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CHAPTER 1

Psychological Testing and Assessment

If you are reading this now, you are probably enrolled in a
course that deals with tests and measurement, and you are
probably using as your primary textbook, Psychological
Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to Tests and Measurement, Seventh Edition (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010). This
workbook of exercises is a companion resource to Cohen &
Swerdlik (2010), one designed to assist you in learning the
material. The assistance comes in many forms ranging from
exercises designed to gauge comprehension of chapter material, to exercises that require creative application of that
material.

Puzzle 1

An effort has been made to make these exercises not only

valuable from a pedagogical standpoint but also enjoyable.
Many students enjoy completing crossword puzzles during
leisure time, so crossword puzzles have been incorporated as
a tool to both review some terms, and introduce new ones.
Most students also enjoy movies and there is an exercise in
each chapter that uses a movie still as a point of departure to
raise a measurement-related question. To the extent possible,
then, please have some fun with all of these exercises while
you reinforce and expand your learning from the primary
text.

Instructions Identify what is described, answer a question, or fill in the blank to complete this crossword puzzle
based on material presented in Chapter 1 of Cohen & Swerdliks Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction
to Tests and Measurement (7th edition). Some of the clues actually contain the answers in capital letters. These items
usually provide you with a sneak preview of terms you will encounter in subsequent chapters. Consider these giveaway items free spaces in the puzzle.
1

6
7

10

12

13

14
17

18

11

19

15

16

20

21

22

24
25
26
27
28

29

30

31

23

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AN OVERVIEW

Across
2. A working relationship between the examiner and the
examinee in the context of testing or assessment.
4. Common sources of it are test construction (including
item or content sampling), test administration, test scoring, and test interpretation. It is error VARIANCE.
7. The process of assigning evaluative codes or statements
to performance on tests, tasks, interviews, or other behavior samples.
8. A measuring device or procedure.
9. The assignment of numbers or symbols to characteristics of people or objects according to rules.
10. An online, electronic database maintained by the American Psychological Association designed to help users
locate psychologically relevant journal articles and
documents.
12. Its a judgment regarding how well a test or other measurement tool measures what it purports to measure. Its
a reference to a tests VALIDITY.
14. An acronym for an organization that issues credentials
of expertise in measurement to psychologists.
16. Records, transcripts, and other accounts made in written, pictorial, or other form, in any media, that preserve
archival information, official and informal accounts,
and other data and items relevant to an assessee. This
describes _______ history data.
17. Its a tool of assessment involving a procedure wherein
assessees are instructed to act as they would if they
were placed in some sort of situation. Its a(n) _______
play test.
18. The process of measuring psychology-related variables
by means of devices or procedures designed to obtain a
sample of behavior.
21. In the tradition of true score theory, a statistic designed
to estimate the extent to which an observed score
deviates from a true score is the STANDARD error of
measurement.
24. It could be a psychologist, an instructor, a counselor, an
individual who works in human resources, or any of a
number of other people. Its a test _______ .
25. Its a set of numbers or other symbols whose properties
model empirical properties of the objects or traits to
which numbers or other symbols are assigned.
27. Its used to monitor the actions of others or oneself by
visual or electronic means, by recording quantitative
and/or qualitative information about actions. Its
_______ observation.
29. Dont expect to get completely unbiased descriptions of
the virtues of tests by consulting test _______ .

30. The extent to which measurements are consistent or repeatable, this actually sets a limit on a tests validity.
31. Its almost anyone who has ever lived long enough to
take the vapor testthat is, breathing on a mirror and
seeing if the mirror gets fogged.

