Tests and Measurements Exam #1
leptokertic
Bigger peak and smaller tails than a normal distribution
variance
extent to which each score is close or far from the mean
discrimination
practice of making distinctions in hiring, promotion, and other selection decisions that systematically favor members of majority regardless of qualifications
psych testing
process of measuring psych-related variables by means of devices/procedures to obtain a sample of beh.
ethical dilemmas in testing
professional standards need to be in place, clarify expectations, what we will and will not do, confidentiality, informed consent, beneficence and non-maleficence
Like Galton, much of nineteenth-century psychological measurement focused on
sensory abilities
culture
socially transmitted behavior patterns, beliefs, and products of work of a particular population, community, or group of people
When it comes to the difference between the terms psychological testing and psychological assessment
some ambiguity with regard to the difference persists
internal consistency/split half
split the questions on a survey into 2 setsthen compare the sets. Measures the consistency of items in the test are homogeneous
method errors
test construction, administration, scoring, interpretation, other sources of error
assessment
test, tool, procedure, device, exam, etc. that measures an outcomestandardized procedure for sampling beh. and describing it with categories and scores
What type of reliability is used when you want to know whether a test is reliable over time?
test-retest
Henry Goddard
tested intelligence of immigrants moving to U.S.
legislation
the act of making or enacting laws
Detailed information regarding how a particular test was developed can typically be found in
the test manual
psychoanalysis
theory of personality and pscyh. treatment developed by sigmund freud-symbolic significance assigned to non-verbal acts
_____________ is error that is within the individual taking the test.
trait error
What is a theoretical reflection of the actual amount of a trait or characteristic?
true score
cut score
used to divide set of data into 2+ classifications
affirmative action
voluntary and mandatory efforts undertaken by federal, state, and local governments, private employers, and schools to combat discrimination and promote equal opportunities in education and employment
reliability
whether a measurement tool measures something consistently
To make data more manageable, it is sometimes converted to graphs or tables. Graphs or tables can be created from
- nominal level data - ordinal level data - ratio level data
process of assessment
1. referral 2. referral questions 3. tool selection 4. test takes place 5. assessor writes report of findings
Why do we test?
screening, placement, diagnosis, hypothesis testing, to classify
Projective tests may be viewed as remedying a deficiency of which other test type?
self-report tests
reliability coefficient
- Range from .00 to 1.00 - Below .70 = unsatisfactory - .80 or higher = desirable
therapeutic psych assessment
examiner explains results, summarizes case conceptualization, shares list of recommendations to help examinee
Which of the following might be an example of an assessment?
- interview - 10-point quiz in tests and measurements - observation of ability to connect blocks
Which of the following represents a problem unique to self-report personality tests?
- respondents might be unwilling to reveal something negative about themselves - Respondents may be too low on the construct being measured for the trait to register properly on the test. - The reading ability of respondents may prevent them from responding accurately to items
A test can be used for
- screening - diagnosis and treatment planning - hypothesis testing
As used with reference to psychological tests, the test format refers to
- the arrangement of test items - whether a test can be administered by computer - the procedures used to obtain data
rights of test takers
-Right to informed consent -Right to be informed of test findings -Right to privacy and confidentiality -Right to the least stigmatizing label
culture-specific test
-designed for people from one culture but not the other -racially, socioeconomically, ethnically, culturally diverse test-takers tended to score lower as a group than people from group for whom test was developed
napoleon bonaparte
-offered public education-passed law that children must be educated, regardless of their deficiencies-idiocy versus mental disorder
individualist culture
mainly western cultures, values self-reliance, autonomy, independence, uniqueness, and competitiveness
Alfred Binet
-stanford-binet intelligence tests -tested young schoolchildren from paris
James Cattell
-student of wundt and galton-looked at individual differences-responsible for mental tests in the U.S.
Francis galton
-studied intelligence, the statistical concept of correlation, applied statistical analysis to psychology, founded psychometrics-interested in individual differences among peoplecreated the first projective tests-believed motor skills were the most important thing when considering intelligence
Wilhelm Wundt
-studied the similarities between people-individual differences are attributed to error-speed of thought is variable between people
bar graphs
-used when data is categorical in nature (nominal) -illustrate the frequency of variables in graphical representation -bars don't touch
Reliability coefficients range from ____________.
.00 to + 1.00
bimodal distribution
A distribution (of opinions) that shows two responses being chosen about as frequently as each other.
histogram
A graphical representation of a frequency distribution in which vertical bars centered above scores on the x-axis touch each other to indicate that the scores on the variable represent related, increasing values.
Frequency distributions may be illustrated in a variety of ways. Which of the following graphs is most likely to be used?
A histogram
Who coined the term mental test in 1890?
Cattell
Grutter vs. Bollinger
Diversity is a compelling interest that can justify the narrowly tailored use of race when public universities select applicants for admission.
According to the text, what makes a smartphone "smart?"
It is smart because of its inference-making capacity
Who is credited with being the originator of the psychometric concept of test reliability?
Spearman
lightner witmer
little-known founder of clinical psychology, founded first psychological clinic in the US, founded journal Psychological Clinic
inter-rater
This type of reliability demonstrates consistency across different observers.
skewness
The extent to which cases are clustered more at one or the other end of the distribution of a quantitative variable rather than in a symmetric pattern around its center
negative skew
The left tail is longer; the mass of the distribution is concentrated on the right of the figure.
