PSY631 Psychology Testing

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 PSY631 Psychology Testing 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zJrUYh7Tvr5CFGBN-Yf9IHzBo3p1vsCh?usp=sharing

Psychological Assessment and Tests

Psychological Tests: Why Do We Need Them?

“Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes …. Human or Animal” (Feldman)

There are three important terms used in this definition…..scientific study, behavior, and mental processes. Behavior and mental processes constitute the content or subject matter of psychology, whereas scientific study refers to the methodology used by psychologists. Scientific method ensures that the results or conclusions of an investigation are objective and consistent. For this purpose psychologists use carefully designed tools of data collection. Psychological tests are one of those tools.

Difference Between Testing And Assessment:

What is a test?

“A test is a measurement device or technique used to quantify behavior or aid in the understanding and prediction of behavior” ( Kaplan, & Saccuzzo, 2001).

Assessment includes more than just tests. A typical assessment plan may include a test or a battery of tests, interview, behavioral observation, and case history data. In many cases even more sources of information regarding a person’s behavior and mental processes are also used e.g. portfolios containing samples of a person’s (mostly a student or a job candidate) skill or work such as photographs, drawings, stories, or essays.

Remember!!!

•        A test is just one tool. In order to make more precise and accurate predictions one should supplement tests with other sources of data as well, e.g., observation, case history etc.

•        Psychological tests do not, and they cannot, always present a 100% accurate picture of behavior and/or mental processes. There can always be some chance of error; and we should be able to gauge the amount of error.

•        Tests present a picture of only those characteristics or variables that have been covered in the content of the test. They do not capture behavior in entirety.

•        The precision of test results or conclusion depends, to a great extent, on the subjects’ state of mind and attitude toward the test as well as the testing process.

Types of Tests:

There are a large number of varieties of tests available for a wide range of purposes. Tests can be categorized on the basis of:

•        The purpose or the type of behavior/characteristics to be measured: personality, aptitude, intelligence, achievement etc.

•        Individual versus group tests

•        Ability, achievement, or aptitude tests

•        Intelligence versus personality tests

•        Speed test versus ability tests

•        Structured personality tests versus projective tests

•        Verbal versus non-verbal/performance tests.

•        Commercial copyrighted tests versus available to all tests

 

Essential characteristics of psychological tests:

A good psychological test should have these qualities:

•        Validity: A test should measure what it is intended to measure.

•        Reliability: A test should give consistent results. It should give same or similar results every time it is administered to the same subjects in same conditions.

•        Norm development and standardization

Ethics in Psychological Testing:

•        Confidentiality

•        No hurt or damage

•        Respect the viewpoint of subject


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