Down
1. Synonymous with the more antiquated term, psychometry, its the science of psychological measurement.
3. The gathering and integration of data for the purpose of
making an evaluation, accomplished through the use of
tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, and behavioral observation.
5. It is a reconstruction of a deceased individuals psychological profile on the basis of archival records, artifacts,
and interviews previously conducted with the assessee
or people who knew the assessee, and it is called a psychological _______ .
6. An evaluation or diagnostic procedure or process that
varies from the usual, customary, or standardized way
a measurement is derived; it is referred to as _______
assessment.
11. Its the test performance data of a particular group of
testtakers designed for use as a reference for evaluating,
interpreting, or otherwise placing individual test scores
in context. Its the test NORMS.
13. A description or conclusion reached on the basis of
evidence and opinion through a process of distinguishing the nature of something and ruling out alternative
conclusions.
15. A work sample.
19. In baseball its a no-no; in measurement its expected.
Its ERROR.
20. Psychologists and other professionals do it. So do talk
show hosts, typically with different objectives.
22. Phonetically its pronounced like a-bep, and its an
abbreviation for the American Board of Professional
Psychology.
23. This party to the assessment enterprise creates a test
and is called a test _______ .
26. Its a source for learning about what tests a test publisher publishes.
28. Assigning numbers in accordance with empirical properties of objects or traits. Alternatively, a term frequently used with reference to Mount Everest.
29. The abbreviation for the brainchild of Oscar Buros,
and a good Consumer Reports type of reference work
on tests.

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PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

E XE R C I S E 1-1

MOVIES AND MEASUREMENT

Feeling faint?

BACKGROUND
Self-administered tests and quizzes have been a part of our
popular-media landscape for as long as anyone living can
remember. We note with some amusement, for example,
tests published in the popular media purporting to measure a
wide variety of skills and other characteristics, including the
sex of ones brain (Moir & Jessel, 1992), childrens emotional IQ (Barko, 1993), psychic ability (Woolfolk, 1992),
communication style (Sandwith, 1994), healthy living
habits (Derrow, 1993), people smarts and other supposed
forms of intelligence (Clifford, 1992; Granat, 1990). But
what do such tests actually reveal, if anything? In the
box on pages 4 and 5 is a test along with excerpts of its
accompanying text as published in a Writers Digest article by Robyn Carr (1994) entitled Do You Have What
It Takes? After you have self-administered it and tallied
your score, think about what you have learned as a result of
the exercise. And as you make your way through the rest of
this book, think again about such self-administered tests in
the popular media and the types of things their creators
would have to do to make the test scores derived from them
meaningful.

OBJECTIVE

YOUR TASK

To verbalize some of your hopes and concerns as you begin

your study of psychological testing and assessment

Commit to paper some of your thoughts about this test and

about how much stock you think you would place in your
score. Would you be in favor of using such a test as a tool in
making important decisions about, say, college admission or
the award of a scholarship? If you were a publisher seeking
to retain authors to write books, do you think you might use
such a test as a screening tool? If you were contemplating a
career as a writer, how much stock would you place in such
a test? Why did you answer each of the last three questions
the way you did?
Perhaps your answers reflected some of the following
concerns. This test does not measure the variety of skills
people need to be writers. Is there any reason to believe that
this test identifies people who will be good writers? Furthermore, no information is given about how the cutoff scores
are established: Why is a score of 65 rated so much more
highly than a score of 64? In a related vein, if a person took
several of these kinds of tests, would the result be the same
each time? Or could a person receive a Nothing can stop
you rating on some of these kinds of tests, for example,
then score low on others? Finally, some of the questions on
this test could be confusing; perhaps some people get lower
scores because of confusion about the questions being asked,
not because of their interest in writing.
Psychometric techniques provide us with tools to address
the practical questions raised above about the quality of
tests. As we proceed in our study of psychometrics, we will
come to view the tests published in the popular media as
thought-provoking at best but seldom more than a form of
entertainment.

BACKGROUND
Was the overwhelmed actor in this 1926 Fritz Lang film
(Metropolis) enrolled in a measurement course? Probably
not. Still, matters regarding numbers, statistics, and measurement can seem a bit overwhelming. The key to mastery is
quality study time and the thoughtful completion of exercises such as the ones found in this book.
YOUR TASK
Write a brief essay entitled, Psychological Testing and Assessment: My Hopes and Concerns. In it, describe what
knowledge and skills you hope to take away from this
course. Also, describe some of your concerns and apprehensions regarding this course and how you plan to successfully
deal with them.

E XE R C I S E 1-2

A NEW PERSPECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
To assume the role of a test user as opposed to that of a
testtaker

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AN OVERVIEW

D O Y O U H A V E W H AT I T TA K E S ?

