Psych Testing and Assessment-Chapter 1 and 2

Question 1

What is a test

Answer 1

A measurement device or technique used to quantify, aid in the understanding, and predict behaviour

Question 2

What is an Item

Answer 2

• A specific stimulus (test/question/task) to which a person overtly responds
• Scored/evaluated (in terms of frequency or intensity)

Question 3

• Measure of:
• ->Reliability
• ->Performance (skills, ability, knowledge)
• Predict Behavior
• Is objective/standardized
• Can be competitive

Answer 3

Test

Question 4

Is there failing or passing a psychological test?

Answer 4

No, sometimes “acing” a test can suggest that someone has multiple symptoms (which may not be a good thing)

Question 5

Testing vs. Assessment; A test is used to:

Answer 5

• Gauge an ability or attribute(usually numerical)

- Quantify data

Question 6

Testing vs. Assessment; An Assessment is used to:

Answer 6

• Answer a referral question
• solve a problem
• Arrive at a decision (using tools/evaluation, interviews, case studies, behavioral observation)

Question 7

• Is typically individualized

- Focuses on individual process (as opposed to results)

Answer 7

Assessment

Question 8

• May be used individually or in groups

- Correct answers or responses are typically added up after administration to find results

Answer 8

Testing

Question 9

-Tester is not key in process (anyone can admin)

Answer 9

Testing

Question 10

• Assessor is key to drawing conclusions from the evaluation
• Assessor requires education, skill in evaluation, thoughtful organization/integration of data
• Assessor may require tools

Answer 10

Assessment

Question 11

Measures skills in terms of speed, accuracy, or both.

Answer 11

Ability tests (ie. achievement, aptitude, intelligence)

Question 12

Measures typical behavior, traits, temperaments, and dispositions

Answer 12

Personality Tests

-can be structured (objective) or projective

Question 13

Three Principles of Psychological Testing

Answer 13

1) Reliability
2) Validity
3) Test Administration

Question 14

Two Issues of Psychological Testing

Answer 14

1) Bias

2) Ethical Considerations

Question 15

Test Battery

Answer 15

Use of two or more tests to determine results.

Question 16

Is there a such thing as a “culture-free test”

Answer 16

NO, every test designed is based on a specific culture and this will affect how people respond

Question 17

Intelligence Tests Measure

Answer 17

• what you already know
• ability or potential
• depict where an individual naturally excels

Question 18

Personality Tests Measure

Answer 18

-Presumably stable characteristics or traits that underlie behavior

Question 19

what is the MMPI

Answer 19

• personality test
• currently most widely used today
• uses factor analysis

Question 20

What type of test (domain of psychology) will be used determine how long an athlete will need to recover (after injury)

Answer 20

Neuropsychology

Question 21

What type is not very long since there is not much time to administer (no more than five minutes)

• BRIEF Test
• Cope Test

Answer 21

Health Psychology

Question 22

What domain of psychology administers a test used to determine:

• if someone is fit for trial
• tests for disorders such as antisocial personality

Answer 22

Forensic Psychology

Question 23

Domain of psychology that administers tests to determine if a child is developing at a normal rate.
For example:
-physical, mental development
-Reading/achievement

Answer 23

Child Psychology

Question 24

Statistics used to describe the sample (ie. measures of central tendency-mean; mode; median)

Answer 24

Descriptive Statistics

Question 25

Statistics used to determine relationships between variables such as: -T-tests, ANOVA, Correlation Coefficient

Answer 25

Inferential Statistics

Question 26

Four Scales of Measurement

Answer 26

1) Nominal 2) Ordinal 3) Interval 4) Ratio

Question 27

Scale or measurement using numbers or categories

Answer 27

Nominal Scale

Question 28

Scale or measurement that has some sort of rank or order

Answer 28

Ordinal Scale

Question 29

Scale or measurement with an interval between two numbers or variables.

Answer 29

Interval Scale

Question 30

Scale of measurement where the numbers have some sort of meaning

Answer 30

Ratio

Question 31

Kurtosis

Answer 31

- Measure of variability. - can be determined by looking at descriptive statistics kurtosis - negative = platykurtic - positive= leptokurtic

Question 32

Masokurtic Kurtosis

Answer 32

Normal Distribution

Question 33

Leptokurtic Kurtosis

Answer 33

Tall and pointy distribution

Question 34

Platykurtic Kurtosis

Answer 34

Flat and wide distribution (platopus)

Question 35

Z score

Answer 35

Allows one to compare results to a normal (standardized) distribution

Question 36

Nominal Scale

Answer 36

- not really scales at all, does not have the property of magnitude , equal intervals or an absolute zero. - nominal scales are used when the information is qualitative rather than quantative.

Question 37

Ordinal Scale

Answer 37

Scale with the property of magnitude but not equal intervals or an absolute zero. Scale allows you to rank individuals or objects but not to say anything about the meaning of the differences between the ranks.

Question 38

Interval Scale

Answer 38

A scale that one can use to rank order objects and on which the units reflect equivalent magnitudes of the property being measured

Question 39

Ratio Scale

Answer 39

An interval scale with an absolute zero, or point at which there is none of the property being measured.

Question 40

construct validity evidence

Answer 40

- process used to establish the meaning of a test through a series of studies. - To evaluate evidence for construct validity, a researcher simultaneously defines some construct and develops the instrumentation to measure it - ->In the studies observed correlations between the test and other measures provide evidence for the meaning of the test.