Define what a psychological test is and describe
its defining characteristics
An OBJECTIVE procedure for SAMPLING and QUANTIFYING human behaviour to make INFERENCES about a particular psychological CONSTRUCT(s) using STANDARDIZED STIMULI and METHODS of administration and scoring.
Requires appropriate NORMS and EVIDENCE (i.e., psychometric properties)
Summarised QUANTITATIVELY in terms of SCORES.
Explain the purposes of assessment (8)
- To identify problems
- To test hypotheses
- As part of research
- Screening and selection
- To monitor client progress
- To plan intervention
- As a means of communication
- Funding applications
What are some of the main areas in professional psychology where psychological testing and assessment have been applied?
- Research Psychologists
- Clinical psychologists
- Organisational psychologists
- Educational and development psychologists
- Forensic psychologists
- Clinical neuropsychologists
- Other branches of psychology
Define psychological testing and psychological
assessment, and distinguish between the two
Testing: refers to the administration and interpretation of
specific psychological tests as part of the assessment
process.
Assessment: refers to the overarching process of information gathering and case concepualisation.
Explain how psychological tests have evolved
over time in response to advances in technology,
major historical events, and cultural trends
Chinese testing was used from ~2000 BCE to early years of the 20th century, when modern testing era took over. Chinese dynasties (from Han dynasty 206BCE-220 CE) had public service exams for selection.
1890 Mental test James Cattell
1905 Binet and Simon first children IQ test
1916 Lewis Terman (at stanford uni) publishes Stanford-Binet (Binet and Simon’s work)
1917 Army Alpha and Beta Robert Yerkes USA
1917 Woodworth, first self-report personality test
1921 Rorschach fruedian, inkblot,
1939 Weschler adult int test
1942 MMPI Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory aids in diagnosing
1948 Assessment term coined by Murray, Assessment of Men
1957 Raymond Cattell - performance tests of motivation
1962 Computerised MMPI
1968 Mischel critique of personality assessment
1970 computerised testing
1971 federal court USA challenges testing for selection
1993 APA guidelines for computer tests
1993 John carroll three stratum theory of int.
List the different types of psychological tests (7)
- Self-report (e.g. BDI, DASS)
- Performance test (memory test, IQ test)
- Individual administration
- Group administration
- Computer-assisted testing
- Norm-referenced (better or worse than an appropriate reference group for the person)
- Criterion-referenced testing (measure performance against a fixed set of predetermined criteria for a limited set of behaviours)
List the different types of psychological tests (7)
- Self-report (practical, groups, quick, less accurate, best for personality/attitude rather than abilities)
- Performance test (slow, individual, real abilities tested)
- Individual administration (can follow up and clarify after test)
- Group administration (economical to administer and score)
- Computer-assisted testing (tests have to be designed/redesigned for computers, may need to be monitored to ensure computer errors aren’t made)
- Norm-referenced (better or worse than an appropriate reference group for the person, most common in psych)
- Criterion-referenced testing (measure performance against a fixed set of predetermined criteria for a limited set of behaviours, common in education)
Explain the main processes of psychological
testing and psychological assessment
- Determining whether psychological testing is needed for a client
- Selection of appropriate and technically sound psychological tests
- Administering psychological tests
- Scoring psychological tests
- Interpreting results of psychological tests
- Communicating the findings of psychological testing
- Keeping case records
Discuss issues relating to the best practice and
ethics of psychological testing and psychological
assessment (6)
APS Code B.13 – Psychological
Assessments
B.13.1.
Use established scientific procedures/ psychometric standards to develop and standardise tests
B.13.2.
specify the purposes and uses of their assessment techniques and clearly indicate the limits
B.13.3.
choose, administer and interpret assessment procedures appropriately and accurately
B.13.4.
Psychologists use valid procedures and
research findings when scoring and interpreting
psychological assessment data
B.13.5.
report results appropriately and accurately in language that the recipient can understand
B.13.6.