A Writers Digest Article by Robyn Carr

Do you have what it takes? Put away your doubts, your
worries, your fears. Take this simple quiz, and find out
once and for all if you have the potential to succeed as a
writer. . . . Pick the first answer that pops into your mind,
and move on to the next question.
1. I am drawn to writing because
a. I have an important message to share with the
world.
b. I have had many fascinating life experiences.
c. I love to write, and the challenge excites me.
d. I can do it in my underwear.
2. I work on my writing
a. daily.
b. most days.
c. catch as catch can.
d. I rarely have time.
3. I am writing
a. a novel too complex to describe.
b. the kind of novel I love to read.
c. the kind of novel my mother would approve of.
d. a novel that reflects what is most popular in the
marketplace.
4. I read
a. extensively.
b. occasionally.
c. rarely.
d. for entertainment.
5. In my writing career, I plan to
a. work in my underwear.
b. be isolated and solitary; I enjoy my time alone.
c. write fabulous stuff, be a great author, a star.
d. get used to being a glutton for punishment.
6. When my work is criticized, I frequently
a. have trouble understanding the problem.
b. become depressed.
c. really get into finding a solution.
d. get angry.
7. When feedback on my project suggests major
changes, I
a. write something else and try harder to get it right.
b. consider the changes and see how they work.
c. ignore suggestions and keep gathering opinions.
d. argue and explain.
8. When I finally type The End, after much hard work,
a. I send my manuscript by overnight mail to a
publisher.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

b. I put it aside for a while, then review and revise.

c. I keep working on it; it can never be too good.
d. I stash it in the closet for a year or two.
When I get a rejection, I
a. sink into depression.
b. contact the editor and ask for specifics.
c. shelve the manuscript and move on to the next.
d. mail the manuscript to another publisher.
After many rejections on a project, I
a. suffer a grave depression.
b. keep working on it until I finally get it right.
c. put it aside and work on something else.
d. take piano lessons.
Once I get that first publishing contract, I will
a. drive something younger than I am.
b. wave it in a few unsupportive faces around here.
c. write what I really want to write.
d. already have begun the next project.
The best way to achieve a successful writing career is to
a. attend many conferences.
b. study many how-to books and magazines.
c. write and read compulsively.
d. get to know editors personally.
I am fascinated by well-known authors
a. income.
b. writing style.
c. lifestyle.
d. work habits.
I have to hurry and complete my current manuscript for
a. an upcoming contest.
b. an interested editor.
c. extra money for something.
d. I dont have to hurry for anything.
When Im involved in my writing, I can be stopped by
a. a call from my mother.
b. my spouses annoyance.
c. parental responsibilities.
d. blood. Lots of it. And screams. Loud ones. Nearby.

In Carrs (1994) scoring system, five points are awarded

for each response keyed as correct, and two points for other
responses. The responses keyed correct are as follows:
1 (c), 2 (a or b), 3 (b), 4 (a), 5 (b or c), 6 (c), 7 (b), 8 (b), 9 (d),
10 (c), 11 (d), 12 (c), 13 (a, b, c, or d), 14 (d), 15 (d).
(continued)

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D O Y O U H A V E W H AT I T TA K E S ? (continued)
Summing all points yields a total score that, according to
Carr (1994), can be interpreted as follows:
6575 points: You are gutsy, brazen, brave, and determined.
You put the quality of your work and your learning ahead
of everything else and yet are not afraid to dream, and
dream big. Nothing can stop youNew York, take notice!

4554 points: Dont worrymany writers have to learn to

accept criticism, take rejection in stride, and write that sex
scene even though Aunt Gladys will probably have a heart
attack. Most writers are afraid of failure; many have trouble
protecting their writing time. But if you want to make it as
a writer, there are some things you must do; develop those
disciplines and work habits required to do the job.

5564 points: You stand a good chance of pulling it together; perhaps there are areas you need to work on, like
saying no or reading with a new mission to learn. You have
many of the qualities of successful writers, and such shortcomings as procrastination or rushing can be cured.

