How's This For A Dilemma?

[MaddieMay]

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My sister, Kate's, 6 year old daughter, Megan, didn't do well on the IQ test to get into her school's gifted program because she got pulled out of Show And Tell to take it and she got mad.

My sister wants to know how to help Megan prepare for the IQ test. I know, good grief, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I want to tell her to leave Megan alone and let her do her own thing, maybe explore her love of Show And Tell instead of obsessing about a 6 year old's gifted class, but Megan's big sister is in the gifted program already and Kate's concerned about Emily making fun of Megan for not "getting in." Sisters can be mean.

Anyway, is it totally unethical for me to tell Kate how to prep Megan? I'm assuming the school is using the WISC. Are there any other child IQ tests that you guys have heard of?

Megan's the middle child and so am I, so I'd like to spare her some older sister cruelty. Kate has always been overly concerned about IQ and test scores. Both her and her husband are M.D.s and I used to kid Kate that her kids would rebel and be acting majors like me and MY kids would rebel and be the doctors! How funny that now Megan likes Show And Tell so much.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Is me coaching harmless or feeding the beast that is my sister? 😉

 

[Ollie123]

Well, to do what it sounds like your sister wants would be a pretty clear-cut violation of the APA Code of ethics...

 

[WaitingKills]

Well, to do what it sounds like your sister wants would be a pretty clear-cut violation of the APA Code of ethics...

I totally agree.

 

[Anon15]

Well, to do what it sounds like your sister wants would be a pretty clear-cut violation of the APA Code of ethics...

Ditto

 

[AlairaK]

I fourth that. Just tell her to have the child retake it if she thinks it was invalidated due to her mood. But prepping for it is not ethical

 

[BorntoRun]

.

 

[AlairaK]

that seems like taking advantage of a loophole, if you ask me.

 

[MaddieMay]

Yeah, I'm a Psy.D. student and obviously wouldn't be paid, but this feels yucky. Yucky usually = unethical for me. Aside from everything else, it would be helping Megan cheat.

Thanks for reinforcing what I already knew in my gut. 👍

 

[Ollie123]

See 9.11
"The term test materials refers to manuals, instruments, protocols, and test questions or stimuli and does not include test data as defined in Standard 9.04, Release of Test Data. Psychologists make reasonable efforts to maintain the integrity and security of test materials and other assessment techniques consistent with law and contractual obligations, and in a manner that permits adherence to this Ethics Code"

Knowledge of the test I think constitutes professional activity. I'm pretty sure APA could take action against someone who was selling answers to IQ tests behind the building after work, even if it wasn't in their role as a psychologist but in their role as an "Underground test dealer".

I didn't realize she wasn't yet in grad school - if she was this is the kind of thing that could get you kicked out of grad school (note I said could, and not would). If she isn't, I suppose the professional boards could not technically take any action against her since they can't do anything to people who are not technically members of APA. I don't have time to look up the relevant laws to see if there are any legal guidelines here - even if there are I imagine they vary by state.

Edit: Just saw your reply. Yeah, if you're in school already there is really no question. They might not find out, but if they did this sort of behavior would definitely justify them kicking you out of the program.

Just tell your sister what she wants you to do is the professional equivalent of her writing you 20 prescriptions for narcotics for a party you're having, that should shut her up😉

 

[WaitingKills]

To play devil's advocate, the APA code of ethics only applies to "psychologists' activities that are part of their scientific, educational, or professional roles as psychologists." As my understanding is that the OP would not be doing this in her role as a psychologist, but rather in her role as a family member with some limited (as the OP is post-undergrad, pre-grad school if I remember correctly - apologies if I am incorrect) knowledge of psychology, this wouldn't actually be considered a violation of the APA code of ethics.

It is a loop hole.

However, if the OP has knowledge on how to administer, score, or increase scores on the WISC or other achievement based tests, she cannot ethically advise her family as to how to increase her niece's score. If the OP does, the test is invalid for her niece and would be the equivilant of cheating.

When I learned how to administer a range of psych tests, I learned that it was part of the copyright (in addition to registration board rules but that's separate) that I could not reproduce any part of the test (eg. post on the internet, photocopy) or disclose any answers/strategies related to the tests (eg. to friends, family, patients), this includes for the WISC.

Therefore, it would still be unethical and against everything that we, as psychologists or future psychologists, should stand for.



Edit: Looks like I doubled Ollie's post 🙂 Therefore, I concur with everything she said lol.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I'd definitely avoid it, as no good can really come from this.

 

[deleted106747]

I think that choosing not to do this sounds like the right decision for the above stated reasons. I also think that it's potentially harmful to your niece. She may find out how she was placed in the program - I would guess that eventually she would - and that this might cause her to feel like she didn't earn her place in it like the other kids and thus undermine rather than build her confidence. If her sister found out she might get teased worse. And I think that sometimes some adversity is good for kids, they can grow from a less-than smooth road.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[BorntoRun]

I agree - it is a loophole, and it's especially true now that I know the OP is actually in a program. In my mind, there is a big difference between helping your niece prep for an IQ test if you're post-undergrad, which might sound something like "Make sure she gets a good night's sleep the night before. You might want to do some flashcards to help build her vocabulary in the weeks preceding, and it wouldn't hurt to practice some puzzles with her." vs. helping her prep if you're a Psy.D. student with practical/theoretical knowledge of specific IQ tests, which would be much more akin to cheating (and a much clearer ethics violation).

 

[deleted176373]

Cheating is unethical, without a doubt. Retesting when the initial conditions were unfair seems in order, but skewing the test, totally against the spirit of the ethics involved regardless of loop holes.

Although, one could argue that LSAT, GRE, SAT prep offered by Princeton, Kaplan, and other companies is equally unethical and why stop there. Is it preparation to play word, knowledge and math games with your daughter... or is that education?

