UNIT 1/ Ch.1, Testing/Assessment

Question 1

Psychological assessment

Answer 1

applies scientific rigor to the gentle art of understanding people before helping them. Psychological assessment encompasses a wide variety of methods, including direct observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and case file reviews.
= the gathering and integration of psychology-related data for the purpose of making a psychological evaluation that is accomplished through the use of tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, behavioral observation, and specially designed apparatuses and measurement procedures.

Question 2

creators of intelligence test

Answer 2

Binet and Simon/ French educational administrators wanted an efficient, accurate, and fair method of deciding which children were best served by learning in separate, special classes with slower, more intensive instruction.

Question 3

“Testing” WWI definition

Answer 3

term used to refer to everything from the administration of a test (as in “Testing in progress”) to the interpretation of a test score (“The testing indicated that . . .”). During World War I, the term “testing” aptly described the group screening of thousands of military recruits. We suspect that it was then that the term gained a powerful foothold in the vocabulary of professionals and laypeople. The use of “testing” to denote everything from test administration to test interpretation can be found in postwar textbooks (such as Chapman, 1921; Hull, 1922; Spearman, 1927) as well as in various test-related writings for decades thereafter.

Question 4

WWII and the term “assessment”

Answer 4

However, by World War II a semantic distinction between testing and a more inclusive term, “assessment,” began to emerge; In contrast to testing, assessment acknowledges that tests are only one type of tool used by professional assessors (along with other tools, such as the interview), and that the value of a test, or of any other tool of assessment, is intimately linked to the knowledge, skill, and experience of the assessor.

Question 5

psychological testing

Answer 5

as the process of measuring psychology-related variables by means of devices or procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior.

Question 6

difference between testing and assessment

Answer 6

In contrast to the process of administering, scoring, and interpreting psychological tests (psychological testing), psychological assessment is a problem-solving process that can take many different forms. How psychological assessment proceeds depends on many factors, not the least of which is the reason for assessing. Different tools of evaluation—psychological tests among them—might be marshaled in the process of assessment, depending on the particular objectives, people, and circumstances involved as well as on other variables unique to the particular situation.
ASSESSMENT IS THE BROAD OVERALL PROCESS, TESTING IS A PROCESS WITHIN IT, BUT NOT THE ONLY ONE USED

Question 7

Objectives of testing vs assessment

Answer 7

testing = To obtain some gauge, usually numerical in nature, with regard to an ability or attribute.
assessment = To answer a referral question, solve a problem, or arrive at a decision through the use of tools of evaluation. (often use the test to answer in combination with other things)

Question 8

process of testing vs assessment

Answer 8

testing= Testing may be conducted individually or in groups. After test administration, the tester adds up “the number of correct answers or the number of certain types of responses . . . with little if any regard for the how or mechanics of such content
assessment = Assessment is individualized. In contrast to testing, assessment focuses on how an individual processes rather than simply the results of that processing.

Question 9

skill of evaluator in testing vs assesment

Answer 9

testing = Testing requires technician-like skills in administering and scoring a test as well as in interpreting a test result.
assessment = Assessment requires an educated selection of tools of evaluation, skill in evaluation, and thoughtful organization and integration of data.

Question 10

outcome of testing vs assessment

Answer 10

testing = score
assessment = Assessment entails a logical problem-solving approach that brings to bear many sources of data designed to shed light on a referral question. MANY SOURCES, NOT JUST SCORE

Question 11

“therapeutic psychological assessment”

Answer 11

” refers to assessment that helps individuals understand and solve their problems.
therapeutic psychological assessment aims to be helpful throughout the assessment process. The results are not revealed at the end, but shared immediately so that both the assessor and the assessee can co-develop an interpretation of the results and decide what questions require further assessment. In this way, therapeutic self-discovery and new understandings are encouraged throughout the assessment process.

Question 12

educational assessment

Answer 12

the use of tests and other tools to evaluate abilities and skills relevant to success or failure in a school or pre-school context.

