Extra Concepts To Know

Front 1

Rule Number One: Raw Scores are Meaningless

Back 1

*Alone, tell us very little. Must do something to it to give it meaning. In order to interpret have to be placed into context.

*Comparing an individual's response to those of his or her norm group can usually give us more in-depth information

Front 2

Why are raw scores helpful?

Back 2

*Tell us the relative position, within the norm group, of a person's score (compare to individual's who took the same test (same age/grade))

*Allow us to compare results among test-takers who took same test but are in different norm groups (2 children, 2 grades apart, how are they doing compared to their norm group)

*Allow us to compare test results on two or more different tests taken by the same individual (learning disability?)

Front 3

Rule Number Two: God Does Not Play Dice With the Universe

Back 3

*Talks about natural order and how perfect the laws of nature are

*Have great implications for testing because the concepts such as the bell-shaped curve are crucial to our understanding of norm-referenced testing and allow us to compare individuals

*Due to the natural laws of the universe, many qualities, when measured, approximate the normal curve

Front 4

Rule Number Three: Z-Scores are Golden

Back 4

*Great for helping us see where an individual's raw score falls on a normal curve

*Helpful for converting a raw score to other kinds of derived scores

*This is why we like to keep in mind z-scored are golden and can often be used to help us understand the meaning of scores

Front 5

Anastasi: "Tests are essentially tools. Whether any tool is an instrument of good or harm depends on how the took is used."

How does this concept relate to the importance of following standardization?

Back 5

*Deviations from standardization could impact meaning and interpretation of test scores!

*Tests sometimes used for shortcuts, quick solutions (simple answer to questions); Inadequate or Outdated knowledge about testing

*Need basic understanding of statistical/technical knowledge and relevant facts about behavioral science

Front 6

What should counselors know about the use and interpretation of psychological tests?

Back 6

1) Choose tests appropriately
2) Understand the statistical and technical aspects of tests
3) Understand what underlying constructs the tests are measuring
4) Interpret test scores properly, integrate into assessment process

Front 7

Hazards in Assessment:

Hazard of the single score

Back 7

*Ignoring variation in the score shown by the SEM.

*Uses a single number to represent an individual's test performance rather than allowing for random sampling flunctuations

Front 8

Hazards in Assessment:

Hazard of the single time period

Back 8

*Assume trait stability regardless of intervening experiences

Front 9

Hazards of Assessment:

Hazard of the single indicator

Back 9

*Failure to consider the moderate size of the correlations between different indicators of a behavioral construct may lead to undue reliance on scores from a single test, without corroborative and qualifying data from other tests or sources of info about a person

Front 10

Hazards of Assessment:

Hazard of illusory precision

Back 10

*The availability of numerical scores from instruments designed as aids for skilled practitioners (projective techniques) may create misleading impression of quantification and objectivity

Front 11

Full understanding and proper interpretation of test scores has both a past and future reference to specific real-life contexts

Antecedent Context:

Back 11

*Understand individual's reactional biography and learning history.

*Environmental development?
*Response to environment?
*Conditions/Events?

Front 12

Full understanding and proper interpretation of test scores has both a past and future reference to specific real-life contexts

Anticipated Context:

Back 12

*Setting (educational, occupational, societal) in which this person is expected to function, in which they are being evaluated.

*Can this person read at required level for job she is considering?
*Can this youth manage own life in community?
*Is this child ready to benefit from a particular intervention?