Evaluating Outcomes

Question 1

What is psychometric testing?

Answer 1

A standardized process to measure psychological constructs like intelligence, personality, and emotional well-being, providing consistent and comparable results across individuals.

Question 2

What are the four types of validity in psychometric testing?

Answer 2

1. Face Validity: Does the test appear to measure what it claims?
2. Construct Validity: Does it align with theoretical constructs?
3. Concurrent Validity: Do results match existing similar measures?
4. Predictive Validity: Does it predict future outcomes?

Question 3

What are the three types of reliability in psychometric testing?

Answer 3

1. Test-Retest Reliability: Consistency of results over time.
2. Inter-Rater Reliability: Agreement between different testers.
3. Internal Consistency: Consistency within test components measuring the same concept.

Question 4

What is neuropsychological testing?

Answer 4

It evaluates cognitive domains such as attention, memory, executive function, and visuospatial skills.

Question 5

What is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)?

Answer 5

A brief screening tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It is scored out of 30, with scores <26 indicating cognitive impairment.

Question 6

How can culture influence psychometric testing?

Answer 6

• Phillips (2019): U.S. participants were more affected by visual illusions than Aboriginal cultures, showing cultural differences in perception.
• Mathew et al. (2018): Performance on cube copying varies by education and cultural background.

Question 7

What did Ray et al. (2022) find about bias in neuropsychology research?

Answer 7

There is underrepresentation of Black participants, with only 34% of studies including proportional representation.

Question 8

How does stigma affect neuropsychological testing?

Answer 8

• Abdullah & Brown (2020): Diagnostic labels (e.g., schizophrenia) are highly stigmatized, particularly among Black Americans.
• Stereotype threat can impair test performance, especially in minoritized groups and women.

Question 9

What does the Trail Making Test measure, and what are its limitations?

Answer 9

• Measures cognitive flexibility, visuomotor skills, and executive function.
• Stuss et al. (2001): Found performance issues linked to frontal lobe lesions.
• Tamez et al. (2011): Found no performance differences between frontal and non-frontal stroke patients, raising questions about specificity.

Question 10

What is the purpose of the Clock Drawing Task, and what are its limitations?

Answer 10

• Evaluates visuo-constructive skills.
• Price et al. (2011): Found poor inter-rater reliability, limiting clinical utility.

Question 11

What does the Digit Span test measure?

Answer 11

Auditory memory and working memory, with backward repetition activating the prefrontal cortex.

Question 12

What does the Tapping Task assess?

Answer 12

Sustained attention by requiring tapping upon hearing a specific letter, distinguishing Alzheimer’s from normal cognition.

Question 13

What does the Serial 7 Subtraction test evaluate?

Answer 13

Working memory through sequential subtraction.

Question 14

What is the purpose of the Abstraction Task?

Answer 14

Evaluates conceptual thinking (e.g., “What do an apple and an orange have in common?”), often challenging for individuals with frontal lobe impairments.

Question 15

How has psychometric testing been historically linked to racism and eugenics?

Answer 15

Early IQ tests were used to marginalize and segregate populations, with forced sterilization targeting racialized minorities in the U.S.

Question 16

What is cultural bias in psychometric testing?

Answer 16

Tests developed in WEIRD populations may not be valid for other demographics, as shown by Henrich et al. (2010).

Question 17

How do power dynamics impact the use of diagnostic labels?

Answer 17

Labels can be stigmatizing but may also grant access to services. Media and systemic biases often reinforce stereotypes, affecting employment and social integration.

Question 18

Why must test scores be interpreted cautiously?

Answer 18

Test scores are just one piece of the clinical puzzle, requiring context from social, cultural, and systemic factors.

Question 19

What are the challenges in psychometric testing?

Answer 19

Tests may not capture the complexity of lived experiences and must account for cultural and linguistic differences to avoid misdiagnosis.

Question 20

What are the recommendations for improving psychometric testing?

Answer 20

• Develop culturally competent tests and collect diverse normative data.
• Use qualitative notes alongside quantitative measures to capture a nuanced understanding.