Principles of Test Construction: A Guide to Standardization, Reliability, and Validity, Exams of Construction

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Principles of Test

Construction

Principles of Test Construction

For a psychological test to be acceptable it must fulfill the following three criteria:

1. Standardization
2. Reliability
3. Validity

Normal Curve

Standardized tests establish a normal distribution of scores on a tested population in a bell-shaped pattern called the normal curve.

Example of Test Re-test Method

• when determining the effect of coloring on stress, a researcher may choose to evaluate the subjects' blood pressure before, during, and after coloring a set number of pages. This gives researchers a base line from which to draw later conclusions.

Validity Reliability of a test does not ensure validity. Validity of a test refers to the degree in which the test is supposed to measure or predict.

1. Content Validity: Refers to the extent which a test measures your definition of the construct or behavior of interest?

• Does a physical test measure your knowledge of psychology?
• Does the AP Psychology exam measure your knowledge of psychology?
• Does a physical test measure how athletic you are?

Validity

3. Construct Validity refers to the ability of a measurement tool (e.g., a survey, test, etc) to actually measure the psychological concept being studied. For example, if we want to know our height we would use a tape measure and not a bathroom scale because all height measurements are expressed in inches and not in pounds.

Intelligence Test

Alfred Binet Alfred Binet and his colleague Théodore Simon practiced a more modern form of intelligence testing by developing questions that would predict children’s future progress in the Paris school system.

Alfred Binet Alfred Binet’s goal became measuring children’s mental age, the level of performance typically associated with a certain age. Identify children who will need extra need (Special Ed.)

Stanford-Binet scale

• Stanford-Binet scale
  • Terman’s adaptation of the Binet-Simon

scale

• introduced the “I.Q.” score
• A score of 100 is considered average

Sample Questions If a four-year-old girl correctly answered questions on an intelligence exam similar to a five-year-old girl, she would be said to have a mental age of five. In this case her intelligence quotient (IQ) would be:

Aptitude and Achievement Tests

Aptitude tests are intended to predict your ability to learn a new skill achievement tests are intended to reflect what you have already learned.

Examples Where would these exams fall under? 1.Pop Quizzes 2.Unit Exams 3.SATs (Enter College) 4.ACTs (Enter College) 5.ASVAB (Enter Military) 6.AP Exams