Psychological Testing

and Assessment
An Introduction to Test and Measurement
 PART I: OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 1: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

Psychological assessment is the gathering and integration of

psychology - related data for the purpose of making a psychological
evaluation that is accomplished through the use of tools such as tests,
interviews, case studies, behavioral observation, and specially designed
apparatuses and measurement procedures.
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
Psychological Testing and Assessment Defined

Psychological testing is the process of measuring psychology-

related variables by means of devices or procedures designed to obtain
a sample of behavior.
Testing in Contrast to Assessment

TESTING ASSESSMENT
OBJECTIVE:

Typically, to obtain some gauge, usually Typically, to answer a referral question,

numerical in nature, with regard to an solve a problem, or arrive at a decision
ability or attribute. through the use of tools of evaluation.
Testing in Contrast to Assessment
TESTING
PROCESS
Testing may be individual or group in
nature. After test administration, the
tester will typically add up “the number
of correct answers or the number of
certain types of responses . . . with little
if any regard for the how or mechanics
of such content”
ASSESSMENT
Assessment is typically individualized. In
contrast to testing, assessment more
typically focuses on how an individual
processes rather than simply the results
of that processing.
Testing in Contrast to Assessment

TESTING ASSESSMENT
ROLE OF EVALUATOR

The tester is not key to the process; The assessor is key to the process of
practically speaking, one tester may be selecting tests and/or other tools of
substituted for another tester without evaluation as well as in drawing
appreciably affecting the evaluation. conclusions from the entire evaluation.
Testing in Contrast to Assessment

TESTING ASSESSMENT
SKILL OF EVALUATOR
Assessment typically requires an
Testing typically requires technician-like educated selection of tools of
skills in terms of administering and evaluation, skill in evaluation, and
scoring a test as well as in interpreting a thoughtful organization and integration
test result. of data.
Testing in Contrast to Assessment
TESTING ASSESSMENT
OUTCOME

Typically, testing yields a test score or Typically, assessment entails a logical

series of test scores. problem-solving approach that brings to
bear many sources of data designed to
shed light on a referral question.
The Process of Assessment

• The process of assessment begins with a referral for assessment from

a source such as a teacher, a school psychologist, a counselor, a judge,
a clinician, or a corporate human resources specialist.
• Referral questions; ex. “Can this child function in a regular
classroom?”
• The assessor may meet with the assessee or others before the formal
assessment in order to clarify aspects of the reason for referral.
• The assessor prepares for the assessment by selecting the tools of
assessment to be used.
The Process of Assessment

• Subsequent to the selection of the instruments or

procedures to be employed, the formal assessment will
begin.
• After the assessment, the assessor writes a report of the
findings that is designed to answer the referral question.
• More feedback sessions with the assessee and/or
interested third parties.
Assessment Approaches

• Collaborative Psychological Assessment

The assessor and assessee may work as “partners”
from initial contact through final feedback.
• Therapeutic Psychological Assessment
Therapeutic self-discovery and new understandings
are encouraged throughout the assessment process.
• Dynamic Assessment
an interactive approach to psychological assessment
that usually follows a model of (1) evaluation, (2)
intervention of some sort, and (3) evaluation.
Tools of Psychological Assessment

• The Test
• Interview
• Portfolio
• Case History Data
• Behavioral Observation
• Role Play Tests
• Computer as Tools
• Other Tools
The Test

• Psychological test refers to a device or procedure designed to

measure variables related to psychology (example, intelligence,
personality, aptitude, interests, attitudes, and values).
• Psychological tests and other tools of assessment may differ with
respect to a number of variables such as content, format,
administration procedures, scoring and interpretation procedures,
and technical quality.
• The term format pertains to the form, plan, structure, arrangement,
and layout of test items as well as to related considerations such as
time limits.
The Test

