6 Principles of Psychological Testing Flashcards
– Ensuring that testing conditions are consistent across all test-takers.
Principle 1: Standardization
– The test should consistently produce the same results under similar conditions.
Principle 2: Reliability
– The test should accurately measure what it intends to measure.
Principle 3: Validity
– Tests should have normative data to interpret individual scores in context.
Principle 4: Norms
– Tests should be free from bias and equitable to all individuals.
Principle 5: Fairness
Psychological tests help diagnose mental disorders.
Assessing Mental Health
: IQ tests and neuropsychological assessments aid in evaluating intellectual capacity
Understanding Cognitive Functioning
: Tests predict future behavior in areas like job performance or educational success.
Predicting Behavior
: Psychological tests are key tools in scientific research to examine theories and hypotheses.
Supporting Research
: Participants should be aware of the test’s purpose and agree to be tested.
Informed Consent
: Avoidance of cultural, gender, or socioeconomic biases.
Non-Discrimination
: Tests should only be administered and interpreted by qualified professionals.
Competence of Test Administrators
: Test results should be used responsibly and not for harmful or unethical purposes.
Use of Results
Ensuring uniform administration, scoring, and interpretation across test-takers. Allows for meaningful comparisons across individuals and groups.
Principles of Standardization
The degree to which a test produces stable and consistent results.
Principles of Reliability
: Stability of scores over time
Test-Retest Reliability
: Agreement between different test administrators.
Inter-Rater Reliability
: Consistency of test items with each other.
Internal Consistency
The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.
Principles of Validity
Psychological theories evolve, requiring tests to be revised to remain relevant.
Evolving Theories
refer to the standardized values or benchmarks derived from a representative sample, which allow for the comparison of individual test scores.
Norms
: If psychological tests are perceived as unreliable or biased, the public may lose trust in psychological assessments as a valid tool for understanding human behavior.
Erosion of Trust in Psychological Science
Preventing the unauthorized distribution or reproduction of test materials is crucial for maintaining the integrity of psychological assessments.
Test Security
: Ensuring that tests are administered in a consistent manner across different settings to maintain validity and reliability.
Standardization
Control refers to the regulation of who can administer, interpret, and have access to psychological tests and test data.
Psychological Test Control
: A highly standardized test may not always have the highest utility in every context.
Tension Between Standardization and Flexibility
This refers to the practical value of a test in terms of its effectiveness, cost, ease of use, and relevance to specific goals.
Utility
Adjusts the difficulty level of items based on real-time responses to ensure that the test remains appropriately challenging for each individual.
Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)
Test-takers report on their own experiences, feelings, or behaviors using structured formats.
Self-Report Questionnaires
Involves objective scoring based on an individual’s performance in standardized tasks.
Performance-Based Testing
: Ensure that items do not favor certain cultural groups over others by using culturally neutral language and references.
Avoiding Bias
: Ensure that all items are fair to all test-takers, regardless of their background or experience.
Fairness