3044 points: Its possible you want to be a writer more

than you want to write, and probable that you have illusions
about how writing is done. Maybe youre not willing to take
criticism and rejection, not willing to read, study, and write
as much as a successful writer has to in order to make it.

E XE R C I S E 1-3

ON MEASUREMENT
OBJECTIVE
To encourage generative thinking on the subject of measurement in general

BACKGROUND
Commodities of daily life are measured in familiar units.
It is commonplace to measure, for example, gasoline by
the gallon, fruit by the pound, and waistlines by the inch.
Perhaps because we deal with these types of measurement
so frequently, we tend to take measurement for granted. In
the study of psychological testing and assessment, however,
little about the process of measurement can be taken for
granted. A variety of skills and knowledge must be brought
to bear in the development of meaningful measures as
well as in the administration and interpretation of those
measures.

YOUR TASK
Write a brief essay on the subject of measurement. In that
essay, discuss your thoughts on the subject of measurement
in generalyour essay need not relate to measurement in
psychology. Give your imagination free rein, developing
interesting concepts that have anything at all to do with measurement. Your essay can be well researched with references
to the scholarly literature. You may choose instead to write
an essay that is more informal, freewheeling, even humorous. Or, like the sample essay that follows, your essay may
combine such features.

ON MEASUREMENT
Ronald Jay Cohen
Measurement? Simple. Well, not really.
The first tools used to measure distance were probably
stones, branches, or parts of ones own body. For example,
one widely used measure of distance was the cubit, defined
as the length between an adults elbow and the outstretched middle finger. For the purposes of standardization, the length of some body part of a royal personage
could be used. An Egyptian royal cubit, for example, is
equal in length to seven palms and presumably was standardized on a pharaoh with very long arms. The standard
measure of length in the United Statesthe footis based
on the length of an English kings foot. One problem: its
difficult enough to get the cable guy to come when you
need him, let alone a pharaoh or a king.
During the Renaissance in Italy, common units of measurement included the passo (pace), the piede (foot), and
the pollice (the width of the thumb). The exact length of
each of these measures might vary a bit not only from
town to town but from trade to trade; an architects passo
might differ from that of an engineers.
The metric system simplified all of that. . . . Well, yes
and no.
How long is a meter? To provide a definitive, once-andfor-all answer to that (relatively simple) question, 17 nations met in 1875 to ratify a treaty at a meeting called the
Convention of the Meter. The nations agreed that a meter
would be equal in length to a platinum bar to be stored in a
vault at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures
in France. End of story. At least until 1960. . . .
Concerns about possible changes in an atom or two of
the platinum bar standard led to a redefinition of the
length of a meter in 1960. Another international meeting

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was convened, this one attended by representatives from

38 countries. A meter was defined as 1,650,763.73 vacuum wave-lengths of monochromatic orange light emitted
by krypton atom of mass 86. The platinum bar idea was a
lot simpler.
No, not even the measurement of simple things is as
simple as it may appear at first blush. And measuring psychological variables such as intelligence, assertiveness, or
aggressionwell, thats a whole other story.

E XE R C I S E 1-4

THE PROCESS OF ASSESSMENT

1. Of the tools of assessment available to you, which one (or

more) do you think you would use? Which wouldnt you
use? Why?
2. From what youve read in your text so far, and drawing
on your own opinions and beliefs, explain the rights and
responsibilities of each of the parties in the assessment
process with respect to your anxiety assessment project.
3. This question, if assigned by your instructor, will require a bit of research in the university library. Using
reference books, periodicals, and related sources of
information about (as well as reviews of) tests and measurement procedures, decide on your top three selections for use as a measure of anxiety in your Cramway
study. Explain why you chose the instruments or procedures you did.