Question 13

retrospective assessment

Answer 13

is defined as the use of evaluative tools to draw conclusions about psychological aspects of a person as they existed at some point in time prior to the assessment

Question 14

. Remote assessment

Answer 14

the use of tools of psychological evaluation to gather data and draw conclusions about a subject who is not in physical proximity to the person or people conducting the evaluation

Question 15

behavioural asssessment using smartphones

Answer 15

remote assessment
Dr. Dror Ben-Zeev: uses sophisticated smartphone software that enables them to repurpose these sensors and capture an abundance of information about the smartphone user’s environment and behavior.
=The smartphone system collects and stores all of the sensor data and transmits it periodically to a secure study server. There, the information is processed and displayed on a digital dashboard. By means of this system, multidimensional data from faraway places can be viewed online to help clinicians and researchers better understand experiences that cause changes in stress level and general mental health
found that = social engagement (as measured by the speech detection software) and daily geospatial activity (as measured by GPS) were significantly related to changes in level of depression

Question 16

ecological momentary assessment

Answer 16

Psychological assessment by means of smartphones also serves as an example of an approach to assessment called ecological momentary assessment (EMA). EMA refers to the “in the moment” evaluation of specific problems and related cognitive and behavioral variables at the exact time and place that they occur. Using various tools of assessment, EMA has been used to help tackle diverse clinical problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (Black et al., 2016), problematic smoking (Ruscio et al., 2016), chronic abdominal pain in children (Schurman & Friesen, 2015), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms

Question 17

what does ther process of assessment begin with?

Answer 17

process of assessment begins with a referral for assessment from a source such as a teacher, parent, school psychologist, counselor, judge, clinician, or corporate human resources specialist. Typically one or more referral questions are put to the assessor about the assessee.

Question 18

What happens after research and selection of an assessment?

Answer 18

Subsequent to the selection of the instruments or procedures to be employed, the formal assessment will begin. After the assessment, the assessor writes a report of the findings that is designed to answer the referral question. More feedback sessions with the assessee and/or interested third parties (such as the assessee’s parents and the referring professional) may also be scheduled.

Question 19

collaborative psychological assessment

Answer 19

the assessor and assessee may work as “partners” from initial contact through final feedback
The assessment provider encourages collaboration by asking questions

Question 20

How is therapeutic psychological assessment different from trad psyc evals?

Answer 20

In traditional psychological evaluations, the assessment is designed to have its intended benefits at the end of the process: The examiner explains the results, summarizes the case conceptualization, and shares a list of recommendations designed to help the examinee.
therapeutic psychological assessment aims to be helpful throughout the assessment process. The results are not revealed at the end, but shared immediately so that both the assessor and the assessee can co-develop an interpretation of the results and decide what questions require further assessment. In this way, therapeutic self-discovery and new understandings are encouraged throughout the assessment process.

Question 21

dynamic assessment

Answer 21

dynamic is used to describe the interactive, changing, or varying nature of the assessment. In general, dynamic assessment refers to an interactive approach to psychological assessment that usually follows a model of (1) evaluation, (2) intervention of some sort, and (3) evaluation. Dynamic assessment is most typically employed in educational settings, although it may be employed in correctional, corporate, neuropsychological, clinical, and most any other setting as well.
dynamic assessment provides a means for evaluating how the assessee processes or benefits from some type of intervention (feedback, hints, instruction, therapy, and so forth) during the course of evaluation. In some educational contexts, dynamic assessment may be viewed as a way of measuring not just learning but “learning potential,” or “learning how to learn” skills

Question 22

psychological test

Answer 22

refers to a device or procedure designed to measure variables related to psychology (such as intelligence, personality, aptitude, interests, attitudes, or values).

Question 23

format

Answer 23

term format pertains to the form, plan, structure, arrangement, and layout of test items as well as to related considerations such as time limits. Format is also used to refer to the form in which a test is administered: computerized, pencil-and-paper, or some other form.
Format is also used to denote the form or structure of other evaluative tools and processes, such as the guidelines for creating a portfolio work sample.

Question 24

administration procedures.

Answer 24

The test administration may involve demonstration of various kinds of tasks demanded of the assessee, as well as trained observation of an assessee’s performance.

Question 25

score and scoring

Answer 25

=score as a code or summary statement, usually but not necessarily numerical in nature, that reflects an evaluation of performance on a test, task, interview, or some other sample of behavior. Scoring is the process of assigning such evaluative codes or statements to performance on tests, tasks, interviews, or other behavior samples.

