CH4 Flashcards
what are some of the assumptions about psychological testing and assessment?
- psychological traits and states exist
- psychological traits and states can be quantified and measured
- test-related behavior predicts non-test-related behavior
- all tests have limits and imperfections
- various sources of error are part of the assessment process
- unfair and biased assessment procedures can be identified and reformed
- testing assessment offer powerful benefits to society
what is the definition of a trait?
any distinguishable, relatively enduring way in
which one individual varies from another
this term refers to an informed, scientific concept developed or constructed to describe or explain behavior
construct
what is overt behavior?
overt behavior refers to an observable action or the product of an observable action, including test- or assessment-related responses
what is cumulative scoring?
In cumulative scoring, a trait is measured by a series of test items.
Each response to a test item is converted to a number according to a test “key” (e.g., correct =
1 and incorrect = 0).
The magnitude of the trait is assumed to correspond in some way to the
sum of the keyed responses
this term refers to the component of a test score attributable to sources other than the trait or ability measured.
error variance
what is the most controversial assumption of psychological testing and assumption?
unfair and biased assessment procedures can be identified and reformed
what are the two key aspects of the psychometric soundness of tests?
reliability and validity
how should we think of reliability?
think of three scales trying to weigh a pound of gold. A, B, and C. on scale A, it is 1 pound good! on scale B, it is 1.3 pounds kinda okay but not good, on scale C it is 0.7 pound and 1.6 the next time it is weighed. scale A is the best since it has the same weight every time the gold is put on it.
when is a test considered valid?
a test is considered valid for a particular purpose if it does, in fact, measure what it purports to measure
this term refers to the method of evaluation and a way of deriving meaning from test scores by evaluating an individual testtaker’s score and comparing it to scores of a group of testtakers
In this approach, the meaning of an individual
test score is understood relative to other scores on the same test
norm-referenced testing and assessment
what does the word ‘norms’ mean in the psychometric context?
In a psychometric context, norms are the test performance data of a particular group of test takers that are designed for use as a reference when evaluating or interpreting individual test scores
this term refers to the process of deriving
norms
norming
this term refers to a group of people
whose performance on a particular test is analyzed for reference in evaluating the performance of individual testtakers
normative sample
what is race norming?
race norming is the controversial practice of norming on the basis of race or ethnic background
this term refers to a manual content that consist of descriptive statistics based on a group of testtakers in a given period of time rather than norms obtained by formal sampling methods
user norms or program norms
what are standardized tests?
standardized tests are tests that have clearly specified procedures for administration, scoring, and interpretation in addition to norms
this term refers to the process of administering a test to a representative sample of testtakers for the purpose of establishing norms
standardization or test standardization
JUST THINK:
Truly random sampling is relatively rare.
Why do you think this is so?
because it is difficult for a testtaker to just simply take the test out of uh a random reason?
this term refers to a method of sampling that involves the division of a population into smaller subgroups known as strata
eg: students from ateneo population then nursing sample then engineering sample then business sample then ss sample
stratified sampling
what is purposive sampling?
If we arbitrarily select some sample because we believe it to be representative of the population
JUST THINK:
Why do you think each of these groups of
people were excluded from the standardization sample of a nationally standardized intelligence test?
■ Persons with upper-extremity disability that affects motor performance
■ Persons currently admitted to a hospital or mental or psychiatric facility
■ Persons currently taking medication that might depress test performance
■ Persons previously diagnosed with any physical condition or illness that might depress
test performance (such as stroke, epilepsy, or meningitis)
■ Persons tested on any intelligence measure in the six months prior to the testing
■ Persons not fluent in English or who are primarily nonverbal
■ Persons with uncorrected visual impairment or hearing loss
because they are not representative of people who would NORMALLY take this test?
this term refers to the distribution of raw scores—more specifically, to the number of items that were answered correctly multiplied by 100 and divided by the total number of items
percentage correct
this term refers to an expression of the percentage of people whose score on a test or measure falls below a particular raw score
percentile
this term refers to something that indicates the average performance
of different samples of testtakers who were at various ages at the time the test was administered.
age norms/ age-equivalent scores
what are grade norms and age norms usually referred to as?
developmental norms
these norms are derived from a normative sample that was nationally representative of the population at the time the norming study was conducted
national norms
what is the equipercentile method?
in using the equipercentile method, the equivalency of scores on different tests is calculated with reference to corresponding percentile scores
this term refers to a method of evaluation
and a way of deriving meaning from test scores by evaluating an individual’s score with
reference to a set standard
example: To be licensed as a psychologist, the applicant must achieve a score that meets or
exceeds the score mandated by the state on the licensing test.
criterion-referenced testing and assessment
JUST THINK:
List other examples of a criterion that must be met in order to gain privileges or access of some sort.
to be a dean’s lister that could avail the privileges of having no absences, one should have the minimum of a 3.4 QPI
what is the difference of norm-referenced approach and criterion referenced approach
the area of focus regarding test results, in norm-referenced your results are compared with others while in criterion-referenced the area of focus is how well you performed on the test and how much you’ve mastered regarding the material of the test
what are criterion-referenced tests sometimes referred to as?
mastery tests
JUST THINK:
For licensing of physicians, psychologists, engineers, and other professionals, would you advocate that your state use criterion- or
norm-referenced assessment? Why?
criterion oy yawa there isnt that much to be said if my results were to be compared to other people. what if they didnt study
this term refers to a theory maintains that every measurement is an additive composite of two components: true ability (or the true level) of the respondent on that measure; and random error
true score theory
what are the types of error?
- test-taker factors
- environmental factors
- scoring errors
what is reliability?
the consistency of the measuring tool
what is validity?
the tool measures what it purports to measure
