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