OBJECTIVE
To enhance understanding of the tools of assessment as well
as the roles of each of the parties in that process

E XE R C I S E 1-5

THE INTERVIEWER/INTERVIEWEE
INTERACTION

BACKGROUND
The tools of assessment include the following:

OBJECTIVE

To better understand how an interviewers personality can

influence the conduct of an interview

the test
the interview
the case study
the portfolio or work sample
behavioral observation
computers as tools
others

The parties to the assessment process include the following:

the test developer

the test user
the testtaker
society at large

YOUR TASK
Suppose that you are an independent distributor for a company that produces natural herbs that are represented to help
students study more effectively by lessening debilitating
anxiety. For the sake of example, lets call this natural herb
company Cramway. As a Cramway representative who
also happens to be interested in psychological measurement,
you design a study to measure the effect the Cramway product has on students anxiety. Your study design is of the
pre/post variety; anxiety will be measured before beginning
the Cramway program and seven days after Cramway products have been ingested on the prescribed regimen. Now all
you need is something to measure the construct of anxiety;
something to measure how anxious a person characteristically is on any given day.1
1Technically, the construct being referred to here is the trait of anxiety
this in contrast to the more transient state of anxiety.

BACKGROUND
Think of how various interviewers you have seen or heard on
television or radio conduct their interviews; two interviews
conducted with the exact same objectives in mind, sometimes even with much the same questions, might yield different data due to characteristics of the interviewer.
YOUR TASK
One student will volunteer to play an interviewee while another will volunteer to take on the role of any well-known
celebrity interviewer. The more adept the latter student is at
impersonating the celebrity, the more fun this exercise will
be. Different teams of students, one playing the role of the
celebrity interviewer, the other playing the role of the (student) interviewee, will get up in front of the class and execute an interview. The interviewers initial prompt to the
interviewee will be Tell me about the happiest time of your
life, and follow-up questions will probe the who, what,
where, and how of whatever is described. The role of the
audience is to note the differences in the interviewers
style of interviewing.
If youre having difficulty thinking of the role of a
celebrity youd like to play, how about one of these: David
Letterman, Ted Koppel, Jerry Springer, Regis Philbin, Ellen
DeGeneres, Barbara Walters, Larry King, Oprah Winfrey,
Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Jay Leno, Howard Stern, or
Dr. Phil.

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To enhance understanding of, and promote generative thinking about, behavioral assessment

build and operate a community child day care center. The

dean has placed you in charge of hiring all of the caretakers at
the center. Further, the dean wonders aloud whether all serious candidates for jobs at the new center should be screened
for psychopathology with a test called the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2-RF). The dean asks
you to report back with your written opinion regarding the
pros and cons of using the MMPI-2-RF for this purpose.

BACKGROUND

1. What sources would you use to gather information to respond to the deans mandate?

E XE R C I S E 1-6

BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT
OBJECTIVE

Deinstitutionalization and the placement of children and

adult psychiatric patients into community-based facilities
created a need for a means by which staff could monitor
progress made in skills necessary for independent living. Behavioral checklists, such as the Emptying Garbage scale
(Roth & Hermus, 1980, p. 89) in Figure 1-1 on page 8, can
provide such a means. For this scale, note that the behavior
of taking out the garbage has been broken down into a series
of individual behaviors. Goes to garbage can and Takes
full bag from garbage can are two short-range behavior objectives that, when both are attained, meet the long-range behavior objective of Removing garbage.

YOUR TASK

2. What questions would you hope to have answered in your

sources about the MMPI-2-RF?
3. What other types of tests or assessment procedures might
you wish to include in the process of hiring day care
workers? Why?
4. Write your report to the dean.

E XE R C I S E 1-8

ADVENTURES IN CYBERSPACE
OBJECTIVE

After studying the Emptying Garbage behavioral programming scale, create your own behavioral programming
scale. Your scale should take some relatively simple behavior necessary for independent living and then break it up into
its component behaviors.

E XE R C I S E 1-7

PUTTING A TEST TO THE TEST

To become familiar with the test-related resources available

on the Internet
BACKGROUND
A number of test-related resources exist on the World Wide
Web. For example, in your textbook, reference is made to the
Web sites maintained by the Educational Testing Service
(http://www.ets.org).

OBJECTIVE

YOUR TASK

To experience firsthand what is involved in gathering information and making decisions about a psychological test

Select any psychology- or education-related variable that

you are personally interested in. Then, explore the Internet to
find out what tests or other assessment methodologies exist
to measure that variable. Download the relevant resources,
and prepare a five-minute presentation on your findings to
share with your class.

