PA LESSON 1

• Psychometric properties


  Essential in constructing, selecting, interpreting tests
• Psychological testing


  Process of measuring psychology-related variables by means of devices or procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior
• Psychological assessment


  Gathering and integration of psychology-related data for the purpose of making psychological evaluation
• Psychological assessment components


  • Educational
  • Retrospective
  • Remote
  • Ecological momentary
  • Collaborative
  • Therapeutic
  • Dynamic
• Psychological test


  Device or procedure designed to measure variables related to psychology
• Psychological test components


  • Content
  • Format
  • Remote
  • Item
  • Administration procedures
  • Score
  • Cut-score
  • Psychometric soundness
• Psychological tests


  • Ability or Maximal Performance test
  • Achievement test
  • Aptitude
  • Intelligence
  • Personality test (structured, projective, attitude, interest inventories)
  • Typical Performance test
• Achievement test


  Measurement of previous learning, used to measure general knowledge in a specific period of time, used to assess mastery, rely mostly on content validity, fact-based or conceptual
• Aptitude


  Refers to the potential for learning or acquiring a specific skill, tends to focus on informal learning, rely mostly on predictive validity
• Intelligence


  Refers to a person's general potential to solve problems, adapt to changing environments, abstract thinking, and profit from experience
• Personality test


  Measure usual or habitual thoughts, feelings, and behavior, indicate how test takers think and act on a daily basis, use interval scales, no right and wrong answers
• Personality test types


  • Structured personality tests
  • Projective personality tests
  • Attitude test
  • Interest inventories
• Typical Performance test


  Measure usual or habitual thoughts, feelings, and behavior, indicate how test takers think and act on a daily basis, use interval scales, no right and wrong answers
• Other tests


  • Speed tests
  • Power tests
  • Values inventory
  • Trade test
  • Neuropsychological test
  • Norm-referenced test
  • Criterion-referenced tests
• Interview


  Method of gathering information through direct communication involving reciprocal exchange
• Forms of interview


  • Standardized/Structured
  • Non-standardized/unstructured
  • Semi-standardized/focused
  • Non-directive
  • Mental status examination
  • Intake interview
  • Social case
  • Employment interview
  • Panel interview (board interview)
  • Motivational interview
• Portfolio


  Samples of one's ability and accomplishment
• Case History Data


  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 assessee
• Case study


  A report or illustrative account concerning a person or an event that was compiled on the basis of case history data
• Groupthink


  Result of the varied forces that drive decision-makers to reach a consensus
• Behavioral observation


  Monitoring of actions of others or oneself by visual or electronic means while recording quantitative and/or qualitative information regarding those actions
• Behavioral observation types


  • Naturalistic observation
  • SORC model
• Roleplay


  Acting an improvised or partially improvised part in a stimulated situation
• Other assessment tools


  • Computer
  • Physiological devices (biofeedback devices)
• Hit rate


  Accurately predicts success or failure
• Profile


  Narrative description, graph, table, or other representations of the extent to which a person has demonstrated certain targeted characteristics as a result of the administration or application of tools of assessment
• Actuarial assessment


  An approach to evaluation characterized by the application of empirically demonstrated statistical rules as determining factor in assessors' judgement and actions
• Mechanical prediction


  Application of computer algorithms together with statistical rules and probabilities to generate findings and recommendations
• Extra-test behavior


  Observations made by an examiner regarding what the examinee does and how the examinee reacts during the course of testing that are indirectly related to the test's specific content but of possible significance to interpretation
• Parties in psychological assessment


  • Test author / developer
  • Test publishers
  • Test reviewers
  • Test users
  • Test takers
  • Test sponsors
  • Society
• Test Battery


  Selection of tests and assessment procedures typically composed of tests designed to measure different variables but having a common objective
• Assumptions about psychological testing and assessment

  • Psychological traits and states exist
  • Psychological traits & states can be quantified & measured
  • Test-related behavior predicts non test-related behavior
  • Test & other measurement techniques have strengths & weaknesses
  • Various sources of error are part of the assessment process
  • Testing & assessment can be conducted in a fair & unbiased manner
  • Testing & assessment benefit society
• Trait


  Any distinguishable, relatively enduring way in which one individual varies from another, permit people predict the present from the past, characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that generalize across similar situations, differ systematically between individual, and remain rather stable across time
• Psychological trait


  Intelligence, specific intellectual abilities, cognitive style, adjustment, interests, attitudes, sexual orientation and preferences, psychopathology, etc.
• States


  Distinguish one person from another but are relatively less enduring, characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving in a concrete situation at a specific moment in time, identify those behaviors that can be controlled by manipulating the situation
• Construct


  An informed, scientific concept developed or constructed to explain a behavior, inferred from overt behavior
• Overt behavior


  An observable action or the product of an observable action
• Trait is not expected to be manifested in behavior 100% all the time, whether a trait manifests itself in observable behavior, and to what degree it manifests, is presumed to depend not only on the strength of the trait in the individual but also on the nature of the action (situation-dependent), context within which behavior occurs also plays a role in helping us select appropriate trait terms for observed behaviors, definition of trait and state also refer to a way in which one individual varies from another, assessors may make comparisons among people who, because of their membership in some group or for any number of other reasons, are decidedly not average
• Once the trait, state or other construct has been defined to be measured, a test developer considers the types of item content that would provide insight to it, to gauge the strength of that trait, measuring traits and states means of a test items but also appropriate ways to score the test and interpret the results
• Cumulative scoring


  Assumption that the more the test taker responds in a particular direction keyed by the test manual as correct or consistent with a particular trait, the higher that test taker is presumed to be on the targeted ability or trait