CH # 1

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

Prof. Dr. Sirel Karakaş
​ ww.sirel.karakas.com
w
www.psikolojisozlugu.com
​www.neurometrika-tech.com
What does the word test mean?

 A test is a standardized procedure for sampling specific behavior and describing it

with categories or scores:
 It is a standardized procedure
 It samples a specific behavior
 It provides scores and/or categories
 It has norms
 It helps to predict nontest behavior

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https://noro-psikolojik-klinik-testler.com/

 Halen kapsadığı alanlar: Genel Psikoloji, Yöntembilim, Bilişsel Psikoloji,

Nöropsikoloji, Nörobilim, Sosyal Psikoloji, Psikanaliz, İstatistik/Biyoistatistik, ÖLÇME
ARAÇLARI, Endüstri Ve Örgüt Psikolojisi, Psikopatoloji
 https://noro-psikolojik-klinik-testler.com/
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Types of Tests

 Group vs. individual tests

 Intelligence tests
 Aptitude tests
 Achievement tests
 Creativity tests
 Personality tests
 Interest inventories
 Neuropsychological tests

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Uses of Tests

 Classification
 Placement
 Screening
 Certification
 Selection
 Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
 Program Evaluation
 Research

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Testing and Assessment
 Testing: Testor administers and possibly also scores the test
 Assessment: Assessor interprets the test results
 Usually (but not always) testor and assessor is the same person.
(Study Table 1-1)

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Table 1.1 Testing in Contrast to Assessment

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Tools of Psychological Assessment

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Process of assessment
 The steps: Referral, referral question, tool selection, formal assessment, report
 The possible approaches:
o Collaborative assessment: It takes place between assessor and assessee
o Therapeutic assessment. It takes place between psychotherapist and client
and/or patient
o Dynamic assessment. It consists of evaluation, intervention, and re-
evaluation stages

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Test
 Definition: Test is a device or procedure designed to measure variables related to psychology.

 Tests differ by content (tests for e.g. intelligence, personality), format (computer, pencil–
and–paper), administration (individual, group), scoring (sum of scores, elaborate
mathematical procedures, cut off scores), guidelines for scoring and interpretation, technical
quality (psychometric soundness; validity, reliability, utility)

 Terminology
o Psychometrics: Science of psychological measurement
o Psychometrician is a specialist of psychometrics
o Dyads: Test user / test taker; assessor / assessee

Interview
 Definition: Communication between an interviewer and interviewee for the purpose of
collecting information about the latter.
 Aspects of interview: what it is (direct and face-to face communication, communication over
the telephone, the internet), process, purpose, and who does the interviewing?

Porfolio
• Definition: The collection of files that students and professionals keep of their work (drawings,
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writings, visual aids).
Case History
• Definition: Assimilation of Inclusive information on an assesse using all possible means (e.g.
records, transcripts, institutional files, letter, medical reports, test results)

Case Study
• Assembling case history data to describe the assesse (e.g. personality) or to use the case
history data to arrive at a diagnosis.

Behavioral Observation
• Observation differs by content (naturalistic observation, systematic observation), aim
(diagnostic, selection), structure (visual, electronic means) , settings (nature, clinical,
educational)

Role Play
• “Act as if”
• To see how the test taker would act in relevant situations (clinical behavior, substance –abuse
related actions, institutional situations
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Computers
• Types of usage: generating and administering items, measuring performance, scoring
• Types of scoring and reporting:
o Local (on-site) scoring
o Central processing: Results are transmitted to a specific and usually central
locality for further scoring and/or processing
o Simple scoring
o Extended/complex scoring
o Interpretative report
o Consultative report
• CAPA: Computer Assisted Psychological Assessment (e.g. built-in scoring, interpretative
capabilities) (see Table 1-2)
• CAT: Computer Adaptive Testing (the test is tailored to test-takers ability or test taking
patterns)

Other tools
 Types: Videos, psychophysiological data

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Who, What, Why, How and Where?

