Psychological Assessment- Chapter 4: Some Assumptions About Psychological Testing and Assessment

Trait

Any distinguishable, relatively enduring way in which one individual varies from another.

• stable over time, permanent, ex extrovert

States

Distinguish one person from another but are relatively less enduring

Androgynous

Referring to an absence of primacy of male or female characteristics.

• part of cultural evolution—bring new traits

Construct

• Psychological Traits exists as________

• an informed, scientific concept developed or constructed to explain a behavior, inferred from overt behavior

Overt behavior

Refers to an observable action or the product of an observable action, including test- or assessment-related responses.

Relatively enduring

the trait is not expected to be manifested in behavior 100% of the time

Situation dependent

• its manifestation depend on the nature of the situation

Assumption 2: Psychological Traits and States Can Be Quantified and Measured

An assumption wherein measuring traits and states means of a test entails developing not only appropriate tests items but also appropriate ways to score the test and interpret the results.

Cumulative scoring

Assumption that the more the testtaker responds in a particular direction keyed by the test manual as correct or consistent with a particular trait, the higher that testtaker is presumed to be on the targeted ability or trait.

Assumption 3: Test-Related Behavior Predicts Non-Test Related Behavior

An assumption wherein the tasks in some tests mimic the actual behaviors that the test user is attempting to understand.

• patterns of answer used in decision making

Postdict

• to aid in understanding of behavior that has already taken place; someone’s state of mind in the past

• ex., criminal

Assumption 4: Tests and Other Measurement Techniques Have Strengths and Weaknesses

In this assumption, competent test users understand and appreciate the limitations of the test they use as well as how those limitations might be compensated for by data from other sources

• is it for adult or child

• why we using this test

• how test should be administered

• test manual

Assumption 5: Various Sources of Error are part of the Assessment Process

• error

• Refers to a long-standing assumption that factors other than what a test attempts to measure will influence performance on the test

Error

Refers to a long-standing assumption that factors other than what a test attempts to measure will influence performance on the test.

Error variance

It is the component of a test score attributable to sources other than the trait or ability measured

Potential sources of error variance

• assessors

• measuring instruments

• random error as luck

Classical Test Theory

each testtaker has true score on a test that would be obtained but for the action of measurement error

Assumption 6: Testing and Assessment Can Be Conducted in a Fair and Unbiased Manner

• Despite best efforts of many professionals, fairness-related questions and problems do occasionally rise.

• it is important to keep in mind that tests

  are tools they can be used properly or

  improperly

Assumption 7: Testing and Assessment Benefit Society

Considering the many critical decisions that are based on testing and assessment procedures, we can readily appreciate the need for tests

Reliability

Dependability or consistency of the instrument or scores obtained by the same person when re-examined with the same test on different occasions, or with different sets of equivalent items.

Validity

A judgment or estimate of how well a test measures what it supposed to measure.

Norm

This refers to behavior that is usual, average, normal, standard, expected, or typical.

Norm-referenced testing and assessment

A method of evaluation and a way of deriving meaning from test scores by evaluating an individual test taker's score and comparing it to scores of a group of test takers.

Race norming

It is the controversial practice of norming on the basis of race or ethnic background.

Test standardization

This is the process of administering a test to a representative sample of test takers for the purpose of establishing norms.

• objective

Sample

A portion of the universe of people deemed to be representative of the whole population.

Sampling

The process of selecting the portion of the universe deemed to be representative of the whole population.

Stratified sampling

This type of sampling would help prevent sampling bias and ultimately aid in the interpretation of the findings.

• with predefined groups

Types of norms

Percentiles

Age norms

Grade norms

National norms

National anchor norms

Subgroup norms

Local norms

Percentile

It is an expression of the percentage of people whose score on a test or measure falls below a particular raw score.

Percentage correct

This refers to the distribution of raw scores more specifically to the number of items that were answered correctly multiplied by 100 and divided by the total number of items.

Age equivalent scores/Age norms

Indicate the average performance of different samples of test takers who were at various ages at the time the test was administered.

Grade norms

Are developed by administering the test to representative samples of children over a range of consecutive grade levels.

National norms

Derived from a normative sample that was nationally representative of the population at the time the norming study was conducted.

Local norms

Provide normative information with respect to the local population's performance on some test.

Fixed reference group

This refers to the distribution of scores obtained on the test from one group of test takers.