Week 11

Factors Influencing Past Test Development

Theoretical Developments
Technical and Methodological Developments
Contextual Developments

Theoretical Developments

Advancements in understanding intelligence and personality; includes insights from Binet on intelligence measurement and the expansion of personality constructs.

Technical and Methodological Developments (Past)

Advancements including statistical methods such as factor analysis and the use of computers and the internet for experience sampling and self-monitoring in psychological assessment.

Contextual Developments (Past)

Factors influencing assessment include political impacts from World Wars and funding policies related to educational testing.

Factor Analysis

A sophisticated statistical technique that uncovers the latent structures underlying relationships among multiple variables, enabling researchers to condense data and identify significant patterns and groupings within assessments.

Experience Sampling

A method for collecting data on participants' thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in real time, often facilitated by smartphones and the internet.

Self-Monitoring

The process of consciously observing and regulating one's own behaviours, thoughts, and emotions, often facilitated by technological tools.

Factors Influencing Future Test Development

Content Development
Technical and Methodological Developments
Contextual Developments

Content Developments

Includes expanded coverage of intelligence testing, examination of new personality aspects, and a greater emphasis on positive psychology.

Technical and Methodological Developments (Future)

New and innovative approaches developed for assessing psychological states and personality traits effectively.

Contextual Developments (Future)

Factors influencing assessment, including social phenomena arising from digital environments and impacts of political events like war.

Construct in Psychological Testing

A theoretical concept that is indirectly measurable through related observable behaviors, thoughts, or feelings; constructs are the fundamental elements that psychological tests aim to quantify, such as intelligence, personality traits, and emotional states.

Integrity in Assessments

Refers to dependability, honesty, and trustworthiness; typically evaluated through personality tests and unobtrusive measures like typing speed and eye tracking.

Sexual Harassment and Misconduct

Current research focuses on attitudes and behaviours towards women and minority groups, including new areas like incel subgroups, non-consensual image sharing, and deepfaking.

Technological Improvements in Psychological Assessments

The integration of contemporary technology in psychological evaluations, exemplified by the use of computer-assisted assessments, mobile applications to track behavioural data, and computerised adaptive testing that tailors the difficulty of items based on the test-taker's performance.

Computer Applications in Testing

Key developments include the emergence of computers in the 1950s for testing, affordable home computers in the 1980s, internet testing in the 1990s, smartphones in the 2000s, and tablet adoption in the 2010s.

Equivalence of Testing Formats

Generally, computer and pen-and-paper testing formats do not significantly affect the constructs being measured, evidenced by high cross-mode correlations (e.g., .97).

Speeded Tests

Characterised by simple, quickly performed tasks; response modality (pen/pencil vs computer) can affect results, with a cross-mode correlation of 0.72, and may be influenced by gender differences in fine-motor skills.

Smart Testing

A concept introduced by Kyllonen in 1997 focusing on ability testing that incorporates technologies such as computer delivery, multidimensional adaptive technology, time-parameterised testing, and latent factor-centred designs.

Multidimensional Adaptive Testing (MAT)

An extension of Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT) that applies adaptive testing principles to a battery of tests, allowing for simultaneous adaptation and reduction of overall test time while maintaining measurement accuracy.

Other MAT Examples

The Progress in International Student Assessment (PISA) and the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

Limitations of MAT

Requires a large item bank and extensive testing data; may confuse users due to changes between item types, necessitating recall of instructions across subtests.

Time Parameterisation

Refers to the tension between speed and accuracy in testing, complicating scoring and interpretation; computer-administered tests can capture response time, linking to measures like the Implicit Association Test (IAT).

Latent Factor-Centred Design

Focuses on the constructs measured in psychological assessments, potentially leading to new testing forms like virtual reality and role play that engage participants while revealing underlying latent factors.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A psychological instrument designed to reveal implicit beliefs and biases about social groups, gauging subjects' unconscious attitudes through analysis of their reaction times during paired associations presented in a testing format.

Implicit Association Test (IAT) - Australia

Research by Shirodkar (2019) indicates biases against Indigenous Australians, analysing concepts using overrepresented samples of Caucasians and highly educated individuals.

Internet Testing

A revolutionary method that impacts test distribution and development, allowing rapid circulation and updates of questions, and facilitating dynamic norming.

Digital Divide in Internet Testing

A significant challenge arising from unequal access to internet-based testing platforms, which disproportionately affects individuals from different socio-economic backgrounds, leading to potential bias and discrepancies in test results due to varying levels of technology accessibility.

Levels of Supervision in Testing

Categorised as open (unsupervised), controlled (password-protected), supervised (proctored under observation), and managed (extensively supervised with robust protocols).

Virtual Reality

Accessible for situational judgement tests, role play, and therapeutic applications such as phobia treatments.

Challenges of Virtual Reality

Faces challenges in efficacy and accessibility across demographics, along with feasibility issues due to the prevalence of cyber sickness.

Believability of Actions in Assessments

Research is needed to determine the efficacy of personality assessments and the translation of online interactions to offline behavior; challenges include the uncanny valley effect.

Artificial Intelligence

Includes advancements in visual perception tasks, while challenges remain in natural language processing and ethical considerations; historically marked by early chatbot technology like Eliza.

Holograms and Augmented Reality

Early-stage feasibility exists, with limitations for those experiencing cyber sickness.

Serious Games

Games designed for purposes beyond entertainment, used as assessment tools to promote personal development and behaviour modification.

Eye Tracking

A non-obtrusive method used to assess attention and learning strategies, utilising various formats like stationary mounted displays.

Mobile Phones and Wearables

Devices that enable recording, GPS tracking, and applications to facilitate secure and effective assessments.

Emotional State Recognition and Biofeedback

Advancements in technology allow accurate recognition of emotional states through intelligent software, aiding in personal adjustment and health monitoring.