Question 26

cut score

Answer 26

referred to as a cutoff score or simply a cutoff) is a reference point, usually numerical, derived by judgment and used to divide a set of data into two or more classifications. Some action will be taken or some inference will be made on the basis of these classifications. = cut scores typically take into account, at least to some degree, the values of those who set them. often produces This phenomenon concerns the emotional consequences of “not making the cut” and “just making the cut”

Question 27

psychometrics, psychometric, and psychometrist/psychometrician

Answer 27

science of psychological measurement psychometric (which refers to measurement that is psychological in nature) and the nouns psychometrist and psychometrician (both terms referring to a professional who uses, analyzes, and interprets psychological test data)

Question 28

utility

Answer 28

refers to the usefulness or practical value that a test or other tool of assessment has for a particular purpose

Question 29

interview

Answer 29

= a method of gathering information through direct communication involving reciprocal exchange. interviewer is taking note of both verbal and nonverbal behavior. Nonverbal behavior may include the interviewee’s “body language,” movements, and facial expressions in response to the interviewer, the extent of eye contact, apparent willingness to cooperate, and general reaction to the demands of the interview. The interviewer may also take note of the way the interviewee is dressed. ** interviews are ideally conducted face-to-face.

Question 30

panel interview/ pros and cons

Answer 30

more than one interviewer participates in the assessment. A presumed advantage of this personnel assessment technique is that any idiosyncratic biases of a lone interviewer will be minimized (Dipboye, 1992). A disadvantage of the panel interview relates to its utility; the cost of using multiple interviewers may not be justified

Question 31

motivational interviewing,

Answer 31

therapeutic dialogue that combines person-centered listening skills such as openness and empathy, with the use of cognition-altering techniques designed to positively affect motivation and effect therapeutic change. Motivational interviewing has been employed to address a relatively wide range of problems

Question 32

portfolio.

Answer 32

work products—whether retained on paper, canvas, film, video, audio, or some other medium—constitute what is called a portfolio. As samples of one’s ability and accomplishment, a portfolio may be used as a tool of evaluation

Question 33

Case history data

Answer 33

refers to records, transcripts, and other accounts in written, pictorial, or other form that preserve archival information, official and informal accounts, and other data and items relevant to an assessee.

Question 34

case study (or case history)

Answer 34

report or illustrative account concerning a person or an event that was compiled on the basis of case history data.

Question 35

Groupthink

Answer 35

arises as a result of the varied forces that drive decision-makers to reach a consensus (such as the motivation to reach a compromise in positions).

Question 36

Behavioral observation,

Answer 36

employed by assessment professionals, is defined as monitoring the actions of others or oneself by visual or electronic means while recording quantitative and/or qualitative information regarding those actions. Behavioral observation is often used as a diagnostic aid in various settings such as inpatient facilities, behavioral research laboratories, and classrooms

Question 37

naturalistic observation.

Answer 37

observe behavior of humans in a natural setting

Question 38

when is behavioural observation most feasible?

Answer 38

tends to be used most frequently by researchers in settings such as classrooms, clinics, prisons, and other types of facilities where observers have ready access to assessees. For private practitioners, it is typically not practical or economically feasible to spend hours out of the consulting room observing clients as they go about their daily lives. Still, there are some mental health professionals, such as those in the field of assisted living, who find great value in behavioral observation of patients outside of their institutional environment.

Question 39

Role play / role play test

Answer 39

acting an improvised or partially improvised part in a simulated situation. role-play test is a tool of assessment wherein assessees are directed to act as if they were in a particular situation. Assessees may then be evaluated with regard to their expressed thoughts, behaviors, abilities, and other variables. role play is used quite extensively, especially in situations where it is too time-consuming, too expensive, or simply too inconvenient to assess in a real situation.

Question 40

local processing) vs central processing vs teloprocessing

Answer 40

Computers can serve as test administrators (online or off) and as highly efficient test scorers. Within seconds they can derive not only test scores but patterns of test scores. Scoring may be done on-site (local processing) or conducted at some central location (central processing). If processing occurs at a central location, test-related data may be sent to and returned from this central facility by means of the Internet, phone lines (teleprocessing), mail, or courier.

