Unit 1 BSP 311 PDF - Overview of Psychological Tests

UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST ADMINISTRATION SCORING AND INTERPRETATION OF TEST PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST :- A test is a standardized procedure for sampling behaviour and describing it with categories or scores Most tests possess these defining features:...

UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST ADMINISTRATION SCORING AND INTERPRETATION OF TEST PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST :- A test is a standardized procedure for sampling behaviour and describing it with categories or scores Most tests possess these defining features: Standardized procedure Behavior sample Scores or categories Norms or standards Prediction of nontest behavior 1. Standardized procedure A test is considered to be standardized if the procedures for administering it are uniform from one examiner and setting to another. Even the best test can be rendered useless by a careless, poorly trained, or ill-informed tester. Standardization, therefore, rests largely on the directions for administration found in the instructional manual that typically accompanies a test. Formulation of directions is an essential step in the standardization of a test, materials, instructions, related possible queries and its solutions. 2. Sample of behaviour It permits the examiner to predict total domain of relevant behavior through limited sample of behaviours. It predicts relevant related behaviors as well. 3. Derivation of scores or categories A psychological test must also permit the derivation of scores or categories. Every test furnishes one or more scores or provides evidence that a person belongs to one category and not another. Psychological testing sums up performance in numbers or classifications. The purpose of the testing is to estimate the amount of the trait or quality possessed by an individual. 4. Norms, reliability and validity A psychological test must also possess norms or standard. For this purpose, test developers typically provide norms—a summary of test results for a large and representative group of subject. Psychometrician :- A psychometrician is a specialist in psychology or education who develops and evaluates psychological tests.  UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST ASSESSMENT :- Assessment is a more comprehensive term, referring to the entire process of compiling information about a person and using it to make inferences about characteristics and to predict behavior. Assessment can be defined as appraising or estimating the magnitude of one or more attributes in a person Types of tests a) On the basis of criterion of administration condition Individual test Group test b) On the basis of criterion of content or objective Objective test Subjective test c) On the basis of time limit in producing response Power test Speed test d) On the basis of nature or content of items Verbal test Non verbal test Performance test Non language test e) On the basis of criterion of purpose or objectives Intelligence Tests: Measure an individual's ability in relatively global areas such as verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, or reasoning and thereby help determine potential for scholastic work or certain occupations. Aptitude Tests: Measure the capability for a relatively specific task or type of skill; aptitude tests are, in effect, a narrow form of ability testing. Achievement Tests: Measure a person's degree of learning, success, or accomplishment in a subject or task. Creativity Tests: Assess novel, original thinking and the capacity to find unusual or unexpected solutions, especially for vaguely defined problems. Personality Tests: Measure the traits, qualities, or behaviors that determine a person's individuality; such tests include checklists, inventories, and projective techniques. Interest Inventories: Measure an individual's preference for certain activities or topics and thereby help determine occupational choice. Behavioral Procedures: Objectively describe and count the frequency of a behavior, identifying the antecedents and consequences of the behavior. Neuropsychological Tests: Measure cognitive, sensory, perceptual, and motor performance to determine the extent, locus, and behavioral consequences of brain damage.  UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST USES OF TESTING Five uses of test :- Classification Diagnosis and treatment planning Self knowledge Program evaluation Research Classification :- The term classification encompasses a variety of procedures that share a common purpose: assigning a person to one category rather than another. Purpose of classification :- 1) Placement 2) Certification 3) Screening 4) Selection 1) Placement - Placement is the sorting of persons into different programs appropriate to their needs or skills. 2) Screening - Screening refers to quick and simple tests or procedures to identify persons who might have special characteristics or needs. 3) Certification and Selection - Certification and selection both have a pass/fail quality. Passing a certification exam confers privileges. Certification typically implies that a person has at least a minimum proficiency in some discipline or activity. Selection is similar to certification in that it confers privileges such as the opportunity to attend a university or to gain employment. Diagnosis and treatment planning :- Diagnosis consists of two intertwined tasks: determining the nature and source of a person’s abnormal behavior, and classifying the behavior pattern within an accepted diagnostic system. A proper diagnosis conveys information—about strengths, weaknesses, etiology, and best choices for remediation/treatment. Self knowledge :- Psychological tests also can supply a potent source of self-knowledge. Program evaluation :- Another use for psychological tests is the systematic evaluation of educational and social programs.  UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST Social programs are designed to provide services that improve social conditions and community life. Research :- Tests also play a major role in both the applied and theoretical branches of behavioral research. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SOUNDNESS OF TESTING Standardized procedure in test administration The interpretation of a psychological test is most reliable when the measurements are obtained under the standardized conditions outlined in the publisher’s test manual. Test administrators should follow carefully the standardized procedures for administration and scoring specified by the test publisher. Specifications regarding instructions to test takers, time limits, the form of item presentation or response, and test materials or equipment should be strictly observed. Even though standardized testing procedures are normally essential, there are instances in which flexibility in procedures is desirable or even necessary. The need to adjust standardized procedures for testing is especially apparent when examining persons with certain kinds of disabilities. Desirable procedures of test administration An essential component of individual testing is that examiners must be intimately familiar with the materials and directions before administration begins. Sensitivities to disabilities - Important ingredient of valid test administration is sensitivity to disabilities in the examinee. Impairments in hearing, vision, speech, or motor control may seriously distort test results. Desirable procedures of group testing - Conducting a group test requires as much finesse as administering an individual test. Sources of error in group testing :- (i) Inappropriate sample selection (ii) Unclear instructions (iii) Incorrect timing of a test that requires a time limit. (iv) Allowing too much time. (v) Noise (vi) Inappropriate scoring  UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST Influence of examiner Importance of rapport - Rapport — a comfortable, warm atmosphere that serves to motivate examinees and elicit cooperation. Initiating a cordial testing milieu is a crucial aspect of valid testing. Failure to establish rapport distorts test findings: Ability is underestimated and personality is misjudged. Examiner's sex, experience and race also affect a little. Background and motivation of the examinee Lack of motivation. Test anxiety - Test anxiety refers to those phenomenological, physiological, and behavioral responses that accompany concern about possible failure on a test. It has a directly detrimental effect on test performance. Motivation to deceive - Test results also may be inaccurate if the examinee has reasons to perform in an inadequate or unrepresentative manner. Malingering - Faking bad for personal gain UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST UNIT 1 - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST