Test Aand Analysis Metal
Test Aand Analysis Metal
Test Aand Analysis Metal
Chapter 1
Psychological Testing and Assessment
Reference volumes
Journal articles
Online databases
Other sources
Self-Assessment
Term to Learn
Finn, S. E. (2011). Therapeutic assessment “on the front lines”: Comment on articles from
WestCoast Children’s Clinic. Journal of Personality Assessment, 93(1), 23–25.
Ougrin, D., Zundel, T., Kyriakopoulos, M., et al. (2012). Adolescents with Suicidal and
Nonsuicidal Self-Harm: Clinical Characteristics and Response to Therapeutic
Assessment. Psychological Assessment, 24(1), 11–20.
Smith, R. E., Fagan, C., Wilson, N. L., et al. (2011). Internet-Based Approaches to
Collaborative Therapeutic Assessment: New Opportunities for Professional
Psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(6), 494–504.
In this chapter’s Meet an Assessment Professional, Dr. Stephen Finn describes a therapeutic
approach to psychological assessment. But is this approach useful for every assessee? Is
every professional who conducts an assessment suited for conducting therapeutic assessment?
Under what conditions would therapeutic psychological assessment not be indicated?
Here is a list of questions that may be used to stimulate a class discussion, as well as critical
and generative thinking, with regard to some of the material presented in this chapter of the
text.
2. How does your answer to question 1 change when it is applied to the role of
psychological measurement in society?
4. What do you consider to be the characteristics of a “good” test and a “bad” test?
6. What is meant by alternate assessment, and why is there a need for it?
7. In your view, what are the purposes of using psychological tests today?
10. Discuss your views on psychological assessment with regard to the following tools of
assessment.
a. Tests
b. Portfolio assessment
c. Performance-based assessment
d. The case history
e. Behavioral observation
f. Role-play tests
g. Computerized assessment
h. Assessment using simulations or video
11. Who are the parties to the assessment enterprise, and what are their roles? In your view,
what should be the role(s) of these parties?
12. Tests are used in credentialing. In general, what key elements do you think should be
included on any test designed to license a psychological test user?
13. Why is it important to have published standards for educational and psychological
tests? What are some of the abuses that the standards are intended to prevent?
14. Describe a test experience you personally had that stands for some reason? Why does it
stand out?
15. For more routine test situations, such as academic achievement tests in school, answer
the following questions:
a. DHow do you prepare for tests?
b. DHow do you feel during and after the test?
c. Analyze the factors that may contribute to the feelings you listed.
In-Class Demonstrations
a. A sample MMY
Bring a copy of the latest edition of the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY)
to the class.
Bring a manual for an intelligence test, a personality test, or some other test to the
class.
Bring the latest edition of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests
and Manuals to the class.
Bring a copy of the latest edition of the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists
to the class.
Bring a copy of the published ethical principles of any specialty group within
psychology that employs tests (such as school psychologists, neuropsychologists,
or forensic psychologists) to the class.
Invite a guest speaker to the class. The guest speaker could be any of the following
options.
a. A faculty member
Invite a faculty member (from your university or a neighboring one) who has
developed a psychological test (published or unpublished) to the class. Ask the
faculty member to speak about how he or she developed the test, what it
measures, the settings in which one can take the test, etc.
b. A test user
Invite a local user of psychological tests from any setting to the class. Ask the test
user to discuss his or her experience of taking tests, his or her reasons for using
the tests, etc.
c. A lawyer
Invite a panel drawn from the faculty of the Psychology Department who
represent different specialty areas in psychology to the class. Have each of them
speak briefly on how professionals in their specialty areas use psychological tests
and other tools of assessment.
Divide all students in the class into two groups: Assessors and Assessees. The task of
the assessors is to devise a role-play test measuring any set of skills well known to the
university students. For example, the role-play test devised could be one to measure
study skills. For the more adventurous, the role-play test could be one to measure
dating skills. In class, this role-play test is “put to the test” using each of the students in
the assessees group.
2. Debate
All students are given an advance notice to prepare for a debate on a specific topic.
Then, they are assigned roles in that debate.
Assign students to one of the following groups: (1) a pro group, (2) a con group,
and (3) an audience/judges group. The students are to debate on the presence of
third parties during an assessment. All students should research the issues on the
topic prior to the debate. The members of the pro group should make their
arguements in favor of the topic, and the members of the con group should make
their arguments against the topic. After both the groups have made their
arguments, the members of the audience/judges group should provide informed
feedback to the members of the pro group and the con group and announce the
winner of the debate.
Assign students to one of the following groups: (1) a pro group, (2) a con group,
and (3) an audience/judges group. All students should research the issues on the
topic prior to the debate. The students should debate on the pros and cons of
CAPA. The members of the pro group should make their arguments based on the
pros of CAPA, whereas the members of the con group should make their
arguments based on the cons of CAPA. After both the groups have made their
arguments, the members of the audience/judges group should provide informed
feedback to the members of the pro group and the con group and announce the
winner of the debate.
Make arrangements to take the class to the university library to explore test-
related reference materials.
Make arrangements to take the class to a local business or organization that uses
psychological tests. Students can hear firsthand about the tests they use and how
they use them.
Suggested Assignments
Either individually or in teams, have students review some test catalogues from
test publishers and the claims made for various tests. Their task is to critically
evaluate the claims made for the tests. They could present their findings by
writing a report titled “Evaluation of Claims Made,” or they could also present
their findings by giving a presentation to their fellow class members.
As a class, brainstorm as many measuring units as possible that may have application to
psychological measurement. Focusing on the more novel suggestions, how might a test
using these units of measurement be developed?
This task begins with a visit to the university library where students must locate the
following reference books: the Mental Measurements Yearbook, Test in Print, and Test
Critiques. Then, they must read a sample entry from each of these books. Finally, they
have to come to class prepared to discuss each of the entries they read from the books
and discuss their impression of the general differences that exist between these
reference works.
4. Research-then-Report Exercises
Have students contact local business firms that have established human resources
departments to inquire about the tools of psychological measurement, if any, used
for employee selection, retention, promotion, and so on. Students should prepare
a written report based on their findings.
Media Resources
On the Web
This activity is a possible “icebreaker” for the instructor who wishes to introduce a course in
tests and measurement. It is a rap song written and produced by students taking a course in
psychological testing and assessment. Make sure to scroll the lyrics page along with the video
to distract the students from some off-key attempts at melody.
The video can be accessed from the following YouTube site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8NjdyGWRqo.
It’s crazy how how you can tell from a normal sample
How people perform on different tests, yo
Use the standardized scores, like z-scores
Next time use something different like a t-score
Websites
http://www.iapsych.com/
This website is sponsored by the Institute for Applied Psychometrics. It includes many links
to relevant publications related to psychological measurement and assessment.
http://www.job-interview.net/
This website provides extensive information on job interviews including examples of the
types of interview questions.
http://jobsearchtech.about.com/library/weekly/aa121602-2.htm
This website provides a description of the panel interview as a method of evaluation.
http://www.assessmentpsychologyboard.org/
This is the official website for the American Board of Assessment Psychology. The website
contains information such as a listing of assessment specialists who hold the Diplomate in
Assessment Psychology. This site also has links to other assessment-related sites.
http://www.ets.org
This is the official website of Educational Testing Service, the people who bring you the
SATs and the GRE, among many other globally known tests. This organization, which is
more than 60 years old, is the world’s leading educational and measurement and research
organization. Information and news about many of its tests may be found on the site.
This video series is a set of 4 DVDs containing lectures by Stephen Finn, Constance Fischer,
and Leonard Handler, as well as a roundtable discussion in which these clinicians discuss the
commonalities and differences of their respective approaches.
References
Eyde, L.D., Robertson, G.J., Krug, S.E., Moreland, K.L., Robertson, A.G., Shewan, C.M.,
Harrison, P.L., Porch, B.E., Hammer, A.L., & Primoff, E.S. (1993). Responsible Test
Use: Case Studies for Assessing Human Behavior. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
Geisinger, K. F., Spies, R. A., Carlson, J. F., & Plake, B. S. (Eds.). (2007). The Seventeenth
Mental Measurements Yearbook. Lincoln: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements,
University of Nebraska.
Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education. (1988). Washington, DC: Joint Committee on
Testing Practices.
Keyser, D. J., & R.C. Sweetland (Eds.). (1994). Test Critiques (Vol. X). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Rogers, T.B. (1994). Teaching Ethics and Test Standards in a Psychological Testing Course: A
Test Taker’s Bill of Rights. Teaching of Psychology, 24(1), 41–46.