Question 41

simple scoring report) vs extended scoring report vs interpretative report

Answer 41

a mere listing of a score or scores (a simple scoring report) to the more detailed extended scoring report, which includes statistical analyses of the testtaker’s performance. A step up from scoring reports is the interpretive report, which is distinguished by its inclusion of numerical or narrative interpretive statements in the report.

Question 42

consultative report.

Answer 42

This type of report, usually written in language appropriate for communication between assessment professionals, may provide expert opinion concerning analysis of the data.

Question 43

integrative report

Answer 43

Yet another type of computerized scoring report is designed to integrate data from sources other than the test itself into the interpretive report. Such an integrative report will employ previously collected data (such as medication records or behavioral observation data) into the test report.

Question 44

computer adaptive testing.

Answer 44

. The adaptive in this term is a reference to the computer’s ability to tailor the test to the testtaker’s ability or test-taking pattern/ on a computerized test of academic abilities, the computer might be programmed to switch from testing math skills to English skills after three consecutive failures on math items. Another way a computerized test could be programmed to adapt is by providing the testtaker with score feedback as the test proceeds.

Question 45

CAPA/ Q Interactive

Answer 45

omputer-assisted psychological assessment. In this case, the word assisted typically refers to the assistance computers provide to the test user, not the testtaker. One specific brand of CAPA, for example, is Q-Interactive. Available from Pearson Assessments, this technology allows test users to administer tests by means of two iPads connected by bluetooth (one for the test administrator and one for the testtaker). Test administrators may record testtakers’ verbal responses and may make written notes using a stylus with the iPad. Scoring is immediate.

Question 46

Why is CAPA useful and what does it do?

Answer 46

the advantages over paper-and-pencil tests cited were (1) test administrators have greater access to potential test users because of the global reach of the Internet, (2) scoring and interpretation of test data tend to be quicker than for paper-and-pencil tests, (3) costs associated with Internet testing tend to be lower than costs associated with paper-and-pencil tests, and (4) the Internet facilitates the testing of otherwise isolated populations, as well as people with disabilities for whom getting to a test center might prove a hardship.

Question 47

“test-client integrity.

Answer 47

term refers to the verification of the identity of the testtaker when a test is administered online. It also refers, in more general terms, to the sometimes varying interests of the testtaker versus that of the test administrator. Depending upon the conditions of the administration, testtakers may have unrestricted access to notes, other Internet resources, and other aids in test-taking—despite the guidelines for the test administration. At least with regard to achievement tests, there is some evidence that unproctored Internet testing leads to “score inflation” as compared to more traditionally administered tests

Question 48

penile plethysmograph.

Answer 48

designed to measure male sexual arousal, may be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of sexual predators.

Question 49

The test developer

Answer 49

create tests or other methods of assessment.

Question 50

Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing

Answer 50

covers issues related to test construction and evaluation, test administration and use, and special applications of tests, such as special considerations when testing linguistic minorities. Initially published in 1954

Question 51

psychological autopsy

Answer 51

anyone can be a testtaker reconstruction of a deceased individual’s psychological profile on the basis of archival records, artifacts, and interviews previously conducted with the deceased assessee or people who knew the person well.

Question 52

four primary parties involved in testing

Answer 52

test user, testaker, society, test developers

Question 53

achievement test,

Answer 53

evaluates accomplishment or the degree of learning that has taken place. Some of the achievement tests you have taken in school were constructed by your teacher.

Question 54

diagnosis and diagnostic test

Answer 54

defined as a description or conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and opinion. Typically this conclusion is reached through a process of distinguishing the nature of something and ruling out alternative conclusions. diagnostic test refers to a tool of assessment used to help narrow down and identify areas of deficit to be targeted for intervention.

Question 55

informal evaluation

Answer 55

as a typically non-systematic assessment that leads to the formation of an opinion or attitude.

Question 56

quality of life evals

Answer 56

used on geriatrics variables related to perceived stress, loneliness, sources of satisfaction, personal values, quality of living conditions, and quality of friendships and other social support.