• Tests differ in their administration procedures. Some tests,

particularly those designed for administration on a one-to-
one basis, may require an active and knowledgeable test
administrator.
• Tests differ in their scoring and interpretation procedures.
-Scoring is the process of assigning such evaluative
codes or statements to performance on tests, tasks,
interviews, or other behavior samples.
-A cut score is a reference point, usually numerical,
derived by judgment and used to divide a set of data into
two or more classifi cations
 The Test
• Psychometrics is defined as the science of psychological
measurement.
• Psychometric soundness of a test when referring to how consistently
and how accurately a psychological test measures what it purports to
measure.
• Psychometric utility refers to the usefulness or practical value that a
test or assessment technique has for a particular purpose.
 Interview
• Interview as a method of gathering information through direct
communication involving reciprocal exchange.
• The interviewer is taking note of both verbal and nonverbal behavior.
E.g body language, movements, facial expressions, eye contact, the
dress of the interviewee, and the apparent willingness to cooperate
• Panel interview, more than one interviewer participates in the
personnel assessment.
 Portfolio
• Interview as a method of gathering information through direct
communication involving reciprocal exchange.
• The interviewer is taking note of both verbal and nonverbal behavior.
E.g body language, movements, facial expressions, eye contact, the
dress of the interviewee, and the apparent willingness to cooperate
• Panel interview, more than one interviewer participates in the
personnel assessment.
 Case History Data
• Case history data refers to records, transcripts, and other accounts in
written, pictorial, or other form that preserve archival information,
official and informal accounts, and other data and items relevant to
an assesse.
• Case history data is also synonymous to case study.
 Behavioral Observation
• Behavioral Observation is defined as monitoring the actions of others
or oneself by visual or electronic means while recording quantitative
and/or qualitative information regarding the actions
• Naturalistic observation researchers venture outside of the confines
of clinics, classrooms, workplaces, and research laboratories to
observe behavior of humans in a natural setting.
• Behavioral observation tends to be used infrequently outside of
research facilities, prisons, inpatient clinics, and other types of
facilities where the observers have ready access to assessees.
 Role Play Test
• Role-play test is a tool of assessment wherein assessees are directed
to act as if they were in a particular situation.
• Assessees may then be evaluated with regard to their expressed
thoughts, behaviors, abilities, and other variables.
• The context of the role play may be created by various techniques
ranging from live actors to computer-generated simulation.
 Computer as Tools
• Computers can serve as test administrators (online or off) and as
highly efficient test scorers. Within seconds they can derive not only
test scores but patterns of test scores.
• Local Processing –Scoring is done on-site.
• Central Processing –central location
• Teleprocessing –Phoned, emailed, or courier.
 Test Report
• simple scoring report -mere listing of score or scores
• extended scoring -includes statistical analyses of the test taker's
performance.
• interpretive report -inclusion of numerical or narrative interpretive
statements.
• consultative report -provide expert opinion concerning analysis of the
data.
• integrative report -employ previously collected data (such as medication
records or behavioral observation data) into the test report.
Computer as Tools

• CAPA refers to computer assisted psychological assessment.

