A study of the expository process model in school psychological reports

A number of authors have documented complaints made by consumers about psychological reports. Prominent among these complaints are that basic data are not included, that psychological terms whose meanings are not clear are used, and that the logic of the statements in reports is unclear. Ownby and Wallbrown (1986) have proposed a model for report writing that addresses these concerns by specifying the types of data and the mode of data presentation most likely to be viewed positively by readers of reports. This study tested this model by developing comparable sets of statements that might appear in a school psychological report, one set model‐based and the other not. School psychologists rated statements based on the model as significantly more credible and persuasive than non‐model equivalents.