...Psychological Testing PSY/475 Psychological Testing In this paper the subject is to summarize the major assumptions and fundamental questions associated with psychological testing. The author begins by defining the term test. Next, the author describes the major categories of tests and identifies the major uses and users of these tests. Last the paper compares and contrasts the concepts of reliability and validity and discusses how they affect the field of psychological testing. The Standards for Education and Psychological Testing defines test as, “An evaluative device or procedure in which a sample of an examinee’s behavior (is) evaluated and scored using a standardized process” (Hogan, 2007, pg. 38). Anastasi and Cronbach, both traditional textbook authors, define the term test as, “an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior” and “a systematic procedure for observing behavior and describing it with the aid of numerical scales or fixed categories” (Hogan, 2007, pg. 38). In psychology, tests are used to make important decisions about an individual. Testing samples a person’s behavior, creates a standardized measure, and contributes in making important decisions about the individual taking the test. Testing is used in many different areas and is used to sample a person behavior, create a standardize measure, and contribute in making important decisions. For example, college admissions officers consult test score before admitting or rejecting...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...Psychological Testing Serena Bair Psy. 475 May 14, 2011 Psychological Testing Psychological testing can provide a great deal of information for many people. People that rely on psychological testing include, but are not limited to psychologists, teachers, parents, behavioral specialists, and psychiatrists. In order for these people to understand the information given to them they need to have a basic understanding of psychological tests. There is a variety of tests available for testing people, and each of these tests has specific uses. These tests must also have a degree of reliability and validity in order to be useful in the field of psychological testing. The major assumptions and fundamental questions also need to be addressed. Tests The majority of people have a basic idea of the definition of a test. A test, (2011) according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “something (as a series of questions or exercises) for measuring the skill, knowledge, intelligence, capacities, or aptitudes of an individual or group”. This definition can fit some of the areas of psychological testing but six common elements are present in the meaning of “test” in the context of behavioral sciences (Hogan, 2007) These six common features that are present in the definition of a psychological test are: a test is some type of procedure or device, yields information, the procedure or device yields information about behavior, a sample of a behavior or cognitive process rather than...
Words: 1046 - Pages: 5
...Psychological Testing Testing has become a very important factor in the world today. Everyone at one point in their lives has gone through some form of testing or has done a test. Tests were developed in order to find out information on someone. Thests are being used by many professionals around the world in many fields of study including psychology. In addition there are many type of tests and they are categorized into 5 major categories. First is the mental ability tests, then the achievement tests followed by the personality tests, the interest and attitudes tests and ending with the neuropsychological tests. Taking a test depends a lot on the reliability and validity of the information on the test. Major Categories The mental ability tests is a tests that measures a persons mental ability. It is a tests that shows just how much mental capacity a person is able to retain as knowledgeable information for future reference. An example of the mental ability tests is the SAT test. This test is given to future college students. The achievement test is another test and this test points out how much a person knows about a certain or particular field. An example of this test would be that of the TAKS or STAR test. This test is given to students in many schools in order to determine a childs level of knowledge. This test would provide professionals with enough information or the knowledge that a student know for instance about grammar such as sentence structure or...
Words: 612 - Pages: 3
...Introduction to Psychological Testing Andrea K. Clark 06/15/2015 PSY/475 Introduction to Psychological Testing The goal of this paper is the summarization of key suppositions and basic questions related to psychological testing. A definition of the term ‘test’ shall be provided, as well as explanations of the main test types and identification of the chief users and usages of these tests. Additionally, there shall be a discussion of a comparison and contrast of reliability and validity beliefs and how they influence psychological testing. Definition of Test The definition of a test is “a critical examination, observation, or evaluation” that generates information (Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2015). Tests are utilized to identify, characterize or measure an individual’s or group’s knowledge, intellect, skills, capabilities or aptitudes. In the psychological fields, tests are assessment tools that standardize these characterizations, measurements, and identifications. Psychological tests are “a systematic procedure for observing behavior and describing it with the aid of numerical scales or fixed categories” (Hogan, 2007, p. 39). Main Test Types, Chief Usages, and Users According to Hogan (2007), “we classify tests into five major categories: mental ability, achievement, personality, interests, and neuropsychological tests, with several subdivisions within some of the major categories” (p. 41). There are also different test classification methods: standardized, non-standardized...
