1. Psychological Testing
Psychology
WICHS
Mr. Leonoff

2. Purposes Crash Course Crash Course 2
Measuring and predicting human behavior
Find info about a person
Predict successful people???
Assess desires, interests, attitudes
Reveal psychological problems
Standardized tests
Comparison amongst others

3. Test Reliability and Validity
Reliability – test’s consistent ability to yield the same result under a variety of similar circumstances
Taking a test several times in a short period should result in similar scores (test-retest reliability)
Test yields the same results when scored at different times by different people (interscorer reliability)
Dividing a test in half and scoring each half separately – should score similarly (split-half reliability)

4. Test Reliability and Validity
Validity – ability of a test to measure what it intends to measure
How well a test predicts performance (predictive validity)
Much more difficult to determine validity than reliability

5. Standardization 2 items of standardization:
Must be administered and scored the same way every time
Follow the same procedures and ask questions the same way
No hints
Establish the norm (average score) made by a large group of people
Helps turn test results into something useful
Ex: 75% on a test compared to average scores of 55% or 90%
Percentile System – ranking of scores that indicates the ratio of scores lower and higher than a given score
Ex: 10 out of 20 people scored below 75% === 50th Percentile
Based on test’s norms – scores achieved by giving test to a large amount of people

6. Lesson 1 Review
1. What is meant when we ask about the reliability or validity of a test?
2. Explain the relationship of reliability, validity, and standardization to psychological testing.
3. What two qualities do useful tests exhibit?
4. Why should raw test scores be turned into percentile scores?

7. Intelligence
Most common def: ability to acquire new ideas and new behavior to adapt to new situations
Many definitions of intelligence
What is absolutely correct???

8. Intelligence Two Factory Theory of Intelligence Charles Spearman
Two factors contribute to intelligence
g = general intelligence
Complex mental work (problem solving)
s = specific mental abilities
Verbal and Math skills
Everyone has a certain level of general intelligence

9. Intelligence Thurstone’s Theory of Intelligence L.L. Thurstone
Seven Primary mental abilities
Need to measure all seven
Verbal Comprehension, word fluency, number facility, spatial visualization, associative memory, perceptual speed, and reasoning
Found no evidence to substantiate this theory
Settled on including “g” with his seven mental abilities

10. Intelligence Howard Gardner
Multiple Intelligences -
Visual/Spatial
Verbal/Linguistic
Mathematical/Logical
Bodily/Kinesthetic
Musical/Rhythmic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Naturalist
Existentialist
(Test)

11. Intelligence Sternberg’s Theory of Intelligence Robert Sternberg
Triarchic Theory (three part theory)
Analytical Thinking Skills (solve Problems)
Creative Thinking to solving problems and dealing with new situations
Practical Thinking Skills to help adjust to and cope with one’s environment
Argued traditional tests do not measure what is found in everyday life

12. Intelligence Emotional Intelligence 4 components
The ability to perceive and express emotions accurately and appropriately
The ability to use emotions while thinking
The ability to understand emotions and use the knowledge effectively
The ability to regulate one’s emotions to promote personal growth

13. Intelligence Tests Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
Test that measures IQ
IQ = Intelligence Quotient
IQ = Mental Age/Chronological Age x100
Ex: 16 Year old that scores at a 16 year old mental age = 100 IQ
Test is based on age levels

14. Intelligence Tests Wechsler Tests Tests varied by age
Provide an overall IQ score and subscores
Verbal Categories:
General Info
Similarities
Arithmetic Reasoning
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Digit Span (Attention & STM)
Nonverbal Categories
Picture Completion
Picture Arrangement
Object Assembly
Block Design
Coding

15. Intelligence Tests The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test
Measures cognitive abilities that are related to a student’s ability to learn and succeed in school
Assesses verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative abilities

16. IQ Scores IQ Scores Normal = 100
95% of people score between 70 and 130
2% above 130
Below 70 are labeled developmentally disabled

