Abstract
Since not all psychologists are trained in the use of psychometrics, and not all coaches are psychologists, there is potential for a skills gap where coaches choose to use these assessments in their practice. Although national and international standards exist for the effective and ethical use of psychometrics, they tend to emphasise selection contexts focusing much less on developmental use (see also McDowall & Smewing, 2009; Smewing & McDowall, 2010). We also note that whilst there are specific certificates of competence for the use of ability and personality tests in the UK, these are tailored towards occupational and educational contexts. This is an issue for coaching psychology, given that many practitioners have more varied backgrounds. Nevertheless, coaches wishing to include psychometrics in their tool kit need to be able to select the most appropriate psychometric measure for a given context and ensure ethical boundaries are maintained. This interactive skills session seeks to bridge the gap between psychological theory, existing guidance and practice, focusing on the applied use of psychometrics in coaching contexts. Drawing on practitioners’ own experience, this interactive session will consider the following in a coaching context: • How to revisit the core value of psychometrics • What to look for in a psychometric measure • Mapping any assessment to a given context • How assessments can be combined • Turning assessment data into action for development and growth, including consideration of case studies • Understanding the limits of your professional competence • Addressing frequent challenges and risks. Anticipated learning outcomes for delegates include: • A clear understanding of criteria for selecting psychometrics • A matrix for matching assessments with the coaching context • Mapping of professional standards to their own coaching practice • Understanding how to combine psychometric data with other data to facilitate insight. Our goal is to challenge delegates’ perceptions on the use of psychometrics in coaching and work towards the development of a statement of best practice in this area.