-”assisted” refers to the assistance computers provide to the test
user, not the test taker.
-enables to develop psychometrically sound tests using
mathematical procedures and calculations.
CAPA: Pros and Cons
PROS
CAPA saves professional time in test
administration, scoring, and
interpretation.
CAPA results in minimal scoring errors
resulting from human error or lapses of
attention or judgment.
CONS
Professionals must still spend significant
time reading software and hardware
documentation and even ancillary books
on the test and its interpretation.
With CAPA, the possibility of software or
hardware error is ever present, from
difficult-to-pinpoint sources such as
software glitches or hardware
malfunction.
CAPA: Pros and Cons
PROS
CAPA assures standardized test
administration to all testtakers with
little, if any, variation in test
administration procedures.
CAPA yields standardized interpretation
of findings due to elimination of
unreliability traceable to differing points
of view in professional judgment
CONS
CAPA leaves those testtakers at a
disadvantage who are unable to employ
familiar test-taking strategies
CAPA’s standardized interpretation of
findings based on a set, unitary
perspective may not be optimal;
interpretation could profit from
alternative viewpoints.
CAPA: Pros and Cons
PROS
Computers’ capacity to combine data
according to rules is more accurate than
that of humans.
Nonprofessional assistants can be used
in the test administration process, and
the test can typically be administered to
groups of testtakers in one sitting.
CONS
Computers lack the flexibility of humans
to recognize the exception to a rule in
the context of the “big picture.”
Use of nonprofessionals leaves
diminished, if any, opportunity for the
professional to observe the assessee’s
testtaking behavior and note any
unusual extra-test conditions that may
have affected responses.
CAPA: Pros and Cons
PROS CONS
Professional groups such as APA develop Profit-driven nonprofessionals may also
guidelines and standards for use of CAPA create and dis tribute tests with little
products. regard for professional guidelines and
standards.
Paper-and-pencil tests may be converted The use of paper-and-pencil tests that
to CAPA products with consequential have been converted for computer
advantages, such as a shorter time administration raises questions about
between the administration of the test the equivalence of the original test and
and its scoring and interpretation. its converted form.
CAPA: Pros and Cons
PROS
Security of CAPA products can be
maintained not only by traditional
means (such as locked filing cabinets)
but by high-tech electronic products
(such as firewalls).
Computers can automatically tailor test
content and length based on responses
of testtakers.
CONS
Security of CAPA products can be
breached by computer hackers, and
integrity of data can be altered or
destroyed by untoward events such as
introduction of computer viruses
Not all testtakers take the same test or
have the same test-taking experience.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• Who Are the Parties Involve in the Assessment?

-Test Developer and publisher

-Test user
-Test taker
-Evaluator/assessor of the means of test
-Society as part of the assessment enterprise
Test takers may vary on a continuum with respect to numerous
variables:

• Test anxiety
• Understanding the rationale for the assessment
• Capacity and willingness to cooperate
• Physical pain or emotional distress
• physical discomfort
Test takers may vary on a continuum with respect to numerous
variables:

• extent to which they are alert and wide awake

• extent to which they are predisposed to stimulus statements
• extent to which they have received prior coaching
• Attribution of portraying themselves in good or bad light
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

-Educational settings
-School ability tests
-Achievement test (Ex. SAT, GRE)

In educational settings, diagnostic tests of reading, mathematics, and

other academic subjects may be administered to assess the need for
educational intervention.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

- Clinical settings
-used to help screen for or diagnose behavior problems.
-tests employed in clinical settings may be intelligence tests,
personality tests, neuropsychological tests, or other specialized
instruments.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

-Counseling settings
-The ultimate objective is the improvement of the assessee in
terms of adjustment, productivity, or some related variable.
-Type of test used: Social and academic skills, measures of
personality, interest, attitudes, and values.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

-Geriatric settings
-evaluates cognitive, psychological, adaptive, or other
functioning of older individual.
-Assessment in quality of life
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

-Governmental and organizational credentialing

-governmental licensing, certification, or general credentialing of
professionals
-Before they are legally entitled to practice medicine, physicians
must pass an examination
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

-Health psychology
-focuses on understanding the role of psychological variables in
the onset, course, treatment, and prevention of illness, disease, and
disability
-involved in teaching, research, or direct-service activities
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• How Are Assessments Conducted?

Common ground in terms of how the assessor prepares for the

assessment:
-how the assessment is administered
-how the scores or results of the assessment are used
-how the entire record of the assessment is stored

Test users have obligations before, during, and after a test is

administered.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• How Are Assessments Conducted?
Ethical guide:
-ensure that its specific contents will not be made known in
advance
-ensure that a prepared and suitably trained person administers
the test properly
-test administrator (or examiner) must be familiar with the test
materials
-Materials and venue is placed.
-Rapport
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• How Are Assessments Conducted?

