A quote that has often been attributed to me, based on some comments I made on a Listserv many years ago and on a slide I often use when presenting at workshops is...."we are the instrument"...with re: to the art and science of "intelligent" intelligence testing and interpretation by psychologists. It reminded me of a quote that captures a good portion of the variance of my "we are the instrument" mantra. It is reproduced below. The source is also listed.Meyer et al. (2001). Psychological testing and psychological assessment. American Psychologist, February
- "Tests do not think for themselves, nor do they directly communicate with patients. Like a stethoscope, a blood pressure gauge, or an MRI scan, a psychological test is a dumb tool, and the worth of the tool cannot be separated from the sophistication of the clinician who draws inferences from it and then communicates with patients and professionals”