Words: 1148 - Pages: 5
...Introduction to Psychological Testing Psychological testing is used in many areas today, the term test in psychological testing refers to a “procedure used to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something or someone, before it is used in a widespread manner” When it comes to psychological testing these tests are either in written form, visual form, or verbal form through evaluations (Dorland, 2007). Psychological testing is also known as psychological assessments, these tests are used by psychologists to help them get a better idea of a person’s behavior (Framingham, 2001). Many psychologists and companies also use these tests to help them with problems solving, in many different areas for a person including mental health issues, personality issues, and to test IQ (Framingham, 2001). Psychological tests are used to measure people’s performance however they can also tests what is going on with the person in the present, psychological tests cannot predict how a person will be in the future (Framingham, 2001). When it comes to psychological tests, there are many different kinds and styles, there are four major types used one of the clinical interview, assessment of intellectual functioning, personality tests, and behavioral tests (Framingham, 2001). There are also other non-primary tests used for achievement in school, career, work, counseling, management skills, and career planning (Framingham, 2001). Psychological tests are used to help with numerous...
Words: 894 - Pages: 4
...Psychological Testing in the Workplace Introduction Companies use psychological testing in delivering an enormous amount of information for future employee candidates as well as present employees within the company. There are different types of psychological testing that employers use to determine who is well fitted as a new hire as those same tests will be administered to retain current employees. The three that will be addressed in this paper will be characteristics, knowledge and skills, and personality testing. The level of degree deemed to be useful depends of the validity and reliability of these psychological tests. Each company would face the legal and ethical issues that may be implicated administering these types of tests. 3 Types of Psychological Testing Many types of tests are available and can assess hundreds of individual characteristics. The course of nature for the characteristic of interest aids in determining which test should be administered. Characteristics of test have four subcategories are as follows: group versus individually administered tests, close-ended versus open-ended, paper and pencil versus performance, and power versus speed tests (Spector, 2012). A group test can be administered to several people at once. An individual test is one that is given to one single examinee. Closed-ended tests the examinee must choose one from several answer choices. An open-ended exam the examinee comes up with a response as a whole rather than choosing...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...Introduction to Psychological Testing Megan Szopinski PSY/475 April 13, 2015 Dennis Plunkett Abstract Within this essay there will be information providing the following; the psychological testing definition of the word ‘test', the major categories of psychological test, the uses and users of each, and the difference and similarities of reliability and validity. The information provided will give you a good idea of what test should be used for and who would administer that particular test. There will also be an example of how a test can be reliable but not valid. For an experiment to have an accurate test, the test needs to have reliability and validity. Introduction to Psychological Testing Psychological testing is crucial when it comes to measuring how and why humans behave in certain ways. Choosing the correct test for the right experiment is also important. There are some major assumptions and fundamental questions that relate to psychological testing. The main ones are (a) defining the term test, (b) describing the major categories of test and who uses them or users of them, and (c) reliability and validity and how affect psychological testing. Throughout this paper, we will discuss the assumptions and questions related to psychological testing. Defining the Term ‘Test’ Most of us have taken a test of some sort throughout our lives. Sometimes we may think to ourselves "why do we need to take another test" or "I am horrible at test, but I do know the information"...
Words: 1610 - Pages: 7
...Psychological Testing Paper University of Phoenix PSY/475: Psychological Test and Measurements MU10BSP10 Psychological Testing Paper Introduction There comes a time when we all come across a specific test such as school tests, driving test, or even as simple as food tasting test. However, there is a difference between regular tests and testing’s when referring to psychological testing. There are several different psychological tests that many psychiatrists, psychologists, and school counselors use to determine certain abilities, however each of the tests are used for a specific purpose. It is vital for the individuals to contain high knowledge of the tests before applying it to others. Defining “Test” According to the medical dictionary, psychological tests are defined as written, visual and verbal evaluations administered to assess the cognitive and emotional functions of children and adults (Psychological Tests, 2012). The purpose for psychological testing is to determine the mental abilities, personality traits, achievements and abilities, and neurological functioning. Although, we all have a basic idea of what the definition of “test” is, however according to (Hogan, 2007), they developed six-element to define “test”: A test is a standardized process or device that yields information about a sample of behavior or cognitive processes in a quantified manner (Hogan, 2007). Major Categories of Tests There are five major categories of tests that are applied...
