Psy 475 Introduction To Psychological Testing
Introduction to Psychological Testing Paper
Eric Sotelo
PSYCH/475
February 20, 2013
John Papazafiropoulos, C.A.F.
Abstract
We will summarize the major assumptions and fundamental questions associated with psychological testing by addressing the definition of what a test is, describe the major categories of tests and identify the major uses and users of these tests, compare and contrast the concepts of reliability and validity and discuss how they affect the field of psychological testing.
What is a test?
Major Test Categories and their Uses There are five major categories of tests: mental ability, achievement, personality, interests and attitudes, and neuropsychological tests. These tests have specific meanings and uses:
Mental Ability Tests In psychological testing, mental ability includes a variety of cognitive functions which include: memory, spatial visualization, and creative thinking (Hogan, 2007). Historically, psychological testing has been associated with intelligence testing in a very broadened sense. Psychological tests are subdivided individually, group-administered and several different other tests (Hogan, 2007). Examples of administered intelligence tests are the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), The Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale …show more content…
and Group-administered intelligent test the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (Hogan, 2007). The Otis-Lennon School ability test is administered to groups of school students which provide a baseline of overall mental ability on an individual level (Hogan, 2007).
Achievement Tests The achievement tests is an attempt to assess the knowledge baseline of an individual on a particular area (Hogan, 2007).
This test type can have a vast array of varieties of tests used to measure knowledge ability. This test type is subdivided into several categories starting with achievement batteries used in elementary and middle school (Hogan, 2007). Some of these examples include: the Stanford Achievement Test, the Metropolitan Achievement Test, & the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (Hogan, 2007). These tests cover the areas of mathematics, language, science, and social studies. The next subdivision covers single-subject tests (Hogan,
2007).
Personality Tests The personality test is also referred to as objective personality test. The objective part of that title just means that the tests are objectively scored. This is true in the examples found in a true-false format in tests like: the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). MMPI shows presentations of several researched clinical groups. The BDI and the EDI measure depression, eating disorders as their names suggests. These are designed to measure whether there are pathological conditions (Hogan, 2007). The second major category is referred to as the Projective Techniques. The most famous of these techniques is called the Rorschach Inkblot Test, usually referred to as the “inkblot” test (Hogan, 2007).
Interests and Attitudes This category measures interests and attitudes which are subdivided into other categories. The first subdivision is called vocational interest measures. These are utilized in high schools and colleges to help assist in exploring different relevant job possibilities (Hogan, 2007). An example of this category is the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), and the Kuder Career Search. The Strong and the Kuder come in several different version (Hogan, 2007).
Neuropsychological Tests And finally the Neurological test are designed to measure the functioning of the central nervous system and more specifically the brain (Hogan, 2007). This test category comes from the other categories that we have mentioned here. Some say that it should not be a category at all since it retrieves information from those sources. Many neurological tests utilizes ability and personality tests. Other tests are used to measure memory for verbal, figural material, psychomotor, coordination, and abstract thinking (Hogan, 2007).
Concepts: Reliability and Validity To understand how reliable and valid a test is, we have to assume a few things first in order to have a baseline to work off of (Hogan, 2007). These basic assumptions are based on four very partially overlapping and distinct assumptions. People are different in important traits, we can quantify these traits, the traits are reasonably stable, and the measurements of those traits relate to actual behavioral norms (Hogan, 2007).
Conclusion
Finding if and how a test is reliable and valid has to do with if a trait is measurable or not. Those measurable traits are common within humans which can be a baseline for the reliability litmus test. How how valid something is depends on the reliability of the tests in their outcomes.
References
Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Eric Sotelo
PSYCH/475
February 20, 2013
John Papazafiropoulos, C.A.F.
Abstract
We will summarize the major assumptions and fundamental questions associated with psychological testing by addressing the definition of what a test is, describe the major categories of tests and identify the major uses and users of these tests, compare and contrast the concepts of reliability and validity and discuss how they affect the field of psychological testing.
What is a test?
Major Test Categories and their Uses There are five major categories of tests: mental ability, achievement, personality, interests and attitudes, and neuropsychological tests. These tests have specific meanings and uses:
Mental Ability Tests In psychological testing, mental ability includes a variety of cognitive functions which include: memory, spatial visualization, and creative thinking (Hogan, 2007). Historically, psychological testing has been associated with intelligence testing in a very broadened sense. Psychological tests are subdivided individually, group-administered and several different other tests (Hogan, 2007). Examples of administered intelligence tests are the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), The Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale …show more content…
and Group-administered intelligent test the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (Hogan, 2007). The Otis-Lennon School ability test is administered to groups of school students which provide a baseline of overall mental ability on an individual level (Hogan, 2007).
Achievement Tests The achievement tests is an attempt to assess the knowledge baseline of an individual on a particular area (Hogan, 2007).
This test type can have a vast array of varieties of tests used to measure knowledge ability. This test type is subdivided into several categories starting with achievement batteries used in elementary and middle school (Hogan, 2007). Some of these examples include: the Stanford Achievement Test, the Metropolitan Achievement Test, & the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (Hogan, 2007). These tests cover the areas of mathematics, language, science, and social studies. The next subdivision covers single-subject tests (Hogan,
2007).
Personality Tests The personality test is also referred to as objective personality test. The objective part of that title just means that the tests are objectively scored. This is true in the examples found in a true-false format in tests like: the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). MMPI shows presentations of several researched clinical groups. The BDI and the EDI measure depression, eating disorders as their names suggests. These are designed to measure whether there are pathological conditions (Hogan, 2007). The second major category is referred to as the Projective Techniques. The most famous of these techniques is called the Rorschach Inkblot Test, usually referred to as the “inkblot” test (Hogan, 2007).
Interests and Attitudes This category measures interests and attitudes which are subdivided into other categories. The first subdivision is called vocational interest measures. These are utilized in high schools and colleges to help assist in exploring different relevant job possibilities (Hogan, 2007). An example of this category is the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), and the Kuder Career Search. The Strong and the Kuder come in several different version (Hogan, 2007).
Neuropsychological Tests And finally the Neurological test are designed to measure the functioning of the central nervous system and more specifically the brain (Hogan, 2007). This test category comes from the other categories that we have mentioned here. Some say that it should not be a category at all since it retrieves information from those sources. Many neurological tests utilizes ability and personality tests. Other tests are used to measure memory for verbal, figural material, psychomotor, coordination, and abstract thinking (Hogan, 2007).
Concepts: Reliability and Validity To understand how reliable and valid a test is, we have to assume a few things first in order to have a baseline to work off of (Hogan, 2007). These basic assumptions are based on four very partially overlapping and distinct assumptions. People are different in important traits, we can quantify these traits, the traits are reasonably stable, and the measurements of those traits relate to actual behavioral norms (Hogan, 2007).
Conclusion
Finding if and how a test is reliable and valid has to do with if a trait is measurable or not. Those measurable traits are common within humans which can be a baseline for the reliability litmus test. How how valid something is depends on the reliability of the tests in their outcomes.
References
Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.