PSYC 3020 Exam 2- LSU Gustin

Mean

The sum of all values in a group

The most common type of average _______

The mean

What are the measures of Central tendency?

Mean, median, and mode

Median

The 50th percentile; the point in which 50% of the scores fall below or and 50% fall above

Mode

The value that occurs most frequently

What is the value that is the most general and is the least precise?

The mode

Variability

The amount of spread or dispersion in a set of scores

Variance

Variance is how much each square differs from the mean; the square of the standard deviation

Standard deviation

the average deviation from the mean

Norm referenced scores

scores that have meaning when compared to each other

Norms

A set of scores that represents a collection of individual performances

Criterion-referenced scores

Scores where the interpretation of whether the scores is “good” or not based on whether it meets a predetermined standard or not

Cut scores

A score on a test that has been predetermined as a standard or criterion. People above or below a cut score are placed in some category of performance, like pass or fail.

Percentile

a point in a distribution of scores below which a given percentage of scores falls

What does a percentile tell us?

It tells us the percentage of scores that are below a certain point.

Normal curve (bell-shaped curve)

a distribution of scores that is symmetrical about the mean, median, and mode and has asymptotic tails

Characteristics of a bell curve

• The normal curve represents a distribution of values where the mean, median, and mode are equal to one another, if the mean and median are different, then the distribution would be skewed (normal curves are not skewed)

• The normal curve is perfectly symmetrical about the mean

• The tails of the curve are asymptotic (they never touch the horizontal axis)

Z score

The number of standard deviations between a raw score and the mean

How is a z score calculated?

A raw score is transformed by subtracting the mean from the raw score and then dividing that difference by the standard deviation of the set of scores.

How is a t-score calculated?

T= 50 + 10z

What is t-score?

It is a standard score that has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10

Why are z scores useful?

They allow us to calculate probability of a score occurring within our normal distribution

SEM (standard error of measurement)

A simple measure of how much observed scores vary from a true score

How are the SEM and reliability related?

The larger the SEM, the lower the reliability of the test and the less precision there is of the measures taken and scores obtained

What are stanine scores?

Standardized 1-9 scores that are commonly used in psychometric testing./ It is a way to convert scores into a nine-point scale

Item Response Theory

An advance over Classical test theory that extends the definition of reliability as a function of the interaction between an item and the characteristics of the individual responding to the item

What does the x and y axis represent in IRT?

The x-axis represents the construct, the latent or underlying trait that the individual test taker brings to the item itself

the y-axis represents the probability of getting the item correct.

What is an advantage of IRT over Classical Theory?

It focuses on and estimates the ability of test taker independent of the difficulty of the items

How do we determine the worthiness of an item in IRT?

Using the a and b values. They are used and evaluated and can be refined, placed once again in the test pool of items, and reevaluated until they met the criteria we use to define good items

What are the two characteristics that distinguish items from one another and allow us to pass judgement on whether the item is a '“good” one?

Difficulty level and Discrimination level

Difficulty level (b)

It is the probability that a test taker will get an item correct

Discrimination level (a)

It is how well an item distinguishes between test takers at different ability levels

What tool led to more use of IRT?

Computers as they made calculating much easier

When does the test developer consider the test development process complete?

When each item fits the difficulty and discrimination level that the test author feel adequate.

What does a steep curve on an item characteristic curve indicate?

It indicates that the discrimination level(item difficulty) is high/ that there is a large difference in the probability of a correct response for those who theta response for those whose theta values differ.

The slope of the curve tells us _____

the discrimination level

What is the vertical straight line?

It is the probability of getting the item correct- represented by P(θ)

What is the horizontal straight line?

the x-axis that represents the latent trait.

What do achievement tests measure?

They measure how much someone knows or has learned.

What are the most common test taken?

Achievement tests

What process does standardized testing undergo?

It undergoes a process to determine psychometric value including validity, reliability, and standard error

What are teacher made tests?

Tests constructed by a teacher

What can be said about teacher-made tests?

They are very situation specific and defined to suit a particular need

What process has standardized test undergone?