Assessment of People with disabilities

-Assessed the way normal people are assessed
-Similar treatment in obtain employment, professional
credential, screened for psychopathology, etc.

Alternate assessment –Program for children with disabilities who can’t

participate in state assessments.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• How Are Assessments Conducted?

Assessment of People with disabilities

-Assessed the way normal people are assessed
-Similar treatment in obtain employment, professional
credential, screened for psychopathology, etc.

Alternate assessment –Program for children with disabilities who can’t

participate in state assessments.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• How Are Assessments Conducted?

Assessment of People with disabilities

Accommodation in psychological testing is the adaptation of a
test, procedure, or situation, or the substitution of one test for another,
to make the assessment more suitable for an assessee with exceptional
needs.
-Braille translated test for assessee with visual impairement.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• How Are Assessments Conducted?

Assessment of People with disabilities

Alternate assessment is an evaluative procedure or process
where the measurement is derived either by virtue of some special
acommodation made to the assessee or by means of alternative
methods designed to measure the same variable(s).
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• Where to Go for Authoritative Information: Reference Sources

-Test Catalogues
-readily accessible sources of information is a catalogue
distributed by the publisher of the test. B
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• Where to Go for Authoritative Information: Reference Sources

-Test manuals
-Detailed information concerning the development of a
particular test and technical information relating to it
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• Where to Go for Authoritative Information: Reference Sources

-Reference volumes
-provides detailed information for each test listed, including test
publisher, author, purpose, intended test population, and
administration time.
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• Where to Go for Authoritative Information: Reference Sources

-Journal articles
-contain reviews of the test, updated or independent studies of
its psychometric soundness, or examples of how the instrument was
used .
Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
• Where to Go for Authoritative Information: Reference Sources

-Online databases
-locating psychology-related information in journal articles, book
chapters, and doctoral dissertations.
Sources of Information About Tests: Some Pros and Cons

INFORMATION SOURCE PROS CONS

Test catalogues available Contains general Primarily designed to sell
from the publisher description of test, the test to test users and
including what it is seldom contains any
designed to do and who it critical reviews.
is designed to be used Information not detailed
with. Readily available to enough for basing a
most anyone who decision to use the test.
requests a catalogue.
Sources of Information About Tests: Some Pros and Cons

INFORMATION SOURCE PROS CONS

Test manual Usually the most detailed Details regarding the test’s
source available for psychometric soundness
information regarding the are usually self-serving
standardization sample and written on the basis of
and test administration studies conducted by the
instructions. test author and/or test
publisher.
Sources of Information About Tests: Some Pros and Cons
INFORMATION SOURCE PROS
Reference volumes contains descriptions and
critical reviews of a test
written by third parties
who presumably have
nothing to gain or lose by
praising or criticizing the
instrument, its
standardization sample,
and its psychometric
soundness.
CONS
Few disadvantages if
reviewer is genuinely
trying to be objective and
is knowledgeable, but as
with any r eview, can
provide a misleading
picture if this is not the
case.
Sources of Information About Tests: Some Pros and Cons

INFORMATION SOURCE PROS CONS

Journal articles Up-to-date source of As with reference
reviews and studies of volumes, reviews are
psychometric soundness. valuable to the extent
Can provide practical they are informed and, to
examples of how an the extent that is possible,
instrument is used in unbiased.
research or applied
contexts.
Sources of Information About Tests: Some Pros and Cons

INFORMATION SOURCE PROS CONS

Online databases Widely known and Some sites masquerading
respected online as databases for
databases such as the ERIC psychological tests are
database are virtual “gold designed more to
mines” of useful entertain or to sell
information containing something than to inform.
varying amounts of detail.
 PART I: OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 2: Historical, Cultural, and Legal/Ethical
Considerations
Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century
• Tests and testing programs first came into being in China as early as
2200 b.c.e
• Instituted as a means of selecting who, of many applicants, would
obtain government jobs
• Proficiency in endeavors such as music, archery, horsemanship,
writing, and arithmetic were examined
• Subjects such as agriculture, geography, revenue, civil law, and
military strategy is also prioritized.
Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century

