Psychological examination requires materials relevant to a specific question, rather than the greatest possible volume of personal information. An unsorted archive of family correspondence and character references may contain excessive personal data without explaining which circumstances are to be studied.
First establish the task and status of the examination
It is clarified whether the examination has been appointed by an authorised body or whether extrajudicial work is being considered. The questions and permissible set of materials may differ. A preliminary consultation must not be presented as an assessment of the person already carried out.
Inventory of available materials
- The document setting out the questions and information about procedural status, if applicable.
- A brief chronology of circumstances relevant to the task.
- Documents with identifiable authors, dates and sources.
- Information about previous assessments to the extent relevant.
- Recordings and correspondence with provenance and necessary context preserved.
Distinguish facts from characterisations
A record of a specific observable event differs from an assessment such as “he is always aggressive” or “she behaves inappropriately”. The materials should preserve who supplied the information and what it is based on. An interested party's characterisation does not become an established psychological trait without examination.
Is direct contact needed?
Whether documents suffice to answer or an assessment of the person is needed depends on the task, methods and procedural conditions. A full assessment of a person from selected screenshots must not be promised in advance. If no direct assessment was carried out, this must be reflected in the limits of the result.
Psychological examination does not replace medical diagnosis. Questions requiring psychiatric or other specialist competence are considered separately. A document from another discipline is assessed for its content and significance, without relabelling it as a psychological diagnosis.
How to reduce unnecessary disclosure of data
Before submitting a large archive, agree its contents and a secure submission method. Do not include unrelated third-party documents merely to create a general impression. If significant information has been removed or anonymised, explain this to the specialist to avoid a false impression of completeness.
The final report must distinguish information sources, actions carried out, observations and conclusions. It should be possible to understand which answer is supported by the materials and which is limited by their insufficiency. A wish to confirm a party's position must not predetermine the examination result.