Question 57

pseudodementia

Answer 57

severe depression in the elderly can contribute to cognitive functioning that mimics dementia

Question 58

health psychology,

Answer 58

discipline that focuses on understanding the role of psychological variables in the onset, course, treatment, and prevention of illness, disease, and disability

Question 59

protocol

Answer 59

refers to the form, sheet, or booklet on which a testtaker’s responses are entered. The term may also be used to refer to a description of a set of test- or assessment-related procedures, as in the sentence, “The examiner dutifully followed the complete protocol for the stress interview.”

Question 60

resposnibilities of test users

Answer 60

- ensuring that the room in which the test will be conducted is suitable and conducive to the testing -must be familiar with the test materials and procedures and must have at the test site all the materials needed to properly administer the test. - the test should be stored in a way that reasonably ensures that its specific contents will not be made known to the testtaker in advance. - Another obligation of the test user before the test’s administration is to ensure that a prepared and suitably trained person administers the test properly.

Question 61

rapport

Answer 61

working relationship between the examiner and the examinee

Question 62

accommodation

Answer 62

adaptation of a test, procedure, or situation, or the substitution of one test for another, to make the assessment more suitable for an assessee with exceptional needs.

Question 63

Alternate assessment

Answer 63

evaluative or diagnostic procedure or process that varies from the usual, customary, or standardized way a measurement is derived, either by virtue of some special accommodation made to the assessee or by means of alternative methods designed to measure the same variable(s).

Question 64

four variables to consider when choosing what type of accommodation should be employed

Answer 64

the capabilities of the assessee; = ooks to the purpose of the assessment and the consequences of the accommodation in order to judge the appropriateness of modifying a test to accommodate a person with a disability. cant have blind person take a dfiff type of road test the purpose of the assessment; the meaning attached to test scores; and when test administration instructions are modified (some would say “compromised”), the meaning of scores on that test becomes questionable at best. the capabilities of the assessor.some assessors may experience a level of discomfort in the presence of people with particular disabilities, and this discomfort may affect their evaluation. It is also important to acknowledge that some assessors may require additional training prior to conducting certain assessments, including supervised experience with members of certain populations.

Question 65

reference sources for tests/ test manuals,. pro books, reference volumes, journal articles, online

Answer 65

test manuals: most detailedf source, but the details of psycom,metric soundness are usually self serving to the author test catalogues: Contains general description of test, including what it is designed to do and with whom it is designed to be used. , Information not detailed enough for basing a decision to use the test. professional books: authoritative insights of a highly experienced assessment professional regarding the structure and content of the test, / author who is strongly allied with a unique theoretical perspective with regard to the test. Although useful to know, this theoretical perspective may not be widely accepted. BEST reference volumes (compilation of test reviews): ontain descriptions and critical reviews of a test written by third parties who presumably have nothing to gain or lose by praising or criticizing the instrument,, Few disadvantages if reviewer is genuinely trying to be objective and is knowledgeable, but as with any review, can provide a misleading picture if this is not the case. journal articles: Up-to-date source of reviews and studies of psychometric soundness/ reviews are valuable to the extent that they are informed and, as far as possible, unbiased online: useful information containing varying amounts of detail/ Some sites masquerading as databases for psychological tests are designed more to entertain or to sell something than to inform.

Question 66

Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC).

Answer 66

test-related publications is that maintained - by the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

Question 67

four principles are to be taken into account and balanced in ethical decision making

Answer 67

Principle I: Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples. This principle, with its emphasis on inherent worth, non-discrimination, moral rights, distributive, social and natural justice, generally should be given the highest weight, except in circumstances in which there is a clear and imminent danger of bodily harm to someone. Principle II: Responsible Caring. This principle generally should be given the second highest weight. Responsible caring requires competence, maximization of benefit, and minimization of harm, and should be carried out only in ways that respect the dignity of persons and peoples. Principle III: Integrity in Relationships. This principle generally should be given the third highest weight. Psychologists are expected to demonstrate the highest integrity in all of their relationships. However, in some circumstances, Principle III values (e.g., openness, straightforwardness) might need to be subordinated to the values contained in the Principles of Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples, and Responsible Caring. Principle IV: Responsibility to Society. This principle generally should be given the fourth highest weight of the four principles when it conflicts with one or more of them