Psychology Tests and Measures Lecture Quiz 1

correlations coefficients range from -1 to

+1

the distribution of scores from a "citywide math test" scores results in a mean of 70 and a standard deviation of 12. here, a score equal to two standard deviations above the mean would be

94

Testing

A process of measuring psychology-related variables by means of devices or procedures designed to obtain a sample. You are obtaining a SCORE. The tester is NOT key to the process, can be interchangeable

Which of the following positions would Galton support?

Genius runs in families

Frequency distributions may be illustrated in a variety of ways. Which of the following illustrations is MOST popular of illustrating a frequency distribution?

Histogram

Psychological tests share commonalities. For example, they all

Include an analysis of a sample of behavior

Darwins perspective

Natural selection, individual differences

Numbers are assigned to each player on the university basketball team. This use of numbers could be BEST characterized as

Nominal scale

Distributions

a set of test scores ARRANGED for recording or studying

James McKeen Cattell

coined the term mental test

culture-specific tests

designed to use with people from specific cultures and clarify that the tests were not intended for minority cultures

Educational assessment

evaluate skills relevant within a school context

Francis Galton

focuses on heredity

Variability

in a set of numbers, how widely dispersed the values are from each other and from the mean

Z score

mean of zero

Consistent with recommendations regarding professional ethics, post-test feedback to test takers

should be accurate and understandable

Therapeutic psychological assessment

therapeutic self discovery is encouraged though the assessment process- to help inform therapy

generally, which correlation coefficient best reflects the relationship between the number of calories consumed and body weight

+.8

A frequency distribution typically includes

Each possible score and how often it occurs

Interval scales

Equal intervals represent equal differences

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of psychology, Legacy: rigorous testing process

Who coined the term mental test?

James Cattell

Which online database is operated by the American Psychological Association?

PsycTESTS

A psychologist writing a journal article is looking for a critical review of an intelligence test that was published 4 years ago. Which of the following sources would be BEST to consult?

The Mental Measurements Yearbook

A 100-item achievement test is administered to 30 students. Students earn 1 point for each correct answer. In the test results there are three scores of 95. all of the other students scored between 10 and 30. what measure of central tendency would be MOST representative of this set of scores?

The median

Measures of central tendency refers to which part of frequency distribution?

The middle of the distribution

A review of a new personality test is published in a journal. In that review citation, it would be reasonable to expect to find information about

The psychometric soundness of the test

Mean

The sum of a set of numbers divided by the number of elements in the set. (A type of average). best used when scores are relatively similar

Detailed information regarding how a particular test was developed can typically be found in

The test manual and/or development citation

Psychological test

a device or procedure designed to measure variables related to psychology; analysis/ Sample of behavior

a standard score obtained by a linear transformation is one whuch

a direct numerical relationship to the original score is retained

the U.S. navy is highly selective when it comes to applications for Navy seal training. A distribution of test scores on a navy seal qualifying and sreening examination administered to a class of high school seniors would be expected to yield

a positively skewed distribution of test scores

scale

a set of numbers or other symbols whose properties model empirical properties of the object to which the numbers are assigned

a correlation coefficient equal to -.98 would indicate

a strong inverse relationship between the two variables

Psychometric soundness

a test depends on how consistently and accurately the test measures what it purports to measure; technical quality

How do states different from traits?

a trait is relatively enduring, whereas a state is relatively short-lived

measurement

act of assigning numbers/symbols to characteristics of things

an investigator researching behavior of corporate presidents employs college students enrolled in introductory psychology as research subjects. These students are BEST referred to as

an incidental sample

It is an extremely atypical score that can sometimes provide a hint regarding some deficiency in the testing or scoring procedures. it is

an outlier

A distribution of test scores is: 75, 92, 96, 88, 75, 62, and 88

bimodal with the modes of 75 and 88

Testing is to assessment as ______________ is to __________________

blood test; physical exam

T score

can be called a fifty plus or minus ten scale; that is, a scale with a mean set at 50 and a standard deviation set at 10

Psychological test data gathered from immigrant assesses the Ellis Island by Henry Goddard was

cited to support anti-immigration arguments and legislation

Nominal scales

classification or categorization based on one or more distinguishing characteristic ie this or that. no gray area

norm-referenced testing and assessment

common goal is used of this kind of testing is to understand the meaning of an individual test score