Words: 904 - Pages: 4
...Introduction to Psychological Testing Aryne F. Levine PSY/475 May 24, 2012 Glenn Leighbody Introduction to Psychological Testing The term test is a difficult term to define. There are several major categories and sub- categories of assessments. The major categories of assessments relate to the type of examination. The sub-categories of assessments relate to the manner in which the assessment is taken. Assessments can be used for a wide variety of purposes in the professional, military, and educational worlds. The validity and reliability of a test affect the overall purpose of the test. Human error and individuality can affect the reliability and validity of psychological assessments. Definition of the Term Test The term test is defined as an analytical assessment, examination, or appraisal that is used to measure the abilities, understanding, intellect, proficiencies, or skills of an individual or group (Merriam-Webster, 2012). There are many major and minor categories of tests. The five major test categories are: The five main categories of psychological tests are: mental ability tests, achievement tests, personality assessments, interest and attitude assessments, and neuropsychological tests. The minor categories of tests are: performance, paper and pencil, power, speed, individual, group, maximum performance, typical performance, norm-referenced, and criterion referenced examinations. Separating examinations...
Words: 1723 - Pages: 7
...Introduction to Psychological Testing Lisa Bueno University of Phoenix PSY/475 Psychological Testing and Measurements Pamela Stewart, M.S. February 8, 2012 Introduction to Psychological Testing Define “Test” The word test as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is, “a cup used for smelting gold or silver ore” (Hogan, 2007, p. 38). Imagining what testing meant for Chaucer in the mid 1300s could be associated with an image of pure data, (perhaps gold or silver) captured and additional data was irrelevant. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests defines test as, “An evaluative device or procedure in which a sample of an examinee’s behavior in a specified domain is obtained and subsequently evaluated and scored using a standardized process” (Hogan, 2007, p. 38). In addition, Anastasi and Cronbach define test as “an objective and standardized measure of a sample behavior” and “there is no fully satisfactory definition” respectively (Hogan, 2007, p. 39). Essentially, Hogan (2007) gathered the test definitions and identified six critical elements: device or procedure, gather information, behavior or cognitive processes, sample, standardized and quantified. “A test is a standardized process or device that yields information about a sample or behavior or cognitive processes in a quantified manner” (Hogan, 2007, p. 41). However concise this definition may seem, in order to further understand psychological testing one must uncover the basics, identify...
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...Psychological Testing There are different ways to do psychological testing. There has to be a way to measure different criteria of a specific element one is trying to study. A test can help psychologist determine, predict and explain a persons’ behavior and can attempt to use the information gathered through such tests to help the patient with their behavior or mental disorders. The word “test” comes from an Old French word, with the earliest recorded use in English being by Chaucer in 1368. Another definition of the term “test” is the process or an instance of testing the academic, mental, physiological, or other qualities and conditions of a human subject” (Vol. 17, p. 826). In order to better understand the concept of a psychological test, one has to break it down to having categories of tests. There are five major categories including mental ability tests, achievement tests, personality tests, interests and attitudes, and neuropsychological tests. The mental ability tests are comprised of many different tests which main goal is to test a wide variety of cognitive functions including memory, spatial visualization and creative thinking. In general, tests can be used for clinical purposes, educational purposes, personnel purposes or used for research. Mental ability tests are used by doctors, psychologist and psychiatrists and can be used to provide an index of an overall mental ability of individuals (Hogan, 2007). Achievement tests are used to assess a person’s...
