Module 1: Intro to Psychological Assessment Flashcards
What is the importance of psychological testing?
Constructs are vague, difficult to estimate. Testing provides object measurements based on evidence.
What is the importance of psychological assessment?
Sets psychologists apart from others.
With accurate measurements, can know if interventions are helpful/harmful.
What are the foundations of psychological testing?
Early testing in China (2200 BCE) and Darwin’s research on individual differences.
What are the pioneers and key developments of psychological testing/assessment?
Wundt’s first psychological lab, Galton’s measures for intellect and personality, Ebbinghaus’s memory studies, and Cattell’s ‘mental test.’
What are the significant tests and publications?
Terman’s Stanford-Binet scales, Yerkes’s Army Alpha and Beta tests, Rorschach’s inkblot test, and Strong’s vocational interest test.
What were the alpha and beta tests?
Intelligence tests used during WW1 to assess cognitive abilities.
Army alpha: for literate people.
Army beta: for foreign language speakers and illiterate people.
What is the objective for testing?
To obtain a measurement of a particular ability, behaviour or attribute.
What is the definition of testing?
The process of measuring psychology-related variables by means of devices/ procedures designed to obtain sample of behaviour.
What is the definition of behaviour in relation to testing?
The ability to answer ability test items correctly or the self-report of personality traits or a list of symptoms.
What is the objective of assessment?
To answer referral question/ solve problem/make decisions with tools of evaluation.
What is the definition of assessment?
Gathering/integration of psychology-related data for purpose of making psychological evaluation through tools.
What is the difference between testing and assessment?
Assessment is higher-level task, to answer specific questions/make evaluations, may use additional lines of evidence.
What is a psychological test?
A device/procedure designed to measure variables related to psychology.
How do psychological test vary by?
Content (what is being measured).
Format (paper and pencil, verbal response, online).
Scoring.
Technical quality (psychometric soundness).
What are the different forms of harm?
Individual harm (symptom worsening, new symptoms, dependency on therapists, physical harm etc.)
Family/friend harm.