BACKGROUND
Test catalogues, test manuals, test reviews, and published research on psychological tests can help prospective users
make informed decisions regarding such instruments and
procedures. To answer questions such as Is this test appropriate for this use with this population? test users need more
than intuition; they need facts.

E XE R C I S E 1-9

THIS TEST IS RATED PG-13

YOUR TASK

OBJECTIVE

You are a psychologist employed in a university counseling

center. The dean has decided that the university is going to

To critically evaluate a well known rating system and recommend improvements to it

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FIGURE 1-1 The Taking-Out-the-Garbage Checklist

Deinstitutionalization and the placement of children and adult psychiatric patients into community-based facilities created a need
for behavioral checklists by which the facility staff gauges the progress of developmentally disabled individuals. Rudimentary
skills necessary for independent livingsuch as taking out the garbageare tracked via checklists such as the one below. This
checklist came from the Housekeeping Skills section of a book of behavioral checklists, with other sections such as Personal
Management, Kitchen Skills, Street Safety, Travel Training, Leisure Skills, and Community Skills. (Source: Roth &
Hermus, 1980, p. 89)

BEHAVIORAL PROGRAMMING SCALE

Name of Client ________________________________ Instructor _________________________ Date _____________
EMPTYING GARBAGE

LRO

SRO Behavior

Daily Recordings

Th

Weekly
total

Criteria met?
(Yes = +, No = )

1. Removing Garbage
A. Goes to garbage can.
B. Takes full bag from garbage can.
2. Disposing of Garbage
C. Takes bag of garbage to trash can.
D. Opens trash can.
E. Places garbage in trash can.
F. Closes trash can.
3. Lining Can with New Bag
G. Goes to closet.
H. Takes new garbage bag.
I. Takes bag to garbage can.
J. Places bag in can.
K. Pushes bag into can.
L. Overlaps bag top over can top.
LRO = Long-range behavior objective; SRO = Short-range behavior objective
Enter 1 through 7 in appropriate box to indicate clients level of skill. Criterion is met when
a score of 7 is achieved four times out of five for two consecutive trial periods.

BACKGROUND
We have all heard of the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA) rating system. There is, for example,
PG-13 which stands for parents being strongly cautioned
with respect to allowing children younger than 13 to see the
movie. Theres also G for general audiences, PG for
parental guidance suggested, and NC-17 for no one 17
and under admitted.
Have you ever wondered who actually evaluates movies
and gives them one of these five age-based ratings? It is
actually a group of 8 to 13 parents who are employed

full-time by MPAA to watch and evaluate movies. Some

criteria used for rating films PG through NC-17 are
published on the MPAA Web site (http://www.mpaa.org).
There you will find, for example, that an R-rated film may
include hard language or tough violence, or nudity within
sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a
combination of some of the above, so that parents are
counseled, in advance, to take this advisory rating very
seriously.
The group of parents who do the rating sees a film submitted by a producer, discusses the film, and then votes on a

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rating. A majority vote wins. Beyond that description, few

details regarding the actual rating process have been
provided by the MPAA. We do know that regardless how the
board of paid parents votes, their rating can be overturned
by the two-thirds vote of an appeals board that is made up of
14 to 18 entertainment industry members.
If there is mystery about the process of rating movies, it is
only the tip of the iceberg with regard to mystery about
ratings in the entertainment industry in general. There are
television rating systems presented with age-range recommendations and content summaries in icon form. There are
rating systems for music, electronic software, and coinoperated video games. There is even a rating system for
Internet content promulgated by the Internet Content Rating
Association. Reviewing these systems and the literature
available on them, one research team concluded:
The efforts of a variety of independent media industries
have resulted in a dizzying array of ratings, icons, definitions, and procedures that are, in many cases, difficult to
understand and remember. Almost all of these rating
systems have been prompted by the threat of government
intervention, and each industry has attempted to balance the
provision of information against its own economic concerns.
Although creating a rating system that works well for
parents is not an easy task, it is clear that the preferences of
parents have not often prevailed. (Bushman & Cantor, 2003,
pp. 138139)

