Chapter 1

Question 1

Psychological Testing Definition:

Answer 1

An objective procedure for sampling and quantifying human behaviour to make inferences about a particular construct using standardised stimuli and methods of administration and scoring
- Needs appropriate psychometric evidence  - Often used to make inferences about a person in a significant social context

Question 2

Core skills for professional psychologists include:

Answer 2

Selecting,administering,andinterpreting psychological tests

Question 3

What are psychological tests?

Answer 3

• A ‘test’ is a measuring device or procedure
• Tests are tools to collect data about people
• Device or procedure designed to measure variables related to psychology

Question 4

Psychological tests vary in terms of (9):

Answer 4

– Content (e.g., subject matter, items)
– Format (e.g., structure, layout, presentation mode) – Administration (e.g., group, individual, self)
– Scoring (e.g., summation, equation, domains)
– Interpretation (e.g., trained, untrained)
– Psychometric soundness (e.g., reliability, validity)
– Human judgement – (e.g., projective tests)
– Speed vs Power
– Achievement vs aptitude

Question 5

Psychological tests are used to:

Answer 5

 Assist in making decisions
– In contrast to personal judgment & “clinical intuition”
- E.g., Interviews for employ meant o mental illness
• Influence of stereotyping, personal bias (e.g., gender, age, status, clothing, hair), halo effect, can be minimised
- Provide more accurate information about human behaviour (than is available without them)
- Errors in decision making can be costly

Question 6

Objective tests:

Answer 6

• Method of scoring sufficiently straightforward for 2 or more scorers of the same test performance to agree closely on the final score

Question 7

Projective techniques:

Answer 7

– Freud – unconscious motivation
– Rorschach – inkblots
– Murray - Thematic Apperception Test
- Requires extensive training and expertise

Question 8

Brief history of psychological testing:

Answer 8

• Chinese–civil service testing > 4,000 years ago
• English East India Co. 1832 – copied Chinese system
- British civil service 1855
- US civil service 1883
• Alfred Binet – first “psychological test” – Intelligence
• Major impetus from WWI & WWII

Question 9

More on history:

Answer 9

• Australia’s “Immigration Restriction Act”
• Earl days – Binet, Terman, Spearman, Porteus
• WWI & WWII – major increase in selection testing processes
• 1940s- 1950s – “heyday” of psych testing – Henry Murray, Hans Eysenck, Raymond Cattell – Motivation, personality, cognitive abilities
1960s+
• Influence of computers,
– Scoring, administration, adaptive testing, interpretation, internet
• Controversies and legal battles
– Cost containment, personal injury, compensation

Question 10

Challenges to psych testing (5):

Answer 10

• Evidence base for psych tests
   – esp. psychodynamic
• Invasion of privacy
   – Self-report personality tests
• Homogenising of the work force
   – Limited range of acceptable traits and abilities
• Discriminatory
   – Blacks and Hispanics scoring worse than whites
• Legislation

Question 11

Advantages of psych testing (5):

Answer 11

• a sample of behaviour
• objective procedure
• quantitative scores
• objective reference point
• psychometric evidence

Question 12

Advantage 1

A sample/sign of behaviour

Answer 12

• As a sample of complete behaviour
– A trial, e.g., shearing two sheep, driving test – “criterion referencing” – pass/fail
– Inherent validity
• As a sign of an underlying disposition
– Eg. Comprehension test for general mental ability or
hand-wringing for anxiety
– The test can be substituted with others
– “norm referencing”
– Validity has to be determined

Question 13

Advantage 2

Objective procedure

Answer 13

• Same standardised materials, administration instructions, scoring procedures
– Each test taker must be treated in exactly the same way
– Follow the test manual
• Main advantage over personal judgment

Question 14

Advantage 3

Quantitative scores

Answer 14

• Similar to other scientific measurement instruments

* Behaviour described more precisely and communicated more clearly

Question 15

Advantage 4

Objective reference point

Answer 15

• For evaluating the behaviour the test measures
• “Criterion referenced” - shear 2 sheep in 5 minutes, must pass driving test
• “Norm referenced”– performance of a representative group of people provide the comparison
• Personal view point irrelevant

Question 16

Advantage 5

Psychometric evidence

Answer 16

• A Psychological test must meet certain criteria to qualify as a reputable test
– Accuracy (validity), reproducibility (reliability)
• “quality control”
• Allows confidence in the test’s use

Question 17

Limitations of psych tests (3):

Answer 17

• only tools
• operationalism
• tests becoming obsolete or inappropriate

Question 18

Limitations 1

Only tools

Answer 18

• Test users make decisions
– training may be required
– Psych test results should be used as a source of data to assist an informed decision
- Beware being too dependent on test results and accept them passively

Question 19

Limitations 2

Operationalisation

Answer 19

• Psychology employs hypothetical constructs not directly expressed in behaviour
• Often a gap between what is intended to be measured and what is actually measured by a test
- may result in unwarranted faith in psych tests and uncritical acceptance of results

Question 20

Limitations 3

Psych tests become obsolete or inappropriate

Answer 20

• Passage of time
   – Society changes, language changes
• Psych tests are continually refined and developed 
• Culture, language, age appropriateness
   – Norms may be inappropriate

Question 21

Who is involved?

The “Psychological testing enterprise”

Answer 21

• Test developers
• Test users
• Test takers
• Society at large
• Other parties

Question 22

Test Developers

Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics: Psychological Assessment Procedures

Answer 22

• Approx. 20,000 new psychological tests developed each year – Tests for specific research projects
– Refinements or modifications of existing tests
– New tests?
• Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics: Psychological Assessment Procedures
– “Members responsible for the development and standardisation of psychological tests and other assessment techniques must use established scientific procedures and observe relevant psychometric standards. They must specify the purposes and uses of the assessment techniques and clearly indicate the limits of their applicability.”
• “Standardisation”

Question 23

Test users

Answer 23

• Wide variety of people
– Psychologists, clinicians, counsellors, researchers, human resources, teachers, social workers, D&A workers, youth workers
• Responsible for everything related to the testing procedure
– Appropriate test, administered correctly
– Suitable setting, adequate equipment
– Rapport essential
– Scoring, interpretation, reporting
• Ethical responsibilities
– Standards, training for some tests

Question 24

Test Takers

Answer 24

• Everyone will approach an assessment procedure differently
– Test anxiety
– Expectations based on previous experiences
– Importance placed on outcome
– Willingness to participate and agreeableness
– Emotional distress and/or physical discomfort or pain
– Alertness, concentration abilities
– Special needs or disabilities
– Faking tests: Malingering or social desirability
• Many variables can have an impact on the results of a test

Question 25

Interested parties

Answer 25

• Organisations and companies
– Personnel selection & performance
• Government departments and agencies
– Centrelink(e.g.,assessment of disability)
– DEST(e.g.,Basic Skills testing)
– AIHW (e.g., Drug & Alcohol Surveys)
– NAPLAN
• Test Publishers
• Companies specialising in testing and assessment
• Academics!