• Test takers who demonstrated their command of the classics were

perceived as having acquired the wisdom of the past.
• Imperial examinations, for official positions were in force.
• Greco-Roman writings indicative of attempts to categorize people in
terms of personality types.
• During Charles Darwin’s type ground breaking theories where
discovered.
• It leads Francis Galton to exert efforts to explore and quantify
individual differences between people.
Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century

• Assessment was also an important activity at the first experimental

psychology laboratory, founded at the University of Leipzig by
Wilhelm Max Wundt
• James McKeen Cattell completed a doctoral dissertation that dealt
with individual differences—specifically, individual differences in
reaction time.
• Charles Spearman is credited with originating the concept of test
reliability as well as building the mathematical framework for the
statistical technique of factor analysis.
The Twentieth Century

• The Measurement of Intelligence

- Alfred Binet and his colleague Victor Henri published articles in
measurement of abilities such as memory and social comprehension.
- Binet and Theodore Simon published a 30-item “measuring scale of
intelligence” designed to help identify mentally retarded Paris
schoolchildren.
- In 1939, David Wechsler introduced a test designed to measure adult
intelligence
- Christened the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, the test was
subsequently revised and renamed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
(WAIS)
The Twentieth Century

• The Measurement of Intelligence

- Christened the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, the test
was subsequently revised and renamed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Scale (WAIS)
-Developed by Binet, Group intelligence tests came into being in
response to the military’s need for an efficient method of screening the
intellectual ability of World War I recruits.
The Twentieth Century

• The Measurement of Personality

- Robert S. Woodworth was assigned the task of developing a
measure of adjustment and emotional stability that could be
administered quickly and efficiently to groups of recruits.
- The Woodworth Psychoneurotic Inventory was the first widely
used self-report test of personality.
-Self-report test are arguably the best-qualified people to
provide answers about themselves.
The Twentieth Century

• The Measurement of Personality

- Projective test is one in which an individual is assumed to
“project” onto some ambiguous stimulus his or her own unique needs,
fears, hopes, and motivation.
- inkblot, a drawing, a photograph
- Hermann Rorschach developed the most common inkblot
projective test.
The Twentieth Century

• The Academic and Applied Traditions

- assessment are practiced today in university psychology
laboratories as a means of furthering knowledge about human and
animal behavior.
Culture and Assessment

• Culture is defined as “the socially transmitted behavior patterns,

beliefs, and products of work of a particular population, community,
or group of people”
• Culture teaches specifi c rituals to be performed at birth, marriage,
death, and other momentous occasions.
Culture and Assessment

• Professionals in the assessment enterprise have shown increasing

sensitivity to the role of culture in many different aspects of
measurement.
• In greater consideration of cultural issues with respect to every aspect
of test development and use, including decision making on the basis
of test data.
Evolving Interest in Culture-Related Issues

• Henry H. Goddard, who had been highly instrumental in getting

Binet’s test adopted for use in various settings in the United States.
Goddard raised questions about how meaningful such tests are when
used with people from various cultural and language backgrounds.
• Culture-specific tests, or tests designed for use with people from one
culture but not from another.
- Deal with the impact of language and culture on tests of mental a
bility was, in essence, to “isolate” the cultural variable.
Some Issues Regarding Culture and Assessment

• Verbal communication
-Language, the means by which information is communicated, is
a key yet sometimes overlooked variable in the assessment process.
-a trained examiner may detect through verbal or nonverbal
means that the examinee’s grasp of a language or a dialect is too
deficient to proceed.
-In the assessment of an individual whose profi ciency in the
English language is limited or nonexistent, some basic questions may
need to be raised
Some Issues Regarding Culture and Assessment