No publishing or otherwise disclosing tests’ contents to persons unauthorised or unqualified
Discuss issues in testing and assessing individuals
from different cultural backgrounds (4)
- Tests need to be adapted not simply translated
- Cultural differences can lead to bias in the use of
psychological tests - To date, most studies have not found evidence of bias (but we can’t be complacent)
- Assessment is more that testing: involves decisions about testing and interpretation
Modes of assessment:
Assessment:
- Observation
- Clinical Interviews
- Structured Interviews
- Checking records
- Informant report (e.g., parent, teacher)
- Self-report
- Performance tests
What is a culture fair test? (4)
- no systematic distortion of scores resulting from differences in the cultural background of the test takers
- Measures intelligence without needing culture specific knowledge (e.g. language),
- acts as a predictor of socially relevant criteria in each culture in the same way.
- goal to measure fluid int not crystallized int.
Determining whether psychological testing is needed for a client
•Is testing necessary? •Previous testing? •What construct/s do we want to assess? •What tests are available to assess the construct/s? •Am I competent in the admin, scoring and interpretation of the test?
What to do for Test selection (5)
Check test is suitable for planned use
- Review of tests
- Test manual
Often need to explain, justify and defend test choice, e.g., - Ethics application - Research proposals - Client reports
Test administration for success (4)
- Check test is suitable for use with client/participants
- Arrange suitable venue
- Check materials
- Familiarise / re-familiarise self with test, manual
and materials
Test scoring (5)
- The test manual is usual source for information
about test scoring - For some tests, need to refer to journal articles,
online information - Online / electronic scoring software may be
available
Errors still occur
•Check scores and recalculate at least once to
be sure
•Mandy’s advice: “Check, check, and check
again – It’s important!
Test interpretation (6)
- Difficult. Thorough understanding of the test, the constructs being
assessed, and the possible meanings of scores is necessary - Scores are not absolute
- Margin of error (why confidence intervals are usually
reported) - Manual should provide some info about interpretation
- Also read relevant journal articles regarding the test and constructs being assessed
- Also consult with supervisors/colleagues
- Results need to be interpreted in context (that’s why we usually have multiple sources of assessment data)
Communicating findings (6)
- Clear
- Timely manner
- Written report with oral explanation
- Jargon free
- Answers referral question
- Includes recommendations that can be implemented
Record keeping (2)
APS Code of Ethics (2007) general rules for client records - Minimum of 7 years - Clients aged less than 18 years •Keep until client is 25 years old
How to accommodate differently abled?
- Tests can be modified as long as the change isn’t essential to the construct being tested.
- e.g. A blind person could do a test in braille, as long as the test was not one of reading speed or vision. - One test could be substituted for another or not all items given.
- Accommodations need to be reported in results.
- APS has guidelines for this.
- Use judgment informed by the best research available.
Main historical developments
Chinese used testing from 2000 BCE
Modern testing early 20th century
Binet proposed mental age
Terman created Standford Binet
Army Alpha and Beta gave impetus for testing
Wescheler ovetook stanford binet as a test for adults. Godfrey coined Deviation IQ method which current versions still use combined with mental age.
During WW1 Woodworth made self-report test for screening, so the psychiatrist could then assess for psychopatholpgy. This was the forerunner for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) by Hathaway and McKinley in Minnesota 1942 (for distinguishing normals with the mentally ill). The MMPI was long and relatively valid.
Freud
Main historical developments
Chinese used testing from 2000 BCE
Modern testing early 20th century
Binet proposed mental age
Terman created Standford Binet
Army Alpha and Beta gave impetus for testing
Wescheler ovetook stanford binet as a test for adults. Godfrey coined Deviation IQ method which current versions still use combined with mental age.
During WW1 Woodworth made self-report test for screening, so the psychiatrist could then assess for psychopatholpgy. This was the forerunner for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) by Hathaway and McKinley in Minnesota 1942 (for distinguishing normals with the mentally ill). The MMPI was long and relatively valid.
Projective tequniques were also used such as Rorschach’s inkblotting for analysing personality psychodynamically.
Murray then created the Thematic appreciation test TAT which became the second most widely use projective test after inkblotting.
In WWII Murray selected men to be CIA spies and later in 1948 wrote the Assessment of Men, coining the term assessment which replaced ‘mental testing’. Strategies used here went on into Org psych post war and are still used today.
1940s and 1950s popular for T and A, but criticised for:
- invasion privacy
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