17. IQ Scores Controversies
Intelligence is related to inherited genetic factors
Siblings raised in the same environment have similar Iqs
The Flynn Effect
IQ is higher because…
More children today receive an education
Better nutrition
Reading material and technology allows familiarity with puzzle and maze questions
More people are exposed to the test so they do better
Cultural Bias
Wording is familiar to certain cultures, hence, those cultures perform better
Standardized Tests???
Gender Bias
Males outscore Females on SAT – Females outperform Males in the real world of HS and College

18. Lesson 2 Review
1. What are the two-factor and triarchic theories of intelligence?
2. Identify and summarize the various views on intelligence.
3. Why is intelligence not solely defined by academic ability?
4. How do the Stanford-Binet and Weschler Tests differ?
5. What criteria are essential to determine intelligence?

19. Testing Aptitude Tests
Attempt to discover a person’s talents and to predict how well a new skill can be learned
Ex: Career Aptitude
MCAT, LSAT
Ex: Music, language, art, math aptitudes
Ex: Verbal ability
Communication, spelling, grammar, analogies
Ex: SAT/ACT = general aptitude tests
Predict success in college

20. Testing Achievement Tests
Measure how much a person has already learned in a particular area
Ex: School Tests

21. Testing Interest Inventories
Determine a person’s preferences, attitudes, and interests
Ex: Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
Match responses to those given by clearly defined groups (professions/occupations)
Help people identify what they may be most interested in
Jobs, Careers, etc.

22. Lesson 3 Review
1. Explain what aptitude tests, achievement tests, and interest inventories are designed to measure.
2. Why might an individual take an aptitude test, an achievement test, or an interest inventory.
3. Why is the SAT considered an aptitude test?
4. What is the essential purpose of an interest inventory?

23. Testing Personality Tests Used by psychologists and psychiatrists
Assess individual’s characteristics, identify problems/psych disorders, predict behavior
Open Ended Tests – require an in-depth response
Objective Tests – limited or forced-choice format with a scoring rubric

24. Testing MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)
Updated and now called MMPI-2
No Right or Wrong answers
Typically True/False/Cannot Say responses
Ex ?s: I like Tall women; I wake up tired most mornings, etc.
Intend to reveal habits, fears, delusions, sexual attitudes, and symptoms of psych disorders by discovering a pattern of responses
10 Clinical Scales (See book pg. 370)

25. Testing CPI (California Psychological Inventory)
More general than MMPI
Not intended for psychiatric illness
Measures responsibility, self-control, and tolerance
Predicts adjustment to stress, leadership, and job success

26. Testing The Myers-Briggs Test
Focuses on how a person takes in info, makes decisions, and approaches day-to-day tasks
Four different scales
Introversion vs. Extroversion
Intuition vs. Sensing
Feeling vs. Thinking
Judging vs. Perceiving
Belief is personality is a combo of these factors
Better understand interpersonal relationships

27. Testing Projective Personality Tests Encourage free response
Interpretation
Open ended
Test material has no established meaning
Test takers will project feelings, perspectives, and attitudes towards test items

28. Testing Rorschach Inkblot Test
Tester shows an inkblot pattern, test taker says what he/she sees
General questions are asked to determine why test taker responded a certain way
Hope to reveal part of person’s personality

29. Testing TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)
20 pictures of vague but suggestive situations
Responder will tell a story about the picture
Focus on consistent emotions, issues, or themes of the responder
Determines healthy and unhealthy functioning of the responder
Motivation and personality characteristics

30. Testing Any test should also include interviews and/or observations
No one test should be taken to determine a psychological state
Should use caution with results

31. Lesson 4 Review
1. What is the difference between objective and projective tests?
2. What is the purpose of a personality test?
3. Compare and contrast the five types of personality tests?
4. What is the goal of an objective personality test?
5. What is the goal of a projective personality test?