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10 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Which type of reliability would be most appropriate for estimating the reliability of a multiple-choice speeded test?
A. split-half B. coefficient of concordance C. alternate forms D. coefficient alpha |
Speeded tests are designed so that all items answered by an examinee are answered correctly, and the examinee’s total score depends primarily on his/her speed of responding. Because of the nature of these tests, a measure of internal consistency will provide a spuriously high estimate of the test's reliability.
c. CORRECT Alternate-forms reliability is an appropriate method for establishing the reliability of speeded tests. |
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A final exam is developed to evaluate students' comprehension of information presented in a high school history class. When the exam is administered to three classes of students at the end of the semester, all students obtain failing scores. This suggests that the exam may have poor ________ validity.
A. concurrent B. incremental C. content D. divergent |
The first sentence of this question gives you the information you need to identify the correct answer to this question: It states that the purpose of the test is to assess the students' knowledge of the content presented in the history course.
c. CORRECT If all students do poorly on a test designed to assess their mastery of the course content, one possible reason is that the test qu |
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Stella S. obtains a score of 50 on a test that has a standard deviation of 10 and a standard error of measurement of 5. The 95% confidence interval for Stella’s score is approximately:
A. 45 to 55. B. 40 to 60. C. 35 to 65. D. 30 to 70. |
The 95% confidence interval for an obtained test score is constructed by multiplying the standard error of measurement by 1.96 and adding and subtracting the result to and from the examinee’s obtained score.
b. CORRECT This interval is closest to the 95% confidence interval and was obtained by multiplying the standard error by 2.0 (instead of 1.96) and then adding and subtracting the result (10) to and from Stella’s score of 50. |
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After reviewing the data collected on a new selection test during the course of a criterion-related validity study, an industrial psychologist decides to lower the selection test cutoff score. Apparently the psychologist is hoping to:
A. reduce the number of false negatives B. increase the number of true positives C. reduce the number of false positives D. increase the number of false negatives |
By lowering the predictor cutoff, the psychologist will increase the number of people who are accepted on the basis of their selection test score.
b. CORRECT Lowering the selection test (predictor) cutoff will increase the number of positives, including the number of true positives, who are individuals who will be selected on the basis of their test scores and will be successful on the criterion. |
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According to classical test theory, total variability in test scores is due to:
A. true score variability plus systematic error. B. true score variability plus random error. C. relevant variability plus irrelevant variability. D. relevant variability plus confounding variability. |
As defined by classical test theory, total variability in test scores is due to a combination of truth and error.
b. CORRECT This answer accurately describes how total variability is conceptualized in classical test theory. This conceptualization is represented by the formula: X = T + E, where X is the total variability in test scores; T is true score variability; and E is variability due to measurement (random) error. |
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To evaluate the concurrent validity of a new selection test for clerical workers, you would:
A. conduct a factor analysis to confirm that the test measures the attributes it was designed to measure. B. have supervisors and others familiar with the job rate test items for relevance to success as a clerical worker. C. administer the test to a sample of current clerical workers and correlate their scores on the test with their recently assigned performance ratings. D. administer the test to clerical workers when they are initially hired and six months after they are hired and then correlate the two sets of scores. |
Concurrent validity is a type of criterion-related validity.
c. CORRECT To evaluate a test’s criterion-related validity, scores on the predictor (in this case, the selection test) are correlated with scores on a criterion (measure of job performance). When scores on both measures are obtained at about the same time, they provide information on the test’s concurrent validity. |
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Which of the following techniques would be most useful for combining test scores when superior performance on one test can compensate for poor performance on another test?
A. multiple cutoff B. multiple regression C. multiple hurdle D. multidimensional scaling |
This question is asking about the preferred technique for combining test scores when a high score on one measure can compensate for a low score on another measure.
b. CORRECT Multiple regression is a compensatory technique for combining test scores. When using this technique, a low score on one test can be offset (compensated for) by a high score on another tests. |
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In factor analysis, when two factors are "orthogonal," this means that:
A. the factors are correlated. B. the factors are uncorrelated. C. the factors explain a statistically significant amount of variability in test scores. D. the factors do not explain a statistically significant amount of variability in test scores. |
For the exam, you’ll want to know the difference between orthogonal and oblique factors.
b. CORRECT In factor analysis, orthogonal factors are uncorrelated (independent) and oblique factors are correlated (dependent). |
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An item discrimination index (D) of ____ indicates that all examinees in the high-scoring group and none in the low-scoring group answered the item correctly.
A. +1.0 B. -1.0 C. .50 D. 0 |
The item discrimination index ranges from -1.0 to +1.0 and is calculated by subtracting the percent of low-scoring examinees who answered the item correctly (examinees who obtained low total scores on the test) from the percent of high-scoring examinees who answered the item correctly (examinees who obtain high total scores on the test).
a. CORRECT An item discrimination index of +1.0 indicates that all of the high-scoring and none of the low-scoring examinees answered the item correctly. |
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Cronbach's alpha is an appropriate method for evaluating reliability when:
A. all test items are designed to measure the same underlying characteristic. B. test items are subjectively scored. C. the test will be administered to examinees at regular intervals over time. D. there is a restriction in the range of scores. |
To answer this question, you need to know that Cronbach's alpha is another name for coefficient alpha and is used to assess internal consistency reliability.
a. CORRECT Cronbach's alpha is an appropriate method for evaluating reliability when the test is expected to be internally consistent – i.e., when all test items measure the same or related characteristics. |
