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Testing Bias &

Legislation
The Obstacles and Guidelines in Performing
P s y c h o l o g i c a l Te s t i n g

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Test Bias?
D e f i n i n g t h e I s s u e o f P s y c h o l o g i c a l Te s t i n g

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BIAS

• Statistically, it is defined as “a systematic error in the estimation of a

value”

• In psychological testing, it refers to the bias against certain minorities

or ethnic groups

• There are three primary forms in which test bias occurs:

• Construct bias – overlapping definitions of a construct, which can vary
and confuse the interpretation of such
• Method bias – the method of administering tests, from sample
populations or observer conduct, affect or influence the examinee’s
answers
• Item bias – specific items or the content of questions are poorly translated
or appropriated to fit cultural context

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BIAS

• Examples of test bias:

• Construct bias
• Tests set in the US (i.e. SAT, Myers-Briggs) may not accommodate local
customs or settings
• Socioeconomic needs based on one’s personal lifestyle vs. the intended
audience

• Method bias
• Differences in test-taking habits (i.e. long hours of single testing vs. test
portions with breaks and recesses)
• Providing tests to specific respondents to skew the results (i.e. tests about
poverty provided to well-off families or individuals)

• Item bias
• Questions about local sports games (i.e. football, baseball) over local games
(i.e. sepak takraw, tong-its)
• Poorly translated content from their original languages to local dialects or
tongues

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BIAS

• There are some ways in which testing bias is resolved or averted.

These include:
• Panel reviews and revisions
• Examining items through Differential Item Functioning (DIF), which can
show if the same questions/items show unequal probability amongst
ethnic groups
• Reviewing word choice and content for translation or cultural context
• Using statistical methods and tools for psychometrics, such as reliability
coefficients and structure equation methods
• Factor analysis
• Examining the mean scores of different groups and respondent
populations

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BIAS

Q: A test on the anxiety levels amongst home-based learning is

distributed to students of the same school. What is the bias?
A: Method bias

Q: A psychology student that is working on a thesis about the depression

levels of students in Santa Barbara adopts the Beck Depression
Inventory, a popular US depression assessment test. What is the bias?
A: Construct bias

Q: A group of researchers create an assessment on memory retention

skills. During the process, they used multiple American expressions,
such as “elephant in the room” and “up and up”.
A: Item bias

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Legislation on Psych Testing

T h e L e g a l P a r a m e t e r s o f Te s t i n g

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• Due to the nature of psychological testing, multiple legal limits were

placed to control its usage and methods

• Key audiences addressed in all parameters include:

• Assessors
• Students
• Interpreters
• Test developers
• Educators, and
• Employers

• APA guidelines on psychological assessment and evaluation were

developed to be consistent with their Code of Ethics

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• Psychologists conducting evaluations, • Psychologists strive to consider the

assessments, and testing (EAT) must multiple and global settings in which these
develop and maintain their own services are being provided.
competence in all testing phases, from
development to administration and
• Psychologists must demonstrate
interpretation.
knowledge in and appropriately apply
principles of psychometrics and
• measurement science.
Psychologists and assessors seek
appropriate training and supervised
experience in relevant aspects.
• Those conducting EAT must endeavor to
select assessment tools that show
• sufficient validity, reliability, and
Those conducting EAT strive to be
psychometric properties.
mindful of the potential negative impact
and subsequent outcome of those
measures on clients and the general
public.

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• Those conducting EAT must endeavor to
select measures that are fair and
appropriate for the evaluation purpose,
population, setting, and context at hand.
• Psychologists and assessors need to be
aware of the need for test selection,
scoring, and administration to reflect the
appropriate normative comparison,
situational influences, effort, and
standardized administration as indicated.
• Those conducting EAT must practice with
cultural competence.
• Psychologists must ensure awareness of
individual differences, various forms of
biases or potential biases, cultural
attitudes, population appropriate norms,
and potential misuse of data.
• Those conducting EAT need to recognize
the nature of and relationship among
individual, cohort, and group differences.
• Psychologists must consider the unique
issues that may arise when test
instruments and assessment approaches
designed for specific populations are used
with diverse populations.
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• Those conducting EAT must maintain
their own competence in training and
supervision and competency in
assessment practice.
• Psychologists and assessors must
ensure that supervision ultimately
provides examinees/clients with testing,
assessment, and evaluation that meets
the ethical and professional standard of
care and scope of practice.
• Those conducting EAT must remain aware
of technological advances; of the influence
of technology on assessment; and of
standard practice, laws, and regulations in
telepsychology.
• Psychologists that use technology-based
assessment instruments must ensure the
security, transmission, storage, and
disposal of data. Psychologists also strive
to ensure that security measures are in
place to protect data and information
related to their clients/patients/ examinees
from unintended access, misuse, or
disclosure.
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References

Online Sources

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/testing-bias-cultural-bias-
language-differences-in-assessments.html

• https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-
methods/differential-item-functioning

• https://www.apa.org/about/policy/guidelines-psychological-
assessment-evaluation.pdf
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