba sa inyo na may similar case sakin/samin? Hoping for your fast response regarding this matter.

Our reply - most applicants like us have submitted our requirements and the subject course title is Psychological Testing, we have received our NOA upon PRC Application Division's review of those requirements (TOR included). So we did not apply from CHED any Certificate of  Equivalency. We hope that the PRC Board of Psychology has also clarified about this matter of Psychological Testing/Measurement  is synonymous, equal or equivalent to Psychological Assessment  to the PRC and the rest of PRC's regional offices.

An advise, go to PRC and submit your application NOW to find out more of what they will say about your application. File your application now and do not rush at the last minute given that PRC sometimes require additional requirements such as the CAV for those whose TOR does not contain Special Order (SO) Number including the additional documentary stamps to each of the three notarized certificates of good moral character. Do not wait for the deadline if you are ready and desire to take the licensure exam - FILE NOW! Well, otherwise, there's next year and the coming years to take the board exam.

Image source - http://www.lifepsych.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/psychological-testing.jpg

Let us take a look below of the course title and description  taken from the syllabus of different schools in the Philippines offering courses in Psychology (sources are from websites accessed as of  21 August 2014):


UP
BA/BS Psychology Curriculum (1992-93)
http://kssp.upd.edu.ph/psych/psychdept_programs_undergrad.html

Psychology 162: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT
Orientation into the rudiments of psychological testing and evaluation with emphasis on reliability and validity, and test development.
6 hours a week (3 lect; 3 lab); 4 units credit
Prerequisite: Psychology 115

Psychology 110: PSYCHOLOGICAL STATISTICS
Statistical techniques in the design, analysis and interpretation of psychological studies.
7 hours a week (4 lect; 3 lab); 5 units credit
Prerequisites: Psychology 101 & Math 11 or 17

Psychology 115: EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
A method course to familiarize students with the methods of science in the treatment and invetigation of human problems; principles of experimental inference; experimental design in behavior research and the ethics involved in laboratory research.
9 hours a week (3 lect; 6 lab); 5 units credit
Prerequisite: Psychology 110


DLSU
http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/academics/programs/undergraduate/cla/bs-psyc.asp
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology

Psychological Measurement 1 (PSYCME1/LBYPSY1)
3 units
Prerequisite     : Theories of Personality
Prerequisite to : Psychological Measurement 2

This course includes 2 units of lecture and 1 unit of laboratory work. This course aims to introduce the students on the history of psychological measurement; psychophysical and scaling methods; basic concepts and principles in testing such as reliability, validity and norming; selection, administration, scoring and interpretation of selected psychological test; as well as issues and ethical considerations in psychological testing in the Philippine context and applied in the clinical setting. The students will be trained on writing up of profile reports based on psychological test battery results.

Psychological Measurement 2 (PSYCME2/LBYPSY2)
3 units
Prerequisite     : Psychological Measurement 1, Experimental Psychology

This course will introduce the students to the procedures and instruments used in clinical assessment. The students will be introduced to the peculiarities of the assessment process in special population as preschool children, brain-damaged populations, psychotic patients, mentally and/or physically disabled cases, violent and/or emotionally disturbed cases, and the mentally retarded. Students will be familiarized with different strategies in clinical assessment, namely: assessment interview; cognitive assessment; personality assessment; perceptual, sensory, and sensorimotor assessment; behavioral assessment which includes naturalistic observation, self-monitoring and controlled/systematic observation; and clinical judgment which includes quantitative and subjective approaches.

Opportunities for supervised administration and interpretation procedures and tests to actual cases will be provided and will be conducted in Psychology Laboratory. At the end of the course, the student is expected to have acquired the skill of establishing report with a client and preparing a case report.


Ateneo de Manila University 
http://ls.ateneo.edu/global/UserFiles/File/20121018091051123_PSYCHOLOGY%20Generic%20Course%20Syllabi%20II%20Sem%2012-13.pdf
Loyola Schools
Generic Course Syllabus for 2nd Semester, School Year 2012-2013
Department Psychology School Social Sciences

Course No. PSY 109.1 (Lec) and 109.2 (Lab)
Course Title Psychological Testing (Lecture and Laboratory)
No. of Units 3 and 2

Course Description:
This course is an orientation to the rudiments of psychological testing. The basic
principles, methods, current trends, issues, and ethics of psychological testing are
tackled. The course involves a review of the basic psychometric principles that apply to
all types of psychological tests, including item analysis, reliability and validity. Students
will also gain actual exposure in administering, scoring, interpreting and evaluating
various cognitive and personality tests that are typically used in assessment batteries
across the different applied fields of psychology in the Philippine setting


Silliman University
Bachelor of Science (Psychology)
http://su.edu.ph/resources/college-of-arts-and-sciences/154-165-dept-psychology-1327385201.pdf

Psychology 30. Psychological Testing 5 units
The principles, methods, and uses of psychological testing are tackled with
emphasis on issues of item analysis, reliability, and validity in test construction
(with computer use). The administration, scoring, and interpretation of objective
cognitive and affective tests used in various settings are covered. Ethical
considerations as well as current trends and issues in psychological testing in the
Philippine setting are discussed.


Colegio de San Juan de Letran
Major in Psychology
http://www.letran.edu/collegiate/clased/clas_abpsych.php

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING 1 - PSYCH 106 (3 units)
This course presents the basic orientation and the introduction on the major structured and non-structured psychological instruments, its rationale and uses. It deals with the basic concepts concerning the construction, purpose and choice of psychological tests. It surveys the psychological tests used to assess constructs such as intelligence and personality, and those used in clinical, educational, and business settings. Emphasis is placed on building skills in informed selection and use of psychological tests, and on familiarity with the basic procedures used to establish their norms, reliability, and validity, which are addressed in the laboratory component of the course. Social and ethical issues surrounding psychological testing are also addressed.


University of the East
https://www.ue.edu.ph/manila/main.html?page=colleges&link=curriculum&c=APSY2011

APY 221 Psychological Testing I (Psychometric Tests) 3 Units
APY 313 Psychological Testing II (Application to Psychological Tests) 3 Units

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING 2 - PSYCH 30 (3 units)
The course provides the basic orientation and discussion on the major non-structured psychological instruments, their rationale and  uses. It provides a venue for students to be exposed to and to undertake actual administration, scoring and interpretation of these tests. It deals with the actual administration, scoring and interpretation of selected objective cognitive and effective tests used in various applied fields of psychology.