Week 1 lecture slides.pptx

Introduction to Psychological Testing & Assessment PSY61204 Psychological Tests and Measurements Dr Michele Anne Learning Objectives Able to understand definitions and categorization of tests Able to understand the ethics of testing Overview Overview of test...

Introduction to Psychological Testing & Assessment PSY61204 Psychological Tests and Measurements Dr Michele Anne Learning Objectives Able to understand definitions and categorization of tests Able to understand the ethics of testing Overview Overview of test Categories of test Ethical standards Overview of tests What is a psychological test? Objective and standardized measure of behaviour or psychological functioning Includes the psychometric aspects, administration, scoring, and interpretation Not the same as psychological assessment, which integrates the results of psychological tests to create a meaningful understanding of a person Can be used in decision making process and to predict behavior Purpose of psychological test Classification To assign a certain category (e.g., depression symptom category) Self-understanding Source of information about oneself (e.g., personality type) Program evaluation To assess the effectiveness of a program or action (e.g., working memory scale pre and post test) Scientific inquiry Tool to measure variables for research Activity 1 Go to https://menti.com (Student login) Code: 26547110 Categories of tests Categories Commercial versus public access Administration Group vs individual, secure vs not secure, invasive vs non-invasive Medium Paper-and-pencil, computerized, performance, physiological Item structure Objective (e.g., multiple choice) vs subjective (e.g., interview), verbal vs performance Categories (cont.) Area of assessment Personality, cognitive, psychopathology, behaviors, functioning, attitudes Test function Diagnose, placement, certification, screening Score interpretation Norm vs criterion, normative vs ipsative, psychometric vs impression Self-report vs observer Categories (cont.) Maximal vs typical performance Age range Children, adolescent, adult, geriatric Type of setting Educational, clinical, occupational, forensic NOIR system Nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio Ethical standards Ethics Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct (APA Ethics Code) Competence Unethical for psychologist to use a tests they are unfamiliar with to make decisions about clients Integrity Unethical to make unwarranted claims about a test Professional and scientific responsibility Psychologist should be familiar with research literature about the tests and understanding when test data is useful or not Ethics Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct (APA Ethics Code) Respect for people’s right and dignity Having awareness of when tests is appropriate across different cultures Concern for others welfare Striving to maintain a balance in protecting needs of society and welfare of individual Social responsibility Educating against the misuse of tests Evaluation, assessment, or intervention (APA Ethics Category) Psychological testing, evaluation, and diagnosis should occur within defined professional relationships Only use tests in appropriate ways Tests are developed using acceptable scientific procedures Should be familiar and aware of limitations from psychometric issues when using tests Assessment results are interpreted with the limitations in mind Evaluation, assessment, or intervention (APA Ethics Category) Unqualified persons should not use psychological assessments Tests which are obsolete and outdated should not be used Purpose, norms, and other details of test should be described accurately Appropriate explanations of test results should be given Integrity and security of test should be maintained Standards for tests Informed consent Participant has been told general purpose of test, how results will be used, and who will have access to the information Provide enough information for them to be able to make an informed decision on whether to proceed or not Confidentiality Test results are privileged communication which are only shared with appropriate parties Only participant and professional have access to the results, and any transmission of results to a 3 rd party requires written consent from the participant Standards for tests (cont.) Privacy Willingness of participant to share personal information with others E.g., facts, feelings, attitudes, etc Invasion of privacy may depend on context of test Test levels Level A Minimal training Level B Some advanced training Level C Substantial professional training  Test levels Level A – Working Level B – Conners (4th Level C - Wechsler Adult Memory Rating Scale edition) Intelligence Scale (4th edition) Questions?