part 2

• Norms represent the performance of the standardization sample. They give meaning to raw scores obtained by an examinee in a test. Without norms, test scores are meaningless.
• Dual Purposes of Norms

  • 1. Norms indicate the examinee's relative standing in the normative sample and thus permit an evaluation of his or her performance in reference to other persons.
  • 2. Norms provide comparable measure that permits a direct comparison of the examinee's performance in the different tests or subtests.
• Relativity of Norms


  • Any norm is restricted to the particular normative population from which it was derived.
  • Norms are constructed based on the test performance of the sample group taken to represent the population. The examinees who are actually tested comprise the normative sample.
  • The relativity of norms requires a need for defining the specific population to which the norms apply.
  • National, Regional, and local norms are constructed to be used in the interpretation of test scores. The norm to be used depends on the purpose of testing.
  • Specific norms are constructed based on narrowly defined populations chosen to suit the specific purposes of the test.
• Statistical Concepts


  • 1. Frequency Distribution
  • 2. Measures of Central Tendency
  • 3. Measures of Variability
  • 4. Measures of Position
  • 5. Standard Scores
• Raw Score


  Actual score obtained by an examinee in a test
• Derived Score


  Ascertains the exact position of the individual's performance with reference to the standardization sample
• Derived Scores Are Expressed in Two Ways

  • Developmental level attained
  • Relative position within a specified group
• Developmental Norms


  Indicate how far along the normal development path an individual has progressed
• Types of Developmental Norms

  • Mental Age (MA) - age level at which an individual performs in an intelligence test
  • Grade Equivalent Norms - Used for educational achievement tests and for placement and acceleration
  • Ordinal Scales - designed to identify the stage reached by an individual in the development of a specific behavior function
• With-In Group Norms


  Examinee's performance is evaluated in terms of the performance of the most nearly comparable standardization sample
• Percentile


  • Percentile scores are expressed in terms of the percentage of persons in the standardization sample who fall below a given raw score.
  • Advantage: Easy to compute and universally applicable
  • Disadvantages: There is marked inequality of units at the extreme ends of the distribution, Performance in the different subtests cannot be averaged to determine general score or performance
• the distance of the examinee's score from the mean in terms of the standard deviation of the distribution of scores
• a 9-point scale with the mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 2
• 10-point scale with the of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2