Purposes of Psychological testing Flashcards
What is typical performance vs. maximum performance?
- typical performance = what you generally would do
- usually tested through ratings scales e.g. “How well (compared to others) would you do on certain tasks?”
- maximum performance = the BEST you can do (usually measured using ability scales
- self-reports and measured intelligence have low correlations
What is the distinction between typical and maximum performance?
- obvious role for motivation in maximum performance
- participants are aware of performance appraisal, willing to perform at his/her best, explicit standards
- implications for SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE
- ability tests and faking: it’s hard to pretend to be better than one is
What are some issues with ratings scales?
- people differ in the way they use response scales
- this can be a culture-level variable (it may be more culturally appropriate to be more ‘humble’)
- i.e. going to have systematic differences in answers based on the culture
- cannot compared raw scores across cultures/different groups
What is a solution to the culture- level variable of ratings scales?
- by using anchoring vignettes (describe hypothetical people/scenarios and get ratings of them. The average rating is taken off the person’s own self-rating).
What are some purposes of psychological testing?
- CLASSIFICATION: (selection-education, employment, screening - select out, certification- to determine whether ppl can get their certification for particular jobs, placement e.g. army)
- COACHING/TRAINING (insight- self-knowledge, career counselling, coaching)
- DIAGNOSIS (clinical, educational, neuropsychological deficits)
- RESEARCH
- PROGRAM EVALUATION (e.g. bullying intervention to test whether it works)
- LEGAL APPLICATIONS: (diminished responsibility; special dispensations, compensations)
What are some of the tests that are used?
- INTELLIGENCE TESTS: Individually administered (Stanford Binet IV, Wechsler Scales, Woodcock johnson); Group administered tests (SHL tests-verbal, numerical, abstract; RVP); Neuropsychological assessments
- APTITUDE TESTS (Wechsler scales, Woodcock Johnson, SATs)
- PERSONALITY TESTS (Broad omnibus tests e.g. NEO-PI-R, HEXACO, EPQ); Specific tests (e.g. SHL “Wave”, OPQ, DASS, HADS); Related tests (Attitudes, intentions, well-being, state emotion, integrity tests)
- INTEREST TESTS: (strong interest inventory, Career assessment inventory, Jackson vocational interest survery)
- PAIN SCALES
- QUALITY OF LIFE
- ALCOHOLISM
What are some examples of individually administered batteries in intelligence testing?
- Wechsler (WPPSI, WISC-IV, WAIS-IV):
- Stanford Binet V (primary group used with children e.g. for giftedness,
- Woodcock - Johnson
- Kaufman scales
Primary purpose = diagnosis
There is a very big importance of RAPPORT
What is a brief history of intelligence (The Stanford-Binet)?
- mental age: if you can pass a test most 7 year olds can pass, mental age is 7
- intelligence quotient= mental age/chronological age - now IQ = 100 is average, SD~15
Obvious importance of who the norm sample is
What are some factors assessed in the S-B?
- Fluid-reasoning
- knowledge
- Quantitative reasoning
- Visuo-spatial processing
- working memory
(SPLIT INTO VERBAL/NON-VERBAL)
What are some examples of group administered intelligence/aptitude tests?
- ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
- GAMSAT
- Various intelligence tests commonly used for job selection (RPM, SHL Assessments)
What is the primary group used for the individually administered batteries? And what is the primary purpose? And what is a very important factor to consider for these individually administered tests?
- Children
- diagnosis
- Rapport
What are the facets of Holland’s vocational interest model?
- Realistic (hands-on, practical, tool-orientated)
- Investigative (intellectual, scientific, analytical)
- Artistic (creative, original, independent, chaotic)
- Social (nurting/healing, cooperative, supportive, helping)
- Enterprising (competitive, leadership, persuading)
- Conventional (clerical, organized, detail-orientated)
What is important about the selection process for jobs?
Matching the selection criteria with the job requirements
- JOB ANALYSIS
- WRITE JOB DESCRIPTION
- TEST CANDIDATE POOL
- SELECT CANDIDATE
What are some uses and examples of applications for neuropsychology?
- checklists for frontal lobe dysfunction
- e.g. Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery
- MMSE
What are some different applications of health psychology?
- assessing pain: Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire
- Assessing problem drinking e.g. TWEAK scale (Tolerance, worried, Eye-opener, Amnesia, K-cut down drinking)
- Assessing depression: HADS/Beck Depression Scale
