Professional Psychology Research and Practice EPPP articles

Sharpless, B. A., & Barber, J. P. (2009). The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) in the era of evidence-based practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40, 333-340. doi: 10.1037/a0013983

Professional psychology has increasingly moved toward evidence-based practice. However, instruments used to assess psychologists seeking licensure, such as the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), have received relatively little empirical scrutiny. Therefore, the authors evaluated the available evidence in support of the EPPP’s validity and current use as a core component of professional licensure. Although the EPPP has in many ways been extensively evaluated, there is a paucity of criterion, predictive, and incremental validity evidence available. Further, several aspects of the content validation studies were examined, and the authors question whether the EPPP, as currently constructed, can meet its stated goals. Given that the EPPP is a high-stakes examination and given the authors’ best estimate (based on a sample of 16 states) that 35% of applicants fail the examination, it is recommended that the EPPP be more extensively evaluated. An outline of major decision points in this proposed evaluation process is provided, several suggestions for further research are proposed, and the field is encouraged to discuss these issues further.

Reflections on the EPPP: A commentary on Sharpless and Barber.
Cornish, Jennifer A. Erickson; Smith, Randyl D.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Vol 40(4), 2009, 341-344.

How should the effectiveness of the EPPP be judged?.
DiLillo, David; Tremblay, George C.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Vol 40(4), 2009, 345-347.

Understanding the purpose, strengths, and limitations of the EPPP: A response to Sharpless and Barber.
DeMers, Stephen T.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Vol 40(4), 2009, 348-353.