Words: 789 - Pages: 4
...INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING PSY/475 Student: Instructor: Date: Introduction to Psychological Testing Psychological testing is a field of science that spotlights on activity and observant individuals’ mental and behavioral aspects. Tests permit specialists to comprehend a person’s individuality whereas comparison that individual with others, for means that of analysis and self-understanding. In spite of the fact that tests are can be wasteful and even destructive for a few people, with the correct unwavering reliability and validity they can be solid and tenable, helping psychologists and researchers to achieve a superior comprehension of human instinct The Definition of “Test” Hogan (2007) explains that tests are outlined as a consequence of the mixture of six common parts, which the author extracted from the reason of various authors within the field. These parts are procedure , information, behavior, sample of behavior, systematic (or standardized) procedure, and quantification (or measurement). By combining these six parts, the author will finally outline take a look at as a “standardized method or device that yields data a few samples of behavior or psychological feature processes in an exceedingly quantified manner” (Hogan, 2007, p. 41). Primary Users of Tests Within the study of tests there are four teams of the first users of tests. In keeping with these teams embrace clinical, academic, personnel, and research. The first group happens...
Words: 843 - Pages: 4
...Psychological Testing PSY/435 February 25, 2012 Psychological Testing Psychological testing is a recognized way to measure an individual’s knowledge, skill, abilities, characteristics, traits, and behavior. This type of testing is a way to introduce an individual’s personality, and a tool to help organizations select the appropriate employee. The ability test, personality test, and emotional intelligence test are just a few of the many tests available. A good test is one that is reliable and valid. A reliable test will work the same each time it is administered, and a valid test measures what it intends to measure. Although ethical issues exist, many psychological testing is both valid and reliable, and is a benefit for the employee and organization when used appropriately (Spector, 2008). Psychological Testing in the Workplace “A psychological test is a standardized series of problems or questions that assess a particular individual characteristic” (Spector, 2008, p. 110). These tests are often used to evaluate an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities, and include items that specify his or her characteristics of interest. Multiple items on the test provide better reliability and validity compared to single-item tests (Spector, 2008). Psychological tests are typically easy and quick to apply and can assess several characteristics in one test (Spector, 2008). Ability Test An ability test is similar to the aptitude test, in which it tests an individual’s capacity...
Words: 1518 - Pages: 7
...Psychological Testing Name Instructor Course: Date Submitted: Introduction Psychological tests are useful instruments both in the social, economic and medical sectors as they help in the selection of individual for either job placements or therapeutic purposes. This paper will mainly focus on the application of these tests in identifying, recruiting, employing and promoting of candidates in different job positions in companies and industries. Some organizations have devised methods for carrying out these activities. Among them are the psychological assessment tests, usually given at the inception stage of the recruitment to help in identifying a candidate with the desired traits and qualifications for the jobs. What is the meaning of a psychological test? According to (Gilliland, 1993), a psychological test is a mechanism used by organizations to identify the suitable people for the right positions. The tests involve the use of legally and professionally developed methods of measuring intellectual and personality strengths, communication ability, and leadership skills of the individual in question. Interviews and structured questionnaires are commonly used during the process. These tests are however not 100% efficient. For one, some of the answers to the questions given depend solely on the honesty of the interviewees. In this case, the candidate may decide to keep some necessary information. In this case...
Words: 3110 - Pages: 13
...Cochrane, R. E., Tett, R. P., & Vandecreek, L. (2003). Psychological Testing and the Selection of Police Officers: A National Survey. Criminal Justice and Behavior, (30)5, 500-537. In this article Cochrane et al. identify the selection and psychological assessment practices for potential police offers nowadays, which enable the police department to select police officers with good performance. The authors use data gained through a survey including personnel managers from municipal police agencies to identify selection practices and procedures. The research focuses on examine why police departments utilize different measuring devices to select officer, although psychological testing is widely used. The article is useful to my research as the authors provide some examples of personality testing to show that how psychological testing is valued to predict the job performance. The main limitation of the article is that the survey was restricted to police department personnel managers, psychologists and other persons are not directly participated in the survey completion. As a result, the authors indicate that more research will occur in the field with the assistance of psychologist. Carless, S. A. (2006). Applicant Reactions to Multiple Selection Procedures for the Police Force. Applied Psychology: an International Review , (55)2，145-167. In the article Carless examines the impact of selection procedure on the applicant perception of job relatedness. The author uses data...
Words: 340 - Pages: 2
