Psychological Testing & Assessment Chapter 4 - Tests And Testing

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Age norms

Back 1

indicate the average performance of different samples of test takers who were at various ages at the time the test was administered

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Classical test theory (CTT) or true score theory

Back 2

assumes that each test taker has a true score on a test that would be obtained but for the action of the measurement error.

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Construct

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an informed scientific concept constructed to describe or explain behaviour (can't see hear or touch) but can infer their existence from overt behaviour.

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criterion

Back 4

standard on which a judgment or decision may be based

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Criterion-referenced testing and assessment

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a method of evaluation and a way of deriving meaning from test scores by evaluating an individual's score with reference to a set standard - also called domain or content-referenced testing and assessment.

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Cumulative scoring

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is based on the assumption that the more often the test taker responds in a particular direction as noted by test manual as correct or consistent with a particular trait/ability/state, the higher/lower the test taker is presumed to be on the targeted ability/trait/state.

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Domain sampling

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can mean either 1) a sample of behaviours from all possible behaviours that might be indicative of a particular construct or 2) a sample of test items from all possible items that might be used to measure a particular construct.

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error variance

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the component of a test score attributable to sources other than the trait or ability measured.

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Fixed reference group scoring systems

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the distribution of scores obtained on the test from one group of test takers called the fixed reference group is used as the basis for the calculation of test scores for future administrations of the test example: SAT test in US.

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Grade norms

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are designed to indicate the average test performance of test takers in a given school grade, developed by administering the test to representative samples of children over a range of consecutive grade levels. Only useful with respect to years and months of schooling completed.

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incidental sampling or convenience sample

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one that is convenient to use example Uni psych students, generalisation of findings must be made with caution.

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Local norms

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provide normative information with respect to the local populations performance on some test.

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National norms

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derived from a normative sample that was nationally representative of the population at the time the norming study was conducted

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National anchor norms

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an equivalency table for scores on two tests. Percentile norms are computed for each of the tests to be compared. Using the equipercentile method the equivalency of scores on different tests is calculated with reference to corresponding percentile scores. The national anchor norms must have been obtained from the same sample – each member of the samples takes both tests and the equivalency tables were calculated on that data.

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Normative sample

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that group of people whose performance on a particular test is analysed for reference in evaluating the performance of individual test takers.

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norming and to norm

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the process of deriving norms, maybe modified to describe a particular type of norm derivation e.g. race norming

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Norm-referenced testing and assessment

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evaluating an individual test taker's score and comparing it to a group of test takers. The meaning of an individual test score is understood relative to other scores on the same test.

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Norms

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in a psychometric context they are the test performance data of a particular group of test takers that are designed for use as a reference when evaluating or interpreting individual test scores.

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Overt behaviour

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an observable action or the product of an observable behaviour including test or assessment related responses.

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Percentage correct

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the distribution of raw scores – more specifically – to the number of items that were answered correctly multiplied x 100 and divided x the number of total items.

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percentile

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expression of the percentage of people whose score on a test or measure falls below a particular raw score.

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Percentile norms

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the raw data from a test's standardisation sample converted to percentile form.

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Psychological trait

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exists only as a construct - covers a wide range of possible characteristics, some relate to intelligence, specific intellectual abilities, cognitive style, adjustments, interests, attitudes, sexual orientation and preferences, psychopathology, personality in general and specific personality traits.

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postdict

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aid the understanding of behaviour that has already taken place.

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purposive sampling

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arbitrarily selected because it is believed to be representative of the population (ie one city)

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Reliability

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the consistency of the measuring tool, the precision with which it measures and the extend to which error is present.

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Sample

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a portion of the universe of people deemed to be representative of the whole population.

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Sampling

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the process of selecting the portion of the universe deemed to be representative of the whole population.

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Standard error of estimate

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In regression, an estimate of the degree of error involved in predicting the value of one variable from another

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Standard error of measurement

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A statistic used to estimate the extent to which an observed score deviates from a true score

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Standard error of the difference

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A statistic used to estimate how large a difference between two scores should be before the difference is considered statistically significant

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Standard error of the mean

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A measure of sampling error

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Standardisation or test standardisation

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the process of administering a test to a representative sample of test takers for the purpose of establishing norms.

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standardised test

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tests that have clearly specified procedures for administering, scoring and interpreting in addition to norms for the test.

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States

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less enduring also distinguish one person from another

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stratified-random sampling

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every member of the population had the same chance of being included in the sample.

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Subgroup norms

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a normative sample can be segmented by any of the criteria initially used in selecting subjects (eg. age, socio-economics, geographic region, race) the segmentation are more narrowly defined subgroup norms.

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Trait

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any distinguishable, relatively enduring (not expected to manifest 100% of time) in which one individual varies from another

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T score

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a standard score that sets the mean to fifty and the standard deviation to ten.

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user norms or program norms

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descriptive stats based on a group of test takers in a given period of time rather than norms obtained by formal sampling methods.

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Validity

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a test is considered valid for a particular purpose if it measures what it purports to measure.

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Z-Scores

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statistical measurement of a score's relationship to the mean in a group of scores