• Nonverbal communication and behavior

-Facial expressions, finger and hand signs, and shifts in one’s
position in space may all convey messages.
-the messages conveyed by such body language may be different
from culture to culture
Some Issues Regarding Culture and Assessment

• Standards of evaluation
-A challenge inherent in the assessment concerns tempering
test- and assessment-related outcomes with good judgment regarding
the cultural relativity
-this means raising questions about the applicability of
assessment-related fi ndings to specifi c individuals.
Tests and Group Membership

• Test leave little doubt that people differ from one another on an
individual basis and also from group to group.
• affirmative action refers to voluntary and mandatory efforts
undertaken by federal, state, and local governments, private
employers, and schools to combat discrimination and to promote
equal opportunity in education and employment for all
• way of implementing affirmative action is by altering test scoring
procedures according to set guidelines
Tests and Group Membership

• Psychology, tests, and public policy

-tests and other tools of assessment are portrayed as
instruments that can have a momentous and immediate impact on
one’s life.
Legal and Ethical Considerations

• a body of ethics is a body of principles of right, proper, or good

conduct.
• a code of professional ethics is recognized and accepted by members
of a profession, it defines the standard of care expected of members
of that profession
Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Legislation
- minimum competency testing programs (1970): formal testing
programs designed to be used in decisions regarding various aspects of
students’ education.
- Truth-in-testing legislation: objective of these laws was to
provide testtakers with a means of learning the criteria by which they
are being judged.
Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Litigation
- referred to as “judge-made law” as it typically comes in the
form of a ruling by a court.
- A psychologist acting as an expert witness in a civil matter could
conceivably offer opinions on many different types of issues
The Concerns of the Profession

• Test-user qualifications
This report defi ned three levels of tests in terms of the degree to
which the test’s use required knowledge of testing and psychology.
-Level A: Tests or aids that can adequately be administered, scored, and
interpreted with the aid of the manual and a general orientation to the
kind of institution or organization in which one is working (for instance,
achievement or proficiency tests).
The Concerns of the Profession

• Test-user qualifications
This report defi ned three levels of tests in terms of the degree to
which the test’s use required knowledge of testing and psychology.
-Level B: Tests or aids that require some technical knowledge of test
construction and use and of supporting psychological and educational
fi elds such as statistics, individual differences, psychology of
adjustment, personnel psychology, and guidance (e.g., aptitude tests
and adjustment inventories applicable to normal populations).
The Concerns of the Profession

• Test-user qualifications
This report defined three levels of tests in terms of the degree to which
the test’s use required knowledge of testing and psychology.
-Level C: Tests and aids that require substantial understanding of
testing and supporting psychological fields together with supervised
experience in the use of these devices (for instance, projective tests,
individual mental tests).
The Concerns of the Profession

• Testing people with disabilities

(1) transforming the test into a form that can be taken by the test taker
(2) transforming the responses of the testtaker so that they are
scorable, and
(3) meaningfully interpreting the test data.
• Computerized test administration, scoring, and interpretation
growing number of psychological tests can be purchased on disc
or even administered and scored online.

some major issues with regard to CAPA:

- Access to test administration, scoring, and interpretation software.
Despite purchase restrictions on software and technological safeguards
to guard against unauthorized copying, software may still be copied
- Comparability of pencil-and-paper and computerized versions of
tests. Many tests once available only in a paper-and-pencil format are
now available in computerized form as well.
- The value of computerized test interpretations. Many tests available
for computerized administration also come with computerized scoring
and interpretation procedures.
- Unprofessional, unregulated “psychological testing” online. A
growing number of I nternet sites purport to provide, usually for a
fee, online psychological tests.
The ODDA Assessment Process

1. Review of Records and Case History

2. Consultation with Treating Professionals
3. Patient Interviews
4. Interviews with Family Members and Signifi cant Others
5. Assessment of Competence
6. Assessment of Psychopathology
7. Reporting Findings and Recommendations
The Rights of Test takers

