1. Use of Instruments in Research
PSY 614
Emily Bullock Yowell, Ph.D.

2. Locating Psychological Instruments
Talking with research advisor
Locating appropriate references that discuss relevant research variables (i.e., PsycINFO)
Journal articles, books, dissertations
How do you best search?

3. Locating Psychological Instruments
Test Reference Books/Databases
Mental Measurements Yearbook
Tests in Print
Tests and Test Critiques
Directory of Unpublished Experimental Measures
Measures of Psychological Assessment
Measures for Clinical Practice
A Counselor’s Guide to Career Assessment Instruments

4. Practical Considerations
Cost
Permission and Responsibility for Using Instruments
Letter/ to authors or publishers
May ask for your raw data or summary of results
Time and Length
Use of incentives to complete research

5. Reliability Appropriate levels of Reliability Internal Consistency
Test-retest
Time interval?
Inter-rater
Alternate/parallel form

6. Validity
Content
Construct
Criterion-related
Face

7. Problems with Self-Report Measures
Unclear items
Ex. How often do you loose your keys?
Participant not knowing the information necessary to answer the item
Ex. Household income
Tests that cover “touchy” topics
Impression Management
One solution: include a social desirability scale
Participants’ Life Circumstances
Ex. Measure of depression administered following a recent death

8. Technology Online Survey’s
Kraut et al (2004) American Psychologist
SurveyMonkey,
Completing surveys on the computer as an option

9. Important Questions
To what degree do these scales address my primary constructs or variables of interest?
Based on previous researchers’ assertions, what have been the chief strengths and limitations regarding how my constructs of interest have been assessed through these self-report measures?
What do I anticipate will be the strengths and limitations of my research study in light of my use of these self-report instruments?

10. Examples Career Self-Efficacy among African Americans
Grandparent Stress when parenting
Elderly Individuals’ Coping