Ratio scales

contain an absolute zero point that represents the absence of the variable being measured • Examples: age, time

psychological tests may differ with respect to

content, format, and administration

nonverbal communication or body language does not

convey the same meaning across cultures

A test designed to provide information about whether or not an aviator has mastered the ability to fly solo is an example of a test that is

criterion-referenced

In order to conduct research using human subjects, a university requires researchers to complete an online ethics course, and then correctly respond to all of the items of the test on that material. This test process could BEST be characterized by

criterion-referenced testing

Range

difference between the highest and lowest score

In a research study, subjects are categorized as either "hospitalized" or "never hospitalized". this type of categorization is referred to as

discrete

Grouped frequency distributions

displays data in a more compact way, easier to comprehend

any influence on psychological test scores from factors other than what the test is intended to measure is referred to by measurement specialists as

error

In calculating the mean of a distribution of test scores, the person analyzing the data takes account of

every score in the distribution

Many test takers characteristics are affected by culture including

expressive communication skills, nonverbal communication, and receptive communication

Assessment

gathering and integration of psychology-related data for the purpose of making a psychological evaluation through test, observations, and interviews. the goal is to answer a question. The tester IS KEY to the process

Variance

how different was your score from the mean

Measure of central tendency

indicates the average or midmost score between extreme scores

a norm-referenced test yields which type of information?

information indicating that the examinee scored above 90% of individuals who took the test

An IQ score measuring cognitive intelligence is an example of an

interval

referring to a psychological trait as a construct means that it

is a scientific concept developed to describe or explain behavior

"test-related behavior predicts non-test-related behavior" this statement

is an assumption on which the assessment enterprise is based

In general, testtakers have the right to

know why they are being tested, the results of the test they took, and how the test data will be used

Tests are categorized as

level A, B, and C depending on how much testing-related knowledge is necessary to administer the test

unlike the arithmetic mean of scores in a distribution, the mode

may be totally atypical of other scores in the distribution, may lie at the extreme end of the distribution, and is determined by counting the scores and determining which occurs most frequently

The mean, the median and the mode are all

measures of central tendency

Mode

most frequently occurring number.

a test that yields information about a testtaker's relative standing in a group is referred to as

norm-referenced

It's a group whose performance on a particular test is analyzed for reference in evaluating the performance of future testtakers. This group is called

normative sample

which of the following is TRUE of norms?

norms may be expressed as percentiles, age norms, or grade norms

standardization

process of administering test to representative test takers for the purpose of establishing norms

the mental ability evaluations conducted at Ellis Island can be characterized as

psychological testing

What are the three types of variability

range variance standard deviation

ordinal scale

rank ordering without concern for equal distances between ranks

Which is the only type of scale that has an absolute zero point?

ratio

Standard score

raw score that has been converted from one scale to another

norms

reference to usual, expected, typical behavior

linear transformation

retain direct relationship to original raw score

An individual being evaluated for employment as a police officer is asked to put himself in the place of an arresting officer who has just been threatened by a suspect. This sort of evaluation is BEST described as

role play

The term norms refers to the

scores with which the results of subsequent measurement can be compared

When it comes to the difference between the terms psychological testing and psychological assessment

some ambiguity with regard to the difference persists

nonlinear transformation

standard score not related to original score

Kurtosis

steepness of a distribution

sampling all different subgroups within a population is an example of

stratified sampling

which of the following describes the shape of the normal curve?

symmetrical

Psychometrics

tests differ with respect to their psychometrics. The science of psychological measurements. Reliability and validity are evaluated

content

the SUBJECT MATTER of the test varies with the focus of the particular test and based on the theoretical orientation of different test developers

collaborative psychological assessment

the assessor and assessee work as partners

when measuring a particular psychological trait, the term error variance refers to

the component of a test score attributable to sources other than the trait

reliability

the consistency of the measuring tool: the precision with which the test measures and the extend to which error is presented in measurements

Format

the form, plan, structure, layout of test items, and other considerations

Median

the middle score in a distribution, best used when there are extremes

sampling

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

which statistic conveys the LEAST precise measurement of dispersion?

the range

A key difference between psychological testing and psychological assessment has to do with

the role of the test user in interpreting the results

norm-referenced testing and assessment is both a method of evaluation and a way of deriving meaning from tests scores. individual testtaker scores are evaluated against

the scores of a comparison group of testtakers

In a norm-referenced approach to testing, a testtaker's scores are compared with

the scores of other individuals who were administered test

The manifestation of behavior associated with a particular psychological trait is to some extent dependent on

the situation the person is in

Standard deviation

the square root of the variance

an assumption in psychological testing and assessment is that psychological traits can be measured. for this to be true,

the test developers must clearly define the trait constructs the test purports to measure

validity

the test measures what is purports of measure

the purpose of deriving a standard deviation of a distribution is

to determine the dispersion of scores around the mean of a distribution

norms come in many different forms. which of the following is NOT correctly referred to by the term "norms"?

trait norms

raw score

unmodified numerics

dynamic assessment

used in educational setting but may also be used in correctional, corporate, neuropsychological, clinical, and other settings.

Utility

usefulness/value that a test has

discrete scales

well defined finite set of possible values

If all scores in a set of test scores were the same, the variance would be equal to

zero