Module 1 Lesson 2: Uses and Users of Tests

Question 1

What are the major contexts for use of tests?

Answer 1

1. Clinical
2. Educational
3. Personnel
4. Research

Question 2

What fields does the clinical category include (major contexts for use of tests)?

Answer 2

The first category includes the fields of clinical psychology, counseling, school psychology, and neuropsychology. We label all these applications as clinical use.

Question 3

What does testing in the clinical context help do?

Answer 3

In these professional applications, the psychologist is trying to help an individual who has (or may have) some type of problem. The problem may be severe (e.g., schizophrenia) or mild (e.g., choosing a college major). Testing helps to identify the nature and severity of the problem and, perhaps, provides some suggestions about how to deal with the problem. Testing may also help to measure progress in dealing with the problem.

Question 4

What is the extent of clinical test usage?

Answer 4

A host of surveys have documented the extent of clinical test usage. An overview of the surveys shows that tests play a prominent role in the professional practice of psychology. We should add that for all these fields advanced training in the administration and interpretation of tests is required. Doctoral‐level work in fields such as clinical, counseling, and school psychology typically entails several full courses in testing beyond the introductory work covered in this book.

Question 5

What are tests used in educational settings?

Answer 5

A second major use of tests is in educational settings, apart from the clinical use that occupies the school psychologist or counselor. We refer here primarily to use of group‐administered tests of ability and achievement.

Question 6

Who are the actual users of tests in educational settings?

Answer 6

The actual users of the test information include teachers, educational administrators, parents, and the general public, especially as represented by such officials as legislators and school boards.

Question 7

What are the two major subdivisions of tests in educational settings?

Answer 7

Use of standardized testing in educational settings resolves into two major subdivisions:

1. First, there are achievement tests used for determining levels of student learning. Limiting our counts to standardized achievement tests (i.e., excluding the vast array of teacher‐made tests), tens of millions of these tests are administered annually. Achievement tests are also used to document competence for certification or licensing in a wide variety of professions.
2. The second primary use of tests in educational settings is to predict success in academic work.

Question 8

What are examples of tests that predict success in academic work?

Answer 8

Prime examples in this category are tests for college and professional school admissions. For example, close to 2 million students take the SAT each year, while nearly 1 million students take the ACT. Approximately 300,000 GRE: General tests are administered annually, as are about 100,000 Law School Admission Tests (LSAT).

Question 9

What is the third major category of test usage?

Answer 9

The third major category of test usage involves personnel or employment testing.

Question 10

Who are the primary users for personnel or employment category tests?

Answer 10

Primary users in this category are businesses and the military.

Question 11

What are the tasks of tests under the personnel or employment category?

Answer 11

1. The first task is to select individuals most qualified to fill a position. “Most qualified” usually means “most likely to be successful.”
2. The second task in the employment area has a different opening scenario. In the second case, we have a group of individuals who will be employed, and we need to assign them to different tasks to optimize the organization’s overall efficiency.

Question 12

How are candidates decided to be the “most likely to be successful” ones?

Answer 12

For example, we may want to select from a pool of applicants the individuals who are most likely to be successful salespersons, managers, secretaries, or telemarketers. Tests may be useful in this selection process. The tests may include measures of general cognitive ability, specific job‐related skills, and personality characteristics. Of course, nontest information will also be used.

Question 13

What are typical nontest sources of informatiom in the personnel and employment category?

Answer 13

Letters of recommendation and records of previous employment are typical nontest sources of information.

Question 14

Where are research category tests used?

Answer 14

Tests are used in every conceivable area of research in psychology, education, and other social/behavioral sciences.

Question 15

What are the three subcategories of research usage?

Answer 15

For convenience, we can identify three subcategories of research usage.

1. First, tests often serve as the dependent variable in a research study. More specifically, the test serves as the operational definition of the dependent variable.
2. The second major category of research usage is for purposes of describing samples. Important characteristics of the samples used in a research study should be delineated.
3. The third major category of research usage involves research on the tests themselves.

Question 16

What are examples of tests being used to serve as the operational definition of the dependent variable?

Answer 16

For example, in a study of the effects of caffeine on short‐term memory, the Wechsler Memory Scale may be the operational definition of “memory.” In a study of gender differences in self‐concept, the Piers‐Harris Children’s Self‐Concept Scale may provide the definition of self‐concept. In a longitudinal study of the effects of an improved nutrition program on school performance, the Stanford Achievement Test may serve as the measure of performance.

Question 17

What are examples of tests that are used to describe the sample?

Answer 17

The Method section of a research article often provides information about age and gender of participants. Some characteristics are described by test information—for example, means and standard deviations on an intelligence, achievement, or personality test. In a study of college students, it may be helpful to know the average SAT or ACT scores for the students. In a study of elderly patients in a state hospital, it may be helpful to know the patients’ scores on the MMPI. Note that in these instances the test scores are not used as dependent variables but only to describe the research samples.

Question 18

What is in itself a major research enterprise?

Answer 18

The development of new tests is itself a major research enterprise. Because tests play a prominent role in the social/behavioral sciences, continuous research on the tests is an important professional contribution.