Mark

 

[deleted106747]

Unethical, without a doubt. Retesting when the initial conditions were unfair seems in order, but skewing the test, totally against the spirit of the ethics involved regardless of loop holes.

Although, one could argue that LSAT, GRE, SAT prep offered by princeton, kaplan, and other companies is equally unethical and why stop there.

Mark

Well, with those prep courses everyone has access. This more like someone at ETS was helping someone with inside info.

 

[erg923]

I agree, tell her to get a good night sleep and try her best.🙂 Anything more is unethical. I would also suggest examining who you think would be helping in this situation. Would you be helping her?....OR......Would you really just be helping yourself feel better?

 

[MaddieMay]

I should back up. I reread my sister's email and what she specifically asked was "What kinds of activities, games, and puzzles will help Megan to prepare?"

I was never considering mailing her my kit. I'm wondering if it is still unethical to point out, say, the wikipedia page on the WISC, which briefly describes the sections of the tests, or point out some books and DVDs that claim to be "Child IQ Prep Materials" that I saw on google when I googled "WISC." Stuff anyone could have found on their own...

Or does me knowing where to look equal passing on an unfair advantage?

And yes, to be honest, some of my desire to guide is because I want Kate's validation of my degree; in the past she's always wondered out loud why I didn't just get a BA in SW. Grrr.

 

[erg923]

If you truly think this girl is has such an above intelligence....so much so that she needs to be in a gifted class....Why do you feel the need to give her hints about the test? If she is indeed gifted, she will perform that way assuming she puts forth adequate effort..no? If your hypothesis is that she would not do as well without these "helpful hints" from wikepedia...then how is this not falsely attempting to boost her IQ? Moreover, please don't forget that part of what is measured by many IQ tests is the ability for "novel" problem solving. Many theories of intelligence (including the Wechsler Scales) posit that the ability for problem solving of novel stimuli, or in novel situations, is a contributory to the G factor, and ultimately IQ. Would wikipedia not shed some light on the novelty of these tasks? I think so.

Again, part of being a professional in this field is having appropriate insight into your own emotions and motivations. To me, this sounds like you want to do this for you, not for her. That is dangerous habit in this field. As a therapist, you do what is best for your client, not to validate yourself, no?

 

[deleted176373]

Or does me knowing where to look equal passing on an unfair advantage?

And yes, to be honest, some of my desire to guide is because I want Kate's validation of my degree; in the past she's always wondered out loud why I didn't just get a BA in SW. Grrr.

I think that simply put, you can tell her that doing problems that exercise creative thinking, vocabulary expansion, and basic math and memory puzzles certainly can't hurt performance on IQ tests. These can include fun activities like jigsaw puzzles, learning to play simple music from memory, even gymnastics, dance, and other activities that youngsters enjoy. (In other words, let the kid, be a kid!)

Don't get specific, but I don't think that telling her that exercising the brain is much like exercising the body is out of line. The more you use it, the better shape it's likely to be in. Interactive mental stimulation coupled with proper rest, exercise, and nutrition is important for all children. Then tell her that you cannot tell her anything more than that because you are ethically bound to protect the integrity of the tests.

This isn't professional advice, this is common sense.

Mark

 

[MaddieMay]

Thanks, Mark, sibling rivalry can sometimes temporarily addle one's common sense.

 

[deleted176373]

Thanks, Mark, sibling rivalry can sometimes temporarily addle one's common sense.

I hear you... You should perhaps ask your sister what would she do if she knew before testing that her child was only average intellectually but had the ability to be an award winning actress, Olympic gymnast, Olympic skier, NASCAR driver or other non-intellectual pursuit?

Would she foster the intellectual growth despite the fact that her talents didn't lie there, or would she foster the other activity? I think that so often parents want to forge their kids that they sometimes miss the boat.

Mark

 

[BorntoRun]

I hear you... You should perhaps ask your sister what would she do if she knew before testing that her child was only average intellectually but had the ability to be an award winning actress, Olympic gymnast, Olympic skier, NASCAR driver or other non-intellectual pursuit?

I would love to chat with an Olympic athlete -- sometimes I think they're the only folks as single-mindedly dedicated as us clinical folks

 

[myelin]

the premise behind intelligence tests is that you aren't supposed to be able to prepare for them. it's not like an achievement test where the entire test measures what you have learned. there are a variety of things that are measured that contribute to the IQ scores.

on the other hand, if she didn't do well on the test (i.e. well enough to be in the gifted program) then it is a possibility that being in the gifted program might not be a proper placement for her. it is also possible that the child's affect during the test affected performance. a properly trained school psychologist will note this discrepancy in their report and also note if the administration was a valid measure of the child's intelligence.

 

[Neuro-Dr]

There are a couple of things I'd like to respond to here. First, there is no loophole as a student. You are held to the same standards in your role as a student and the state licensing boards can and do accept claims made against those without a state license and can and will prevent anyone with an ethical violation from obtaining the license. This is a much easier thing to do since the burden of proof is on the applicant and with psychologists the burden is on the state. You can not provide any information to your sister or anyone else about any IQ test. You can check your individual state laws for further clarification. I'm not going to begin quoting federal statutes; but I can assure you you will have little protection.

Second, the other question was what was measured in the first eval and that sounds like it was compliance. If you want to boost a chance of getting into the gifted program, your knowledge of test construction is best and ethically used by suggesting to your sister that she has the right to an independant evaluation and at that age a pure power test (SB-5) or the WJ-Cog will always yield higher scores in gifted evaluations than the WISC-IV. In fact the average IQ on the WISC-IV for known gifted students is 123.

So, use your knowledge in an ethical and productive fashion and you can actually help without feeling "yucky".