Midterm Study Guide:

4308:Theories and Principles of Psychological Testing

Spring, 2015
1. Why are psychological tests used?
a. To compare individual behavior or task compared to the
normative sample.
b. Research or self-knowledge
c. Program evaluation

2. What are some of the most common settings (and reasons)

where psychological tests are used?
3. Why should tests be administered in a standardized manner?
a. For the test interpretation be more reliable. To administer
test as directed in the manual as to not deviate.
b. Anything from placement to materials, manner of reading,
and temperature as factors that can increase testing
errors. Since test are going to be compared to the
normative sample.
4. What is the difference between psychological testing and
psychological assessment?
5. What is the main purpose of normed-reference tests?
a. Compare examinees performance with those who
participated in the normative/standardized sample
b. For non-observable behaviors which you are not usually
exposed to. In contrast to criterion where you are
already exposed to such thing and you are required
to meet such criteria. M,;.m
6. What are some sources of testing error?
7. What do percentile ranks tell you about someones performance
in a normed-reference test?

8. Whats the difference between raw scores and standard scores?

9. What is the difference between normed reference tests and

criterion reference tests?
10.

What is reliability?
a. Refer to review/notes
b. Refers to the extent in which scores generalize to
c. Reliable Not Valid & Not Reliable Not Valid

11.

What are the different types of reliability?

a. Inter-rater reliability
b. Alternate-form reliability
c. Internal consistency (split half and Cronbachs alpha)

12.

Standards of reliability for individual decisions?

13.

What is validity?

14.

What are the different types of validity?

Criterion referenced
Predictive
Concurrent
Construct (divergent and convergent)

a.
b.
c.
d.
15.

Is one type of validity enough?

16.

How is validity and reliability different?

17.
A valid test must be reliable; however, a reliable test would
not always be valid explain why.
18.

What are the steps for developing/constructing a test?

19.
What type of scales (likert or dichotomous) allow us to
conduct additional statistics/factor analysis?

20.
a.
b.
c.
d.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of:

Multiple choice
Dichotomous/ true false
Check lists
Likert scales