Transcript Psychological Tests - East Penn School District

Psychological Tests
Ch 15 notes
Psychological Tests
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Assess abilities, feelings, attitudes, and
behaviors
– Help predict a person’s future behavior
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Uses:
– Make important decisions
– Measure behavior directly
Behavior-rating scales (used to measure behavior
in specific places like a classroom or at work)
 Most though are based on self-reports of
attitudes, feelings, and behavior
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Features of Psych. Tests
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Standardized: administered and score the same
way every time
Reliability: consistency
Validity: tests what it is meant to
– Validity scales: questions that if answered a certain way,
tell the psychologist that the test-taker is not being honest
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Helpful but not foolproof
Norms: established standards of performance that
are designed to tell test administrators which scores
are average, high, or low
– Use norm group
Achievement Tests
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Measure skills and knowledge that a
person has in specific academic
area(s)
Most tests you’ve taken in high school
Aptitude Tests
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Measure more specific abilities/skills
than intelligence tests do but broader
ones than achievement tests
– Generally used to determine whether a
person is likely to do well in a given field
of work/study
– Ex: SATs, MCATs
How can you tell the
difference?
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Aptitude tests intended to measure potential
for learning in a specific area
Aptitude tests usually given before person
has had any training in a specific area
Used to predict how well person will do
once receive training in area
BUT they rely on past achievements
All aptitude tests rely on some kind of prior
achievement
Vocational Interest
Inventories
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Help determine whether a person’s interests
are similar to those of people in various
lines of work
Ex:
– Kuder Preference Records: forced-choice format
– Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory: not as
obvious or direct
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Compares test taker’s interests to those people
who are in various kinds of work
Interest does not guarantee ability in an
area
Personality Tests
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Can be used to help diagnose psychological
problems and disorders
Kinds
– Objective Tests: standardized group of test
items in form of questionnaire
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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
– Validity and clinical scales
– Used to diagnose and classify psychological disorders
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California Psychological Inventory
– Measures 15 “normal” personality traits
– Larger norm group
Projective Tests
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Have no clearly specified answers
Open-ended format
– Rorschach Inkblot Test
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Attempts have been made to standardize
– Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
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Validity and reliability not real great
Tips for Taking Tests
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Gather information about the test
Practice: regular study periods
Be test-wise: read directions and follow them, have right
equipment
Multiple-Choice Questions:
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Answer before look at answers
Consider every option
Look for opposites
Look for best choice
Mark difficult questions to come back to
Guess only when odds of gaining points outweigh the odds of
losing them
– Change answer if you think you have made a mistake
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True-False Questions
– For it to be true, every part must be true
– Be wary of absolutes like always and never
– Items that provide info and are longer than others
tend to be true
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Short Answer Questions
– Answer in brief but complete sentences
– Include significant terms
– Use detail if time and space allow
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Essay
– Read directions
– Make a quick outline of answer
– Express strongest ideas first
Test Anxiety
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Quite normal to be uncomfortable before a
test
– Not always a bad thing because shows we
understand it is important
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Can be overcome
– Be prepared
– Overlearn
– Think helpful thoughts
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Cognitive restructuring: consciously changing thoughts
you have in a particular situation