PSY 4560

Description

Overview of the field of psychological testing and the fundamental principles and procedures applicable to all types of psychological tests. Explores various types of psychological testing.

Objectives

1. Describe and explain the major categories of psychological tests, the uses and users of tests, and the major assumptions involved in testing.
2. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the nine major sources of information about tests, and describe two main sources of test reviews and electronic listings available as sources of information about tests.
3. Define the purpose of test norms and differentiate and apply frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, and z-scores.
4. Discuss the characteristic of the norm groups, distinguish between criterion-referenced and norm-referenced interpretation, and identify characteristics of each of the following types of norm groups: national, international, convenience, user, subgroup, local, and institutional.
5. Define reliability and validity as the terms are used in psychological testing, and examine the effects of “constant errors” on test reliability.
6. Compare the “standard” and “refined” definitions of test validity, differentiate between construct underrepresentation and construct irrelevant variance, and discuss criterion-related validity.
7. Summarize the steps involved in developing a test, differentiate the methods that have evolved in scoring constructed-response items, and explain the guidelines for selecting items for a test.
8. Identify key features of Spearman's “g”, Thurstone's Primary Mental Abilities, The Hierarchical Model, Developmental theories, and Information processing/biological models.
9. Discuss the major research on heredity and environmental influences on intelligence, sex, age, socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic groups.
10. Demonstrate key features and principal uses of the WAIS, Vineland , PPVT, Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Memory Scale, explain the relationship between the WISC and the WAIS, and describe the concept of adaptive behavior and how it relates to defining mental retardation.
11. Describe and explain the uses, characteristics, and types of individual and group tests of intelligence, and how these tests have been used to determine intellectual capacity and potential for success in education and work.
12. Explain key features of the ACT, GRE-G, ASVAB, SAT, and OLSAT8, discuss culture-fair tests, and discuss the five generalizations regarding group mental ability tests.
13. Explain the two main approaches to neuropsychological assessment, describe the supplemental information gathered when completing a neuropsychological evaluation, and describe techniques used to assess effort/motivation.
14. Identify the major categories of achievement tests, with examples of actual tests, and identify common features of tests in each category.
15. Describe the four approaches to personality test development, with the advantages and disadvantages of each, and compare and contrast comprehensive and specific domain personality inventories.
16. Contrast structured and unstructured clinical interviewing techniques, describe major features of comprehensive clinical instruments and specific domain clinical instruments.
17. Identify the major uses of projective techniques, and discuss the major features of the projective techniques described in the text.
18. Summarize the main features of the SII, KCS, and SDS and list four main generalizations about career interest assessment.
19. Distinguish between ethical and legal considerations, summarize the main provisions relevant to testing in IDEA, EEOC Guidelines and the Fourteenth Amendment, and describe the main forensic application of tests.

PreRequisites

PSY 1010: General Psychology or equivalent

Textbook(s)

* Disclaimer: Textbooks listed are based on the last open revision of the course. Prior revisions and future revisions may use different textbooks. To verify textbook information, view the course syllabus or contact the CSU Bookstore at bookstore@columbiasouthern.edu