Psychology 3307D Fall 2015 Lecture Two September 14, 2015

Overview Why is psychological testing important Kinds of psychological tests Uses and importance of Psychological Measurement Format of psychological tests Test assumptions

Importance of Psychological Testing What decisions in your life have been made about you using psychological tests Why is psychological testing important? – Used for making important decisions Grades Placement in special programs in elementary and high school Admission to university or grad school Hiring Diagnosing educational or psychological problem

Purposes for Psychological Measurement Educational settings Clinical settings Organizational settings Research

Purposes for Psychological Measurement Educational settings – Measure learning – Identify learning problems – Place students into programs – Award scholarships – Select students for schools – Identify career interests

Clinical settings Diagnose problems E.g autism, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia Plan treatment Evaluate treatment effectiveness Outcome measures for treatment Counseling: use test results to counsel individual and couples Psychological Assessment versus Psychological Test

Organizational settings Measure personality, abilities, skills, strengths Hire employees Determine training needs Diagnose problems Assess employee performance Surveys to assess satisfaction

Research Theory building and testing Further scientific knowledge Understand population Understand factors that influence health and mental health (neighbourhoodstudy.ca) Evaluate effectiveness of programs and policy interventions School breakfast program, Head Start program, two types of obesity prevention programs

Governments Understand population Demographics, employment and earnings, mental and physical health needs Develop policy Attitudes, opinions, health and demographics What role does testing and surveys play during an election? Activity: Do an Internet search to see if you can find an “data” from the current election period that suggests some sort of survey was used

Kinds of Psychological tests Achievement – Measure what has already been learned in a specific academic area – Main use: Academic settings – Example: Course exams

Kinds of Psychological tests Aptitude – Assess potential for learning or ability to perform in specific situations – Measure cumulative life experiences and determine what one can expect from a person – Setting: Vocational, Educational – Examples, Scholastic Aptitude Test practice-questions

Kinds of Psychological tests Intelligence tests – Also measure potential to learn, but at broader levels – Identify strengths and deficits – Used diagnostically – Settings: Educational, clinical – Sample items.

Kinds of Psychological tests Interest inventories – Help to assess someone’s interests – Predict satisfaction in specific academic or job setting – Settings: Educational, career counseling – Examples: Strong Interest Inventory

Kinds of Psychological tests Personality tests – Character and disposition – Some newer ones measure normal personality types Help promote understanding of differences – Help to assess someone’s interests – Example: Myers-Briggs type Indicator

Kinds of psychological tests Questionnaires and Surveys – Measure almost anything about individuals. Can incorporate some tests Used to learn about groups of people and make decisions – E.g. attitude measure. Tell leaders how people feel about a particular issue (e.g. food on campus) – Health Surveys. Tell government, researchers where resources are needed Settings: Almost any. University, government Examples; Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Survey (show)

Psychological Test Formats Standardized versus Non-standardized – Standardized tests have “norms” developed from a standardization sample Objective versus Projective – Objective – What the test taker must do is clear – Projective – How the test takers respond is ambiguous

Assumptions Tests measure what they intend to predict Test scores will remain stable over time People will understand the test items the same way People will report accurately People will report honestly Test score = True Score + Error