History of Psychological Testing
Specification of Test's Purpose
Test Preparation
Response Sets
Grab Bag!
100
This psychologist demonstrated that mental abilities can be distributed in an approximation of a normal curve.
Galton
100
The term that refers to testing items and eliminating items that fail to represent the test construct.
Domain Sampling
100
What is the difference between speed and power when measuring maximal performance?
Speed tests provide a large number of relatively easy items; performance is determined based on the number of items that can be completed in a short period of time. Power tests provide an ample amount of time for completion; performance is assumed to be a result of understanding and ability
100
What is the Central Tendency Error
Respondent tends to use only the middle of the scale and is reluctant to select extreme values
100
In this method, the researcher is interested primarily in locating the positions of the test items on the psychological continuum
Stimulus-centered method
200
Along with several other psychologists, he created the first group intelligence test for the military.
Yerkes
200
In this method, open-ended questions are posed to subjects about the construct of interest and their answers are sorted into categories based on the topic.
Content Analysis
200
What do tests of maximal performance measure? Name an example of one of these tests.
An individual's all out effort, these tests typically have items that have a known correct answer. Example: WISC, WAIS, WJ, WIAT
200
Measurement artifacts that emerge from the context of a particular situation; they can often be ameliorated with proper instructions or rater training.
Response Bias
200
What is this? X = T+E
True Score Theory
300
This man described a response-scaling method which was the precursor to modern computerized testing
Guttman
300
Bloom created a system for classifying the hierarchal nature of cognitive test questions. Name and describe 3 of the 6 types of questions.
Knowledge: recall factual material; (capital of a state) Comprehension: translate, interpret or extrapolate a concept into a somewhat different form; (recognizing nouns in sentences that have not been seen in class) Application: solve new problems through the use of familiar principles; (calculating a problem using Ohm's law when there is no mention of it in the problem) Analysis: breaking down a communication or problem into its component elements (identifying the genus of an unknown plant based on leaf and flower characteristics) Synthesis: combining elements into a whole by using an original structure or solving a problem that requires the combination of several principles (writing a computer program that requires using input and output measures) Evaluation: employment of internal or external criteria for making critical judgements in terms of accuracy or consistency (writing a critical review of a journal article)
300
What do tests of typical performance measure? Name an example of these tests.
These tests include personality and interest inventories; items on these tests do not have a correct answer. Examples: Beck Depression Inventory, PAI, MACI
300
Name and describe the two types of response bias.
IM (impression management): the individual is deliberately trying to present a positive impression. The individual is consciously making a choice to respond as to appear more socially acceptable than he or she truly is. Faking Good: individuals fake their answers to personality and attitude items, they are most likely trying to deliberately misrepresent themselves; the person is not providing truthful or accurate assessments but rather trying to fake answers in order to obtain a desirable outcome
300
What method of scaling is the most complex?
Guttman
400
Identified the four levels of measurement scales
Stevens
400
During item review, test developers may ask qualified colleagues to informally review the test for a variety of flaws. Name three aspects of item construction that should be considered during this step.
Accuracy, appropriateness or relevance to test specification, technical item-construction flaws, grammar, offensiveness or appearance of bias, level of readability (name 3)
400
Describe the differences between open-ended and closed-ended questions. What are the pro's and con's of each. When would be the best time to use each?
Open-Ended Questions: 1. Interview Questions, Essay Exams, Projective Tests 2. Test takers can qualify their responses by elaboration 3. Responses reveal what is most salient to the examinee and are uninfluenced by examiner options 4. Responses can be repetitious and provide irrelevant information 5. The test administration must be highly trained 6. Individual differences in respondents’ abilities to articulate responses plays a greater role in scoring than in closed-ended questions 7. Greatest concern is the increased difficulty in reliably coding and scoring responses Closed-Ended Questions: 1. Multiple-choice exams, Likert-type response options 2. Minimize expertise required for test administration 3. Responses are easy to analyze 4. Respondents cannot clarify their answer 5. Presence of options may suggest answers that the respondents otherwise would not have considered
400
You may have concern to worry that your respondent is showing this type of error if the majority or his/her responses are 4's and 5's on a five point Likeart scale.
Leniency Error
400
You are reading about your client's scores on the WISC, however the examiner did not put your clients score in the report. What score can you tell your client she received if she scored 2 standard deviations below the mean?
70
500
Wrote the first textbook on test theory.
Thorndike
500
What is the goal of a field test?
To test the items on a large sample, representative of the examinee population that it is intended to be used.
500
Name and provide examples of 2 types of questions that should not be used when constructing test items.
Double-barreled questions (“I like cats and dogs”) Double negatives (“I am not, not smart”) False premises (“although dogs are great pets, some don’t belong in urban areas”) Leading or loaded questions (“Do you support or oppose restrictions on the sale of cancer-causing tobacco productions to our state’s precious youth?”)
500
What should you be concerned about if your client answers nearly all of the questions on the BDI in the affirmative.
Acquiescence Bias
500
Your professor has directed you to perform a factor analysis on an old test he used to measure depression. What type of analysis would you perform?
Confirmatory Factor Analysis
M
e
n
u