Week three:Psychological Assessment (HON403)-Test Scores and Norms Flashcards
What are Raw Scores in psychological assessments?
Raw scores are the direct results from a test, such as the number of correct answers, but they don’t provide meaningful insights unless compared to a norm group.
How are raw scores interpreted
Raw scores are interpreted by comparing them to the performance of others, typically using norms to determine if the score is above, below, or average for a given population.
What is the difference between Criterion-Referenced and Norm-Referenced tests?
Criterion-Referenced Tests assess performance against a fixed standard (e.g., a driving test).
Norm-Referenced Tests compare a score to others in a representative group (e.g., IQ tests).
Why is comparison necessary in interpreting test scores?
Raw scores alone don’t provide meaningful insights. They must be compared to a norm group for accurate interpretation.
What are Z-scores in test score interpretation
Z-scores indicate how far a score is from the mean, measured in standard deviations, showing whether a score is above or below average and by how much.
What are standardized scores, and how are they used?
Standardized scores, like T-scores or Sten scores, are transformed from raw scores (e.g., Z-scores) to make them easier to understand and compare across individuals.
What is the difference between Linear and Non-linear transformations of raw scores?
Linear Transformation includes Z-scores and standardized scores.
Non-linear Transformation includes percentiles, showing how an individual compares to a population.
What role do norms play in interpreting test scores?
Norms provide a benchmark to understand how an individual’s score compares to the broader population. They are derived from representative sample data.
What factors are important when creating norms for a test?
Key factors include demographics, cultural considerations, the purpose of the test, and age-based norms for accurate interpretation.
What are the limitations of norms in psychological assessments
Norms may not be suitable for certain populations due to outdated, culturally irrelevant data, or different demographic characteristics. Psychologists must communicate these limitations.
What are Age and Grade Equivalents in scoring
Age and Grade Equivalents compare an individual’s performance to the median performance of people in the same age or grade, but this method is less common due to its limitations.
What considerations must be made when developing norms for a test
Considerations include relevance to the population, cultural sensitivity, test usage, the potential need for alternative tests, and transparency about limitations.
