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Development and content validation of the Quality in Psychology Simulation Instrument (QPSI).

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Title: Development and content validation of the Quality in Psychology Simulation Instrument (QPSI).
Authors: Yap, Keong (AUTHOR), Gooi, Chien Hoong (AUTHOR), Oxlad, Melissa (AUTHOR), Paparo, Josephine (AUTHOR), Correia, Helen (AUTHOR), Chur-Hansen, Anna (AUTHOR), Rice, Kylie (AUTHOR), Rooney, Rosanna (AUTHOR), Sheen, Jade (AUTHOR)
Source: Australian Psychologist. Aug2026, Vol. 61 Issue 4, p330-335. 6p.
Subjects: Medical school faculty, Consensus (Social sciences), Medical protocols, Curriculum, Accreditation, Research evaluation, Research methodology evaluation, Pilot projects, Benchmarking (Management), Teaching methods, Descriptive statistics, Experimental design, Simulation methods in education, Psychology, Institutional cooperation, Professions, Research methodology, Postdoctoral programs, Clinical competence, Psychometrics, Statistical reliability, Test validity, Quality assurance, Learning strategies, Clinical education, Psychosocial factors, Legal compliance, Panel analysis, Inter-observer reliability
Geographic Terms: Australia
Abstract: Objective: The Australian psychology training landscape is changing, and simulation is increasingly being used. Therefore, it is essential for educators to accurately assess the quality of such training activities. This article outlines the development of the Quality in Psychology Simulation Instrument (QPSI), a measure for educators to evaluate the quality of Simulated Learning Activities (SLA) at all psychology training levels. Method: Nine psychology academics with simulation expertise used an iterative cycle of item development, piloting, refinement, and redeployment to develop a consensus measure for assessing SLA, based on the postgraduate psychology SLA best-practice guidelines. Team members piloted the QPSI in their teaching areas. The revised measure was further piloted by two subject matter experts. Results: The final 45-item QPSI possesses good face and content validity for use across undergraduate and postgraduate psychology curricula, offering user-friendly means to assess SLA quality across educational contexts. Conclusions: The upcoming changes to Australian psychology training pathways may require increased SLA use. By offering a standardised structure and approach, the QPSI could guide SLA design, enhance cross-institutional collaboration and benchmarking, improve transparency, rigour, and quality, and facilitate compliance with accreditation standards and best-practice guidelines. Further psychometric evaluation of the instrument is warranted. Key Points: What is already known about this topic: Simulated Learning Activities (SLA) are critical in enabling students from diverse health professions, including psychology, to develop professional competencies. In 2021, the Australian Postgraduate Psychology Simulation Working Group (APPESWG) proposed nine criteria to guide best-practice integration of SLA in professional psychology training. No fit-for-purpose instruments exist for assessing the quality of SLA in psychology training. What this topic adds: The Quality in Psychology Simulation Instrument (QPSI) was developed to support the evaluation of SLA in psychology. Through an iterative cycle of feedback, refinement, and redeployment, the final version of the QPSI enables quality assessment and assurance for SLA at all levels of psychology training. The QPSI may have particular applications as higher education providers seek to respond to an upcoming "once in a generation" review of psychology training pathways in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Description
Abstract:Objective: The Australian psychology training landscape is changing, and simulation is increasingly being used. Therefore, it is essential for educators to accurately assess the quality of such training activities. This article outlines the development of the Quality in Psychology Simulation Instrument (QPSI), a measure for educators to evaluate the quality of Simulated Learning Activities (SLA) at all psychology training levels. Method: Nine psychology academics with simulation expertise used an iterative cycle of item development, piloting, refinement, and redeployment to develop a consensus measure for assessing SLA, based on the postgraduate psychology SLA best-practice guidelines. Team members piloted the QPSI in their teaching areas. The revised measure was further piloted by two subject matter experts. Results: The final 45-item QPSI possesses good face and content validity for use across undergraduate and postgraduate psychology curricula, offering user-friendly means to assess SLA quality across educational contexts. Conclusions: The upcoming changes to Australian psychology training pathways may require increased SLA use. By offering a standardised structure and approach, the QPSI could guide SLA design, enhance cross-institutional collaboration and benchmarking, improve transparency, rigour, and quality, and facilitate compliance with accreditation standards and best-practice guidelines. Further psychometric evaluation of the instrument is warranted. Key Points: What is already known about this topic: Simulated Learning Activities (SLA) are critical in enabling students from diverse health professions, including psychology, to develop professional competencies. In 2021, the Australian Postgraduate Psychology Simulation Working Group (APPESWG) proposed nine criteria to guide best-practice integration of SLA in professional psychology training. No fit-for-purpose instruments exist for assessing the quality of SLA in psychology training. What this topic adds: The Quality in Psychology Simulation Instrument (QPSI) was developed to support the evaluation of SLA in psychology. Through an iterative cycle of feedback, refinement, and redeployment, the final version of the QPSI enables quality assessment and assurance for SLA at all levels of psychology training. The QPSI may have particular applications as higher education providers seek to respond to an upcoming "once in a generation" review of psychology training pathways in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00050067
DOI:10.1080/00050067.2026.2683185