Chapter 1

Question 1

What is a test?

Answer 1

A test is a measurement device or technique used to quantify behavior or aid in the understanding and prediction of behavior.

Question 2

Are test scores perfect measures of a behavior or characteristic?

Answer 2

Test scores are not perfect measures of a behavior or characteristic. A test measures only a sample of behavior, and error is always associated with a sampling process.

Question 3

Item

Answer 3

An item is a specific stimulus to which a person responds overtly; this response can be scored or evaluated (for example, classified, graded on a scale, or counted)

Question 4

Item (in simple terms)

Answer 4

In simple terms, items are the specific questions or problems that make up a test. The problems presented at the beginning of this chapter are examples of test items. The overt response would be to fill in or blacken one of the spaces.

Question 5

What is the importance of items is psychological and educational tests?

Answer 5

Because psychological and educational tests are made up of items, the data they produce are explicit and hence subject to scientific inquiry.

Question 6

What is a psychological or educational test?

Answer 6

A psychological test or educational test is a set of items that are designed to measure characteristics of human beings that pertain to behavior.

Question 7

Overt behavior

Answer 7

Overt behavior is an individual ’ s observable activity.

Question 8

Covert behavior

Answer 8

Covert behavior takes place within an individual and cannot be directly observed. For example, your feelings and thoughts are types of covert behavior.

Question 9

How do psychologist deal with the meaning of the scores?

Answer 9

To deal with such problems of interpretation, psychologists make use of scales, which relate raw scores on test items to some defined theoretical or empirical distribution.

Question 10

Traits & scores

Answer 10

Scores on tests may be related to traits, which are enduring characteristics or tendencies to respond in a certain manner. “ Determination, ” sometimes seen as “ stubbornness, ” is an example of a trait; “ shyness ” is another.

Question 11

Scores & state

Answer 11

Test scores may also be related to the state, or the specific condition or status, of an individual. A determined individual after many setbacks may, for instance, be in a weakened state and therefore be less inclined than usual to manifest determination.

Question 12

Ability tests vs Personality tests

Answer 12

Question 13

Type of Tests

Answer 13

There are Individual tests & group tests as well as ability tests & personality tests.

Question 14

Individual Tests

Answer 14

Those that can be given to only one person at a time are known as individual tests.

The examiner or test administrator gives the test to only one person at a time, the same way that psychotherapists see only one person at a time.

Question 15

Group Test

Answer 15

A group test can be administered to more than one person at a time by a single examiner, such as when an instructor gives every-one in the class a test at the same time.

Question 16

Different types of abitlity

Answer 16

Historically, experts have distinguished among achievement, aptitude, and intelligence as different types of ability.

Question 17

Achievement

Answer 17

Achievement refers to previous learning. A test that measures or evaluates how many words you can spell correctly is called a spelling achievement test .

Question 18

Aptitude

Answer 18

Aptitude refers to the potential for learning or acquiring a specific skill. A spelling aptitude test measures how many words you might be able to spell given a certain amount of training, education, and experience.

Question 19

Intelligence

Answer 19

Traditionally distinguished from achievement and aptitude, intelligence refers to a person ’s general potential to solve problems, adapt to changing circumstances, think abstractly, and profit from experience.

Question 20

What is the the distinctions among achievement, aptitude, and intelligence?

Answer 20

The the distinctions among achievement, aptitude, and intelligence are not always so cut-and-dried because all three are highly interrelated.

Question 21

In view of the considerable overlap of achievement, aptitude, and intelligence tests, all three concepts are encompassed by which term?

Answer 21

human ability

Question 22

Ability Tests vs Personality Tests

Answer 22

There is a clear-cut distinction between ability tests and personality tests. Whereas ability tests are related to capacity or potential, personality tests are related to the overt and covert dispositions of the individual.

Question 23

Types of personality tests

Answer 23

structured personality tests & projective personality test.

Question 24

Structured personality tests

Answer 24

provide a statement, usually of the “ self-report ” variety, and require the subject to choose between two or more alternative responses such as “ True ” or “ False. ”

Question 25

Projective personality tests

Answer 25

In contrast to structured personality tests, they are are unstructured. In a projective personality test , either the stimulus (test materials) or the required response — or both — are ambiguous.

Example: Rorschach test

Question 26

What is psychological testing?

Answer 26

Refers to all the possible uses, applications, and underlying concepts of psychological and educational tests.

Question 27

What is the main use of psychological testing

Answer 27

The main use of these tests, though, is to evaluate individual differences or variations among individuals. Thus, the most important purpose of testing is to differentiate among those taking the tests.

Question 28

What are the three divisions of this book (Psychological Testing)

Answer 28

Principles , Applications , and Issues . Together, these parts cover psychological testing from the most basic ideas to the most complex.

Question 29

What do we mean by principles of psychological testing?

Answer 29

We mean the basic concepts and fundamental ideas that underlie all psychological and educational tests.

Question 30

Reliability

Answer 30

Refers to the accuracy, dependability, consistency, or repeatability of test results. In more technical terms, reliability refers to the degree to which test scores are free of measurement errors.

Question 31

Validity

Answer 31

Refers to the meaning andusefulness of test results. More specifically, validity refers to the degree to which a certain inference or interpretation based on a test is appropriate.

Question 32

Test Administration

Answer 32

The act of giving a test

Question 33

Interview

Answer 33

Is a method of gathering information through verbal interaction, such as direct questions.

Question 34

Importance of the Interview

Answer 34

Not only has the interview traditionally served as a major technique of gathering psychological information in general, but also data from interviews provide an important complement to test results.

Question 35

Origins of Testing

Answer 35

The origins of testing are neither recent nor American. Evidence suggests that the Chinese had a relatively sophisticated civil service testing program more than 4000 years ago.

Question 36

Testing and Han Dynasty

Answer 36

By the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.), the use of test batteries (two or more tests used in conjunction) was quite common. These early tests related to such diverse topics as civil law, military affairs, agriculture, revenue, and geography.

Question 37

When the tests became quite well developed in China?

Answer 37

During the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 C.E.) a national multistage testing program involved local and regional testing centers equipped with special testing booths.

Question 38

The Western world most likely learned about testing programs from through the________

Answer 38

Chinese.

Question 39

Who encouraged the English East India Company in 1832 to copy the Chinese system as a method of selecting employees for overseas duty.

Answer 39

Reports by British missionaries and diplomats.

Question 40

Examples of how Westerners copy testing methods from the Chinese system.

Answer 40

1. 1832 English East India Company copy the Chinese system as a method of selecting employees for overseas duty.
2. Because testing programs worked well for the company, the British government adopted a similar system of testing for its civil service in 1855.
3. After the British endorsement of a civil service testing system, the French and German governments followed suit.
4. In 1883, the U.S. government established the American Civil Service Commission, which developed and administered competitive examinations for certain government jobs.

Question 41

The most basic concept underlying psychological and educational testing pertains to what?

Answer 41

individual differences.

Question 42

Tests are specifically designed to measure individual______________ in ability and ________ among people.

Answer 42

differences/ personality