1. CHAPTER 13: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

2. SECTION 1: CHARACTERISTICS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

3. TEST RELIABILITY
Reliability: ability of a test to give the same results under similar conditions
3 ways to determine:
1) Retesting: approx. score must be maintained
2) test yields same results from various people
3) Split-half: divide test items in half and score each separately

4. TEST VALIDITY
Validity: ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure
Best way to measure validity: predictive validity (finding out afterwards)

5. STANDARDIZATION Tests that are administered and graded in the same way
Must est. a norm (avg score) made by a large group

6. ESTABLISHING NORMS
Percentile system: ranking of test scores that indicates the ratio of scores lower and higher than a given score
Norms: standard of comparison for test results developed by giving the test to a large, well-defined group of people

7. SECTION 2: INTELLIGENCE TESTING

8. INTELLIGENCE
Def: the ability to acquire new ideas and new behavior, and to adapt to new situations
Varying views…

9. TWO-FACTOR THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE
Charles Spearman
2 factors contribute to intelligence
1) g—general intelligence (complex mental work)
2) s—specific mental abilities (verbal/math)
Critics: g does not measure other mental abilities

10. THURSTONE’S THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE
L.L. Thurstone
Opposed 2-factor theory
Proposed 7 primary mental abilities
Verbal comprehension, numerical ability, spatial relations, perceptual speed, word fluency, memory, inductive reasoning

11. GARDNER’S THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Howard Gardner
8 types of intelligence
Verbal, logical/mathematic, spatial, musical, body-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist
Critics: most of these are skills, not intelligences

12. STERNBERG’S THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE
Robert Sternberg
Triarchic Theory: intelligence can be divided into 3 ways of processing info
1)Analytical—problem solving
2)Creative—dealing with new things
3)Practical—adjusting and coping with environment

13. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Includes 4 major aspects of intra/interpersonal intelligences
1)accurately and appropriately perceive and express emotions
2) Uses emotions while thinking

14. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
3) Understand emotions and use the knowledge effectively
4) Regulate one’s emotions to promote personal growth

15. DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLIGENCE TESTS

16. STANFORD-BINET INTELLIGENCE SCALE
Groups test items by age level
Standardized
Intelligence Quotient (IQ): standardized measure of intelligence based on a scale in which is average
Otis-Lennon Ability Test: measures cognitive abilities related to school

17. THE WECHSLER TESTS Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R)
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III)—6-16 yr olds
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligences (WPPSI-R)—4-7 yr olds

18. CONTROVERSY OVER IQ TESTING

19. NATURE VS NURTURE Identical twins have similar IQs
Those raised in the same environment have similar IQs
Both heredity and environment impact intelligence

20. CULTURAL BIAS
Def: an aspect of an intelligence test in which wording in questions may be more familiar to people of one social group than to another group

21. SECTION 3: MEASURING ACHIEVEMENT, ABILITIES, AND INTERESTS

22. APTITUDE TESTS
Def: estimates the probability that a person will be successful in learning a specific new skill
Assessed with predictive validity
General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB): most widely used---9 different tests ranging from vocabulary to manual dexterity
SAT and ACT (American College Test): predict student’s success in college

23. ACHIEVEMENT TESTS
Def: measures how much a person has learned in a given subject area
Assessed with content validity
Adaptive testing: computer testing that responds to your performance

24. INTEREST INVENTORIES
Def: measure of a person’s preferences and attitudes in a wide variety of activities to identify areas of likely success
Answer patterns will correspond with occupations
Kuder Preference Record and the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

25. SECTION 4: PERSONALITY TESTING

26. PERSONALITY TEST
Def: assesses an individual’s characteristics and identifies problems
Some are objective and some are projective

27. OBJECTIVE TESTS
Def: a limited-or-forced-choice test in which a person must select one of several answers

28. THE MMPI Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Answers reveal habits, fears, delusions, sexual attitudes, and symptoms of psych disorders
Best for diagnosing psych disorders

29. CPI California Psychological Inventory
Measures traits like responsibility, self-control, and tolerance
Used to assess the “normal” person
Does NOT reveal psychiatric illnesses

30. MYERS-BRIGGS TEST
Focuses on how we take in info, make decisions, and approach day-to-day tasks
4 scales:
1) Extraversion v. Introversion
2) Intuition v. Sensing
3) Feeling v. Thinking
4) Judging v. Perceiving
Personality is a combination of these

31. PROJECTIVE TESTS
Def: an unstructured test in which a person is asked to respond freely, giving his/her own interpretation of various ambiguous stimuli

32. RORSCHACH INKBLOT TEST
Best known and most widely discussed
Hermann Rorschach (1921)
Theory: A person’s response will reveal an aspect of that person’s personality

33. TAT Thematic Apperception Test Developed by Henry Murray (1943)
Participants are asked to tell a story about a picture (20 pictures total)
Used to assess motivation and personality characteristics