Oregon disciplines psychologist John B. Cochran over testing

November 21, 2011

On November 18, 2011, the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners placed John B. Cochran, Ph.D. on practice supervision for no less than two years, during which he must meet monthly with a Board-approved supervisor who must review and co-sign every psychological evaluation that Cochran produces.

This disciplinary action follows from an evaluation Cochran conducted on an intellectually disabled adult in which he failed to provide a current comprehensive assessment of intelligence; reported that he’d administered one type of test when he’d administered a different one; relied on the results of an obsolete test the client had been given in 1961; reported administering an entire reading skills test when he only administered a portion of the test; assessed the client as having a fifth grade reading level based on having the client read a few words; proceeded to administer another test which required the person to have a sixth grade reading level then interpreted the results as being valid.

Lastly, Cochran failed to discuss the client’s low level of cognitive function in the evaluation report and misstated some of the crucial facts.

Source: Stipulated Order in the Matter of the License to Practice as a Psychologist of John B. Cochran, Ph.D., Agency No. OBPE #2009-011, Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners.