PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
3. Introduction to Psychological Testing (Part 2)
When do we use
Psychological Tests?
Educational Setting
Clinical Setting
Job/Employment
Educational Setting
IQ tests in School
DISCUSS: What is their purpose? Should we
continue using them?
IQ tests are also used to identify struggling
students.
SAT tests for College Admission
DISCUSS: Are they a good measure of success in
college? Are there other factors that should be
taken into account?
Clinical Setting
Developmental Disorders
ADHD, Autism, OCD
The person who administers these tests must be qualified to
interpret the results. DISCUSS the advantages and limitations
of this.
Mental Health
DISCUSS: How effective are self-repots in judging mental health?
Neuropsychological tests
To detect brain injury/damage
Job Setting
Personality Tests
DISCUSS: How effective are personality tests in
judging job performance?
Aptitude Tests
Participants in the Test Use
Test Developer & Test Publisher
Test User: They select or decide to take a specific test off the
shelf and use it for some purpose.
Test Administrator: They administer the test either to one
individual at a time or to groups.
Test Taker: They take the test by choice or necessity.
Test Developer
Who will be using the test?
How are the items/questions selected (theory, revisions of
existing tests)?
How do you assess the suitability of the selected
items/questions in the test?
Finally, provide evidence that the Test meets its intended
purpose.
Test User/Test
Administrator
Be familiar with the testing procedures.
Be at ease in administrating the items of the test.
Know how to score and interpret the results.
Test Taker
Determine that the individual is competent and able to be
test, and will not experience stress as a result of testing.
Be familiar with the testing procedures.
Be at ease in administrating the items of the test.
Know how to score and interpret the results.
Be aware of legal and ethical information related to
administrating the test.
Test Taker
Informed consent - Confidentiality, freedom to withdraw,
purpose of assessment.
Confidentiality
Where will the data be sored and for how long?
Who has access to the Test Results?
How long are the results valid for?
Who will pay for the testing?
Feedback:
Will this lead to additional or follow-up services?
Test Use & Test Fairness
A test is most likely to be seen as unfair when:
1. It is the sole basis for the decision.
2. The consequences of doing poorly on the test is harsh
Ways to reduce concerns over test unfairness:
1. Multiple assessment procedures
2. Use more intensive screening procedures for those
likely to be treated unfairly by a given test.
Psychological Testing:
An Example
Participants in the Test Use
Test Developer: APA President-Yerkes
Test Administrator: They administer the test either to one
individual at a time or to groups.
US Army
Test Taker: They take the test by choice or necessity
Army Recruits
Intelligence: Tests
Yerkes test
Velvet Joe appears in advertisements of:
a) tooth powder
b) dry goods c) tobacco
d) soap
Another question from the analogy section of the test:
Washington is to Adams as first is to . . .
Intelligence
Crystallized intelligence
Learned knowledge (Verbal IQ tests)
Dependent on education
Remains stable over the lifetime
Fluid intelligence
Capacity for deductive reasoning
Ability to use new information to solve problems
Relatively independent of education
Declines in old age
Intelligence Tests: Ravens
Matrices
Intelligence: Tests
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
Woodcock-Johnson
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WISC)
Verbal scale: TRY IT!
Definition of POLICE
Intelligence: Tests
Reliability
Yielding reproducible and consistent results
Exceptionally reliable rs in the .90s
Intelligence: Tests
Validity : Measuring what it is intended to measure
Construct validity
Does the test confirm theory of IQ?
Criterion validity
Does the test predict the behavior it is supposed to predict?
Face Validity
Does the test appear to be appropriate?
Content Validity
Does the test cover all of the domains to be measured ?
Intelligence: Tests
Validity : Measuring what it is intended to measure
Qualified validity
40 to .50 with school success
r =.60 to .80s with number of years in school
Predicts occupational attainment, but not job performance
Intelligence
Psychometric properties
Compared with other people
IQ scores distributed normally
Bell-shaped curve
Very high & low scores are rare
68% of people have IQ between 85-115
Intelligence quotient (IQ): Now determined from test
norms
Expected Distribution of IQ scores
Where does it come from?
Heritability
degree to which variation in trait stems from genetic, rather than
environmental, differences among individuals
Environmentality
degree to which variation is due to environmental rather than
genetic differences
The Heritability Coefficient
Single number, ranging from 0 to 1.0
Represents amount of trait due to genetic
differences
0 means no variance due to genetics
1 means all variance due to genetics
.30 means 30% is due to genetic
differences, 70% due to environmental
Twin Studies & Family Influence
If trait genetic:
closely related more similar than less closely related
Many close relatives share environments
too
Genetic Influences
Similarity of
intelligence
scores
(correlation)
The most
genetically
similar
people have
the most
similar
scores
Identical
twins
reared
together
Identical
twins
reared
apart
Fraternal Siblings Unrelated
reared
twins
individuals
together reared
reared
together
together
Family Influence on IQ
Transient influence of
family in which you are
raised
adoptive siblings as
children and adults
identical vs. fraternal
twins reared together
Identical twins
Fraternal twins
Historical increase in IQ: Flynn
Effect
Improved performance on
IQ tests over the years
Big increases in tests
assessing fluid
intelligence, smallest in
factual knowledge
IQ
Scores
Increased schooling only
accounts for small portion
of this increase
Due to changes in the
culture?
Nutrition vs Cognitive
Stimulation
Year
Who cares?
US Army
Schools
Disability
Giftedness
Intelligence: PROS
Extremes of Intelligence Mental Retardation
Diagnosis based on IQ 2 or more SD below mean (score of
<70)
Onset before age 18
4 levels: mild, moderate, severe, profound
Intelligence: PROS
Extremes of Intelligence Giftedness
IQ scores in the top 2-3%
Less on creativity, leadership, special talent
Is IQ all you need to be gifted?
Intelligence: CONS
Limited assessment of intelligence: does not measure innate ability
Many students with high IQ dont do
well in school
Culture bound
Intelligence: CONS
Differences between racial & cultural groups
American Blacks score about 15 points lower than Whites
American Asians score about 10 points higher than Whites
Can IQ Tests be Culture Free?
Intelligence: CONS
Limited assessment of intelligence: does not measure innate ability
Culture bound
Not accurate in predicting overall life success
Intelligence: CONS
Motivation & intellectual success
Termite study
1500 boys & girls with IQs > 140
Compared 100 most successful men with 100
least successful from this sample
Motivation, not IQ made the difference