• The right of informed consent

- Test takers have a right to know why they are being evaluated,
how the test data will be used, and what (if any) information will be
released to whom.
- specify (1) the general purpose of the testing, (2) the specifi c
reason it is being undertaken in the present case, and (3) the general
type of instruments to be administered
The Rights of Test takers

• The right to be informed of test findings

- tell test takers as little as possible about the nature of their
performance on a particular test or test battery
- In no case would they disclose diagnostic conclusions that could
arouse anxiety or precipitate a crisis
The Rights of Test takers

• The right to privacy and confidentiality

- the privacy right “recognizes the freedom of the individual to
pick and choose for himself the time, circumstances, and particularly
the extent to which he wishes to share or withhold from others his
attitudes, beliefs, behavior, and opinions
- Privileged information in the psychologist-client relationship
belongs to the client, not the psychologist
The Rights of Test takers

• The right to the least stigmatizing label

- The Standards advise that the least stigmatizing labels should
always be assigned when reporting test results
QUIZ #1 PART 1: 15-Items
1. The term psychometric soundness refers to the

A. the general psychiatric health of an assessee.

B. mental status of an individual during assessment.
C. technical quality of a test or other tool of assessment.
D. competence of a defendant to stand trial.
2. A case history is also referred to as
A. a case study.
B. a role-play record.
C. a biographical account.
D. None of these
3. Historically, the biggest boost to the new assessment enterprise
in the United States arose from the need to identify
A. school children who were underachieving in Paris, Texas.
B. competent recruits for the military during World War I.
C. entrepreneurial talent for the Industrial Revolution.
D. apprentice workers in the building and construction industry.
4. psychological assessment may include the use of
A. behavioral observation.
B. testing.
C. the case study.
D. All of these
5. Psychological tests share commonalities. For example, they all
A. include an analysis of a naturally occurring behavior.
B. include an analysis of a sample of behavior.
C. include paper-and-pencil and oral responses.
D. All of these
6. Psychological tests may differ with respect to
A. content.
B. format.
C. administration.
D. All of these
7. A psychological test almost always involves an analysis of
A. attitude and values.
B. motivation and interests.
C. a sample of behavior.
D. All of these
8. Psychological testing
A. is typically more lengthy than assessment.
B. may be one component of the process of assessment.
C. is characteristically broader in scope than assessment.
D. tends to be less accurate than assessment.
9. When it comes to the difference between the terms
psychological testing and psychological assessment,
A. ultimately, there is no difference between them.
B. the difference is clear and needs to be acknowledged.
C. some ambiguity with regard to the difference persists.
D. "psychological testing" subsumes "psychological assessment."
10. Dynamic assessment
A. is used to describe the unconscious mechanisms that affect
consumer spending.
B. can provide information about an assessee's ability to profit
from intervention.
C. requires the presence of a third-party witness during the
evaluation.
D. can be used as an alternative to dream analysis with patients
who report no dreams.
11. In everyday practice, responsibility for appropriate test
administration, scoring, and interpretation lies with:
A. test users.
B. test developers.
C. elected representatives.
D. test publishers.
12. all of the following are parties to the assessment enterprise
EXCEPT
A. society at large.
B. the test developer.
C. the test user.
D. consumer advocates.
13. The testing program that existed in China between 1115 b.c.e.
and 1905 is most similar to which of the following today?
A. civil service testing
B. college aptitude testing
C. achievement testing
D. drug abuse testing
14. Which of the following positions would Galton support?
A. Genius runs in families.
B. Environment is the most important determinant of genius.
C. Genius ruins families.
D. Darwin's theory was overstated.
15. Which of the following was the first personality test to be
developed after the first world war?
A. the Bernreuter Personality Inventory
B. the Mooney Problem Checklist
C. the Personal Data Sheet
D. the MMPI