YOUR TASK
As a student of psychological testing and assessment, it is
instructive to contrast the MPAA movie rating system with
evaluation using psychological tests. Write an essay comparing the MPAA movie rating system with evaluation in
psychology. In your essay, be sure to include reference to
some of the relevant issues. For example, think about issues
of definition. How clearly is whatever is being measured by
a psychological test defined? What about the clarity of the
definition of terms in the MPAA system? Conclude your
essay by developing an MPAA-like rating scale for psychological tests. Come up with 3 or 4 rating scales to guide test
use decisions of test users, much like ratings such as
PG-13 and R are designed to guide ticket-buying decisions of parents.

E XE R C I S E 1-10

ACCOMMODATING A PERSON
WITH A DISABILITY
OBJECTIVE
To consider ways in which accommodations may be made
for physically disabled testtakers

BACKGROUND
The law mandates some form of alternate assessment when
an assessee who is physically disabled requires psychological assessment and cannot be assessed by the usual means.
Accommodation may take many different forms. It may take
the form of a modification in the way a test is presented or in
the way the assessee responds to the test. Accommodation
may mean that one test or measurement procedure is substituted for another. Accommodation may take the form of
extended time limits or a change in the physical or interpersonal environment in which a test is administered.

YOUR TASK
Prepare a presentation on how a paper-and-pencil test of
academic achievement might be administered in some alternate way to persons who are (a) visually impaired, (b) hearing
impaired, and (c) motor-impaired (with no voluntary use of
arms). Your presentation may include drawings, photos, or
other visual aids.

REFERENCES
Barko, N. (1993, August). Whats your childs emotional IQ? Working
Mother, 16, 3335.
Bushman, B.J. & Cantor, J. (2003). Media Ratings for violence and
sex. Implications for Policymakers and Parents. American Psychologists, 58, 130141.
Carr, R. (1994, April). Do you have what it takes? Writers Digest, 74,
2023.
Clifford, C. (1992, Spring). What kind of intelligence do you have?
YM, pp. 3439.
Derrow, P. (1993, June). Are your habits healthy? Weight Watchers
Magazine, 26, 1820.
Granat, D. (1990, September). What make you so smart? Washingtonian, 25, 134141.
Moir, A., & Jessel, D. (1992, January). Discover your brains sex.
Readers Digest (Canadian English Edition), 140, 8991.
Roth, M. R., & Hermus, G. P. (1980). Developmental plan handbook for
community skills training (2nd ed.). New York: Developmental Press.
Sandwith, P. (1994, January). Building quality into communications.
Training and Development, 48(1), 5559.
Woolfolk, J. M. (1992, Spring). Are you psychic? YM, pp. 6064.

THE 4-QUESTION CHALLENGE

In general, this self-administered test samples material from
the beginning, middle, and end of each chapter in your textbook. The questions are very straightforward and in some
instances represent verbatim excerpts from the book. This
Challenge may help to serve as a rough gauge of how well
you are attending to all of the material in each chapter.
After reading a chapter in your textbook, take the corresponding 4-Question Challenge. Give yourself one point for
each correct answer. If all four items are answered correctly,
your score will be 4. Do your best on these tests over the

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AN OVERVIEW

course of the term. Then note how your final grade in this
course corresponds to your 4-Question Challenge average.
Here is your first 4-Question Challenge:
1. Which does NOT belong?
a. dynamic assessment
b. vocational assessment
c. therapeutic assessment
d. collaborative assessment
2. A television producer hires a director for a new show after viewing samples of the directors work on other television shows. Using the language of psychometrics, we
could say that the director was hired on the basis of
a. a portfolio assessment.
b. a behavioral assessment.
c. a case study evaluation.
d. an interview.

3. Which is BEST associated with on-site scoring and

interpretation of computer-administered tests?
a. central processing
b. teleprocessing
c. local processing
d. photo processing
4. If you needed a current, unbiased evaluation of a wellknown psychological test, which would be the best source
to consult?
a. Whos Who in Psychological Assessment?
b. the tests published manual
c. the current edition of the test publishers catalogue
d. the current edition of the Mental Measurements
Yearbook