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 score between 10 and 30. What measure of central tendency would be most representative of this set of scores?
The median
positive skew
The right tail is longer; the mass of the distribution is concentrated on the left of the figure.
range
The simplest measure of variability, represented by the difference between the highest and the lowest values in a frequency distribution.
error score
What accounts for the differences between the True Score and Observed Score
How did the work of Wundt differ from that of Galton, Binet, and James Mckeen Cattell?
Wundt focused on how individuals were the same rather than different.
score
a code/summary of statements reflects an evaluation of performance on a test/task
scatterplots
a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation).
test-retest
a method for determining the reliability of a test by comparing a test taker's scores on the same test taken on separate occasions
parallel forms
a method of establishing the reliability of a measurement instrument by correlating scores on two different but equivalent versions of the same instrument
Pearson's r
a statistic that measures the direction and strength of the linear relation between two variables that have been measured on an interval or ratio scale
what is a 'test?'
a tool, procedure, test, device, exam, investigation, assessment or measure of an outcome
true scores
accurate reflection of what you know
What do we test
achievement, aptitude, intelligence, career, personality, ability, neuropsychological, behavioral
mean
add all numbers and divide by the number of variables
Group intelligence test
any intelligence test that can be administered to a group of people with minimal supervision-crated to help with military recruitment
collaborative psych assessment
assessor and test taker work as partners
nominal
attributes are only named (weak). Mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories are used
ordinal
attributes can be ordered in categories and ranks. Mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories ex: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
ratio
attributes can be quantified and there is a meaningful zero point. categories are still mutually exclusive and exhaustive, can be named ex: exam scores
interval
attributes named and ordered with mutually exhaustive and exclusive categories, there are equal differences between the categories. No absolute meaningful zero point - ex: SAT scores
standard deviation
average amount of variability in set of scores
Thomas Aquinas
believed science and Christianity were at odds-believed not everybody could be taught in the same way, some people were just "dry wells"
A distribution of test scores is 75, 92, 96, 88, 75, 62, and 88. This distribution can be characterized as
bimodal with 75 and 88 as the modes.
ethics
body of principles of right, proper, or good culture
During the Middle-ages, the focus on early diagnostic techniques was on identifying
competent civil service workers
David Wechsler
developed adult intelligence test-act purposefully, think rationally, deal effectively
What would be the purpose for a doctor to administer a series of tests?
diagnosis
If the results of an examination are positively skewed, the exam questions were likely
difficult
What is the difference between the true and observed scores?
error
a body of principles of "right," "proper," or "good" conduct is referred to as a body of
ethics
According to your textbook, the demand for psychologists with expertise in psychological testing and assessment
far outweighs the supply
philippe pinel
father of psychiatry, compassionate, advocated for the moral treatment of psych patients
20th century testing
first formal tests on intelligence, personality, interests, attitudes, values, mental abilities
format
form, plan, structure, arrangement, and layout of test items and time limits
unimodal distribution
frequency distribution with one value clearly having a larger frequency than any other
psych assessment
gathering and integration of psych-related data for purpose of making psych evaluationaccomplished through the use of tools like tests
kurtosis
how flat or peaked a normal distribution is
collectivist culture
mainly eastern cultures, values group goals, cares more about what others think
dynamic assessment
interactive changing/varying in nature of assessment. 1.evaluation 2. intervention 3. evaluation
What type of reliability is used when you want to know if the items on a test assess one-and only one-dimension?
internal consistency
What type of reliability is used when you want to know whether there is consistency in the waiting of some outcome?
interrater
correlation coefficients
measure degree of relationship/correlation between 2 variables -measures how much they have in common -numerical index reflects linear relationship between 2 variables - negative one to positive one (-1 to +1)
_______________ is an error that is caused by the testing situation.
method error
mode
most frequently occurring score
The American psychological association issues both guidelines and standards. Standards ____________________________, while guidelines ____________________________-.
must be followed/are aspirational
Which of the following assess the function of the brain as it relates to everyday behaviors?
neuropsychological
For which type of data, the mode is most frequently used?
nominal data
Platokurtic
normal curves that are short and more dispersed (broader), think of a platypus
mesokertic
normal curves that have peaks of medium height and distributions that are moderate in breadth
In calculating the mean of a distribution of test scores, the person analyzing the data takes account of
only the middle scores in the distribution
What type of reliability is used when you want to know if several different forms of a test are reliable or equivalent?
parallel forms
This type of test measures the traits, qualities, or behaviors that determine a person's individuality. These tests typically include checklists, inventories, and projective techniques.
personality tests
During a football game, yards gained by running backs is an example of which type of scale?
ratio
Which is the only type of scale that has an absolute zero point?
ratio
What is the term used to describe the ability of a measurement tool to consistently measure something?
reliability
trait errors
reside in the person taking the test-sleepy, hungry, irritated, etc.
laws
rules individuals must follow for good of society
observed scores
score you actually get on a test
median
the middle most point in set of data
Measures of central tendency refer to which part of the frequency distribution?
the middle of the distribution
The beginning of the group intelligence testing movement is best associated with
the military's need to screen the intellectual ability of recruits.
psychometrics
the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, and traits