Tests and Testing
12 Assumptions in Psychological Testing and Assessment
• Assumption 1: Psychological traits and states exist
• Assumption 2: Psychological traits and states can be quantified and measured
• Assumption 3: Various approaches to measuring aspects of the same thing can be useful
• Assumption 4: Assessment can provide answers to some of life’s most momentous
questions
• 12 Assumptions in Psychological Testing and Assessment
• Assumption 5: Assessment can pinpoint phenomena that require further attention or study.
• Assumption 6: Various sources of data enrich and are part of the assessment process.
• Assumption 7: Various sources of error are part of the assessment process.
• 12 Assumptions in Psychological Testing and Assessment
• Assumption 8: Tests and other measurement techniques have strengths and weaknesses
• Assumption 9: Test-related behavior predicts non–test-related behavior
• Assumption 10: Present-day behavior sampling predicts future behavior
• 12 Assumptions in Psychological Testing and Assessment
• Assumption 11: Testing and assessment can be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner
• Assumption 12: Testing and assessment benefit society
Most Controversial Assumption?
• Why?
What are Norms?
• Derived typical test performance of a standardization sample
• The test score distribution that provides the average or typical (normal) score level on a test
Standardization (normative) Sample
• The normative sample is a representative subset drawn from the broader target population
• Typically, a large random sample
• Sample size should be large enough to obtain stable values.
Sampling Techniques
• Randomization
– every case has an equal chance of selection
• Stratified
– representative proportions of groups
– e.g. age, socioeconomic level, ethnicity
• Incidental
– Convenience sampling
– Not a desired procedure
Types of Norms
• Developmental Norms
• Indicates developmental level attained
• Age equivalent norms (Mental Age)
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