Chapter 17 - Factors affecting test assessment results

Question 1

A test score is only an…

Answer 1

inferred and indirect measure of an attribute or ability

only one piece of info about a person

Question 2

….. is a vital piece of information that helps us understand/interpret the test score

Answer 2

The context in which a person lives

Question 3

What are the 3 interdependent contexts in which we ought to view assessment results

Answer 3

• Biological
• Intrapsychic
• Social

Question 4

With the biological context that we view assessment results, there are two sub-areas. Name and briefly outline these areas

Answer 4

Age-related changes
- chronological age affects
performance (ESPECIALLY in young
children)
- measures developed for certain age
groups
- norms for different age groups

Physical impairment
- hearing, speech, physical
impairments, illness, head trauma,
transient conditions, medication etc
ALL affect test performance

Question 5

With the intrapsychic context that we view assessment results, there are two sub-areas. Name and briefly outline these areas

Answer 5

TRANSIENT CONDITIONS
- feeling stressed/anxious (can they
manage their stress?)
- being upset, bereaved, worries
- experiencing PTS

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
- psych-path has big impact on assessment performance ( eg depression = worse memory, slower motor skills, cognitive sloth)

Question 6

With the social context that we view assessment results, there are five sub-areas. Name these areas

Answer 6

• Schooling
• Language
• Culture
• Environmental factors
• Test-wiseness

Question 7

One of the sub-areas of the SOCIAL context within which we view assessment results is SCHOOLING, briefly outline how schooling might affect our view of assessment results

Answer 7

• strong relationship between
  intelligence measures and academic
  achievement
• school influences cognition,
  reasoning, problem-solving and work
  ethic (quality of schooling also needs
  to be taken into account - not all Gr
  10s are the same
• given different schooling levels,
  ability might be UNDERestimated on
  cognitive test -> need to look at
  POTENTIAL ability as well (was
  schooling in home language etc)

Question 8

One of the sub-areas of the SOCIAL context within which we view assessment results is LANGUAGE, briefly outline how language might affect our view of assessment results

Answer 8

• Language is a big moderator of test
  performance (especially if test done
  in 2nd language)
• combinations of language and
  dialects make things worse - mixed
  languages at home slows language
  learning, kombuis vs suiwer
  afrikaans?

Question 9

One of the sub-areas of the SOCIAL context within which we view assessment results is CULTURE, briefly outline how culture might affect our view of assessment results

Answer 9

• Culture has a pervasive influence on
  the way we learn, think,
  and behave
• No “culture-free measures” -> be
  sensitive to culture fairness in
  assessment
• Variations in acculturation plays role

Question 10

One of the sub-areas of the SOCIAL context within which we view assessment results is ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, give a brief outline of this and the 2 types of environmental factors that exist

Answer 10

EFs determine the experiences and opportunities one is exposed to - this affects the level of ability and the extent to which that ability is used

1. Distal factors
   - factors in the wider environment
   - such as SES and stimulating social
   environments
2. Proximal factors
   - factors in the immediate
   environment
   - such as socialization in the home

Question 11

What are the three major contributors to the ENVIRONMENTAL aspect of an individuals SOCIAL context

Answer 11

1. Home environment (PROXIMAL)
   - parenting, discipline, exercise, diet, overcrowding etc)
2. SES (PROXIMAL)
   - impacts access to facilities and
   opportunities, even the TYPES of
   conversations one is exposed to
3. Urbanization (PROXIMAL/DISTAL)
   - linked to higher parental education and enriched developmental environment

Question 12

One of the sub-areas of the SOCIAL context within which we view assessment results is test-wiseness, briefly outline how test-wiseness might affect our view of assessment results

Answer 12

Many illiterate adults have no “test-wiseness”, i.e understanding that you need to work fast and as accurately as possible, that items get progressively harder etc.

Do not have the skills/understanding for successful test performance, and do not understand the motivation for doing the assessment.

This will undoubtedly affect their test performance, and their score should be interpreted in this light