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Who are the Parties?
 Test developer
 Test publisher
 Rules and regulations. For example, «Standards for Education and Testing»
by American Educational Research Association, The American
Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education
 Test User. Issues: From which profession? From what level of training?
 Test Taker. Test performance is influenced by test taker’s anxiety,
understanding of the testing situation, cooperation, physical pain,
emotional distress, alertness, predisposition to agree and disagree,
importance for portraying oneself in good light, prior coaching, luck. The
control of these confounding variables is basically the responsibility of the
testor.
 Third parties (the observers)
 Society: Test results and assessments affect the concerned sector of teh
society
 Other parties: These include the bureaucracy, the government, business
organizations and the market 14
What Type of Setting?
Why?
 Educational setting: ability, achievement (SAT, GRE), program evaluation
 Clinical setting: screening, diagnosis
 Counseling setting: the improvement of assessee in terms of adjustment and productivity
 Geriatric settings: assessment of cognitive and adaptive functions, quality of life (perceived
stress, loneliness, sources of satisfaction, personal value, quality of living conditions, and
friendship, social support)
 Business and military settings: for making decisions on personnel (hire, promote, transfer, job
satisfaction, eligibility for further training), engineering design of products and environment
 Governmental and organizational credentialing: Licensing, certification
o American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)
o American Board of Assessment Psychology (ABAP)
o To practice law: should pass the Bar Examinations
o To practice medicine: should pass the Board Examination
• Health psychology: the role of variables on onset, course, treatment and prevention of illness,
disease, and disability; reporting on the nature of adjustment and coping, measures on quality
of life; psychological variables as they relate to physical health and longevity
• Courts
• Last but not the least, RESEARCH 15
How?
 Amongst the existing range of measuring tools, the most appropriate one should
be selected
 Preparation should be made for assessment, administration, scoring, recording
 Room should be suitable and conducive to testing
 Rapport should be established
 Scoring should be correct
 Results should be conveyed to the (1) test taker or the legal representative, (2) the
responsible authority of the institution that asked for the test in an
understandable way
 Test protocols should be safeguarded
 Test data should be used in line with established procedures and ethical guidelines

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Alternate Assessment
Sensitivity to Disabilities

People may have:

 Sensory/perceptual disabilities. A visual test cannot be administered to a person
with visual impairment. An auditory test cannot be administered to a person with
hearing loss).
 Impairment in fine motor skills. Such a person cannot respond to test items that
require writing, drawing, or tracing.
 Speech impairment. Such a person cannot produce verbal responses

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 Assessment of People with Disabilities
Alternate Assessment
• Who requires it? How is it to be conducted? How will meaningful inferences be drawn?
• Accommodation: adapting, adjusting (making suitable) the conditions of testing taking
into account the disability in question
• Equivalence of alternate assessment? This is a problem.
• Alternate assessment is an evaluative and/or diagnostic procedure or process. It is
unlike the standard test because it has been accommodated to the disability of the test
taker.
• Accommodations may be made (1) in the modality by which test items are presented,
(2) the response modality by which response test taker responds to test items, (3)
conditions in the physical environment
• Critical factors in accommodation: capabilities of the assessee, purpose of the
assessment, meaning attached to the test scores, capabilities of the assessor

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 Where to Go for Authoritative Information
Reference Sources

 Test manuals
 Test catalogues
 Reference volumes Eg. Buros Mental Measurement Yearbook
 Educational Testing Service (ETS): SAT and GRE are issued from ETS.
 Online data bases:
o Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
o APA’s databases (PscycINFO, ClinPSYC, PsycSCAN, PsycARTICLES,
o HAPİ ( health and psychosocial adjustment), PsycLAW
 JOURNAL ARTICLES

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Responsibilies of Test Publishers

 Publication and Marketing Issues

 Premature release
 Advertising
 Balanced presentation
 Deciding on the competence of test purchasers to purchase

 Level A test (it requires minimal training, can be used by consulting the test’s
manual
 Level B test (it requires knowledge of test construction, training in statistics,
knowledge in the test-related psychological topic)
 Level C test (it requires substantial understanding of psychometrics,
psychology, and supporting fields

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Responsibilies of Test Users
Testors should
 have the necessary expertise
 be sensitive to individual differences
 get informed consent
 be concerned with the best interest of the client
 preserve confidentiality
 prepare a valid report
 communicate the test results in due time

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Textbook-Required:
 Cohen, R.J., Swerdlik, M.E., Sturman, E.D. (2013). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An
Introduction to Tests and Measurement (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

 Cohen, R.J., Swerdlik, M.E. (2010) Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to
Tests and Measurement (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Cohen, R.J., Swerdlik, M.E. (2015). Psikolojik Test ve Değerleme: Testlere ve Ölçmeye Giriş (7.
Baskının Çeviri Editörü: E. Tavşancıl). Ankara: Nobel.

Textbook – Supplementary:
 Gregory, R. J. (2015). Psychological Testing: History, Principles and Applications. Boston (USA):
Pearson.

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