Extensive test development- writing and rewriting of items, hundreds of administrations; development of reliability and validity data; norming with that is sometimes very large groups of test takers, development of consistent directions, administration procedures, and very clear scoring instructions

Norm-referenced tests

Tests where an individual’s test performance is compared with the test performance of other individuals

Criterion-referenced tests

One where there is a pre-defined level of performance used for evaluation

The ABCs of creating a standardized test

• Preliminary ideas- the stage where the test developer considers the possible topics that might be covered, the level of coverage, and every other factor that relates to what may be on the finished test.

• test specifications- a complex process that allows the test developer to understand the relationship between the level of items and the content of the items.

• Items are written

• items are used in a trial setting- instructions are drafted, participants are located, actual preliminary tests are constructed, items are tried, and items are analyzed

• test developers rewrite items

• final tests are assembled

• an extensive national standardization effort

• preparation of all the necessary materials

What is the table of specifications

It is a grid that serves as a guide to the construction of an achievement test

How many levels of abstraction in Bloom’s taxonomy?

Six levels

1. Knowledge- focuses on the recall of information; knowledge of dates, events, and places as well as certain major ideas.

2. Comprehension- focus on the understanding of information and require the test taker to interpret fats, compare and contrast different facts, infer cause and effect, and predict the consequences of a certain event

3. application- Require the use of information, methods, and concepts, as well as problem solving

4. analysis- requires the test taker to look for and see patterns among parts, recognize hidden meanings, and identify the parts of a problem

5. synthesis- the test taker is required to use old ideas to create new ones and to generalize from given facts

6. evaluation- require the test taker to compare and discriminate between ideas and make choices based on a reasonable and well-thought out argument

Words that knowledge would use

list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when and where (in question format)

Words that comprehension questions might use

summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, and predict

Words that application level questions might use

apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, and show

Words that analysis-level questions might use

analyze, separate, order, explain. and connect

Words that synthesis level questions might use

combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, and substitute

Words that evaluation level questions might use

assess, decide, rank, recommend, and convince

What is an aptitude test?

It measures an individual’s potential

What do aptitude test measures?

• They assess cognitive skills and knowledge

• They also assess psychomotor performance

What are the types of aptitude test?

• Mechanical aptitude test

• Artistic aptitude tests

• Readiness aptitude tests

• Clerical aptitude test

Mechanical Aptitude test

Focus on a variety of abilities that fall into the psychomotor domain

Artistic aptitude test

Tests that evaluate artistic talent; music, drawing, and other forms of creative expression

Readiness aptitude test

A test to assess the developmental condition of an individual to determine whether or not a person is able to move on to the next phase of their education.

What did Gesell do?

He developed readiness tests that assess whether a child was read for school based on developmental periods

Clerical aptitude test

Tests that measure how well an individual performs tasks associated with administrative or clerical office work

What is the Differential Aptitude test?

• A test that focuses on abilities and skills, such as verbal, numerical ability, abstract reasoning, mechanical reasoning, and space relations

• used primarily in educational counseling and personnel assessment

What concepts does the term “high stakes” in regard to testing refer to?

It refers to tests that have a high risk, high reward impact such as admission into medical school or receiving certification for a job.

Which validity is most used when validating an achievement test?

Content-based validity

What is the GRE?

• A test designed to assess the verbal, quantitative, and analytical reasoning abilities of graduate school applicants

• Who: college juniors and seniors making applications for graduate school

What is the Terranova?

• designed to measure achievement in the basic skills taught in schools throughout the nation

• Used for K-12

• Important: Teacher assesses not only achievement; but also the process that goes into thinking about the items on the test

What are the Iowa assessments? (ITBS)

• To provide a comprehensive assessment of student progress in the basic skills

• K-8

What is the GED

• The GED was designed to “assess skills representative of the typical outcomes of a traditional high school education

• No level specified

• Note: first developed to assist veterans who didn’t have time to complete high school

What is the Denver developmental screening?

• Is designed to screen for developmental delays

• When: Birth to age 6

• Note: Is now called Denver II

What does plus and minus mean regarding correlation?

No test can have a modicuk of reliability with a coefficient less than .00, so we just dispense with that idea and determine reliability coefficients to be worth considering only when they are positive