standardized tests

Examples of standardized tests in the following topics:

• Standardized Tests

  • Standardized tests are identical exams always administered in the same way so as to be able to compare outcomes across all test-takers.
  • Standardized tests are perceived as being "fairer" than non-standardized tests and more conducive to comparison of outcomes across all test takers.
  • Some recent standardized tests incorporate both criterion-referenced and norm-referenced elements in to the same test.
  • Standardized tests are often used to select students for specific programs.
  • Some standardized tests are designed specifically to assess human intelligence.

• Controversies in Intelligence and Standardized Testing

  • Intelligence tests and standardized tests face criticism for their uses and applications in society.
  • Intelligence tests and standardized tests are widely used throughout many different fields (psychology, education, business, etc.) because of their ability to assess and predict performance.
  • Another criticism lies in the use of intelligence and standardized tests as predictive measures for social outcomes.
  • Critics of standardized tests also point to problems associated with using the SAT and ACT exams to predict college success.
  • Standardized tests don't measure factors like motivational issues or study skills, which are also important for success in school.

• IQ Tests

  • IQ tests attempt to measure and provide an intelligence quotient, which is a score derived from a standardized test designed to access human intelligence.
  • After decades of revision, modern IQ tests produce a mathematical score based on standard deviation, or difference from the average score.
  • The scores of an IQ test are normally distributed so that one standard deviation is equal to 15 points; that is to say, when you go one standard deviation above the mean of 100, you get a score of 115.
  • While all of these tests measure intelligence, not all of them label their standard scores as IQ scores.
  • IQ test scores tend to form a bell curve, with approximately 95% of the population scoring between two standard deviations of the mean score of 100.

• Group Differences in Intelligence

  • Third, while the data clearly shows differences in test scores, it remains possible that the test takers were the victims of inherent bias and thus no difference actually exists.
  • Potential causes include socioeconomics, test bias, and stereotype threat.
  • Test bias refers to the construct of the test itself as it is applied to different populations.
  • Alfred Binet was one of the first researchers to develop a standardized test for intelligence.
  • Once the test was adapted from his nation to France to the United States, it was renamed the Stanford-Binet test.

• Validity and Reliability of Personality Assessments

  • Because of this, objective tests are said to have more validity than projective tests.
  • In contrast to objective tests, projective tests are much more sensitive to the examiner's beliefs.
  • Some projective tests, like the Rorschach, have undergone standardization procedures so they can be relatively effective in measuring depression, psychosis, and anxiety.
  • In the Thematic Apperception Test, however, which involves open-ended storytelling, standardization of test administration is virtually nonexistent, making the test relatively low on validity and reliability.
  • However, it was found that test bias limited their usefulness.

• Psychology and the Scientific Method: From Theory to Conclusion

  • The scientific method offers a standardized way for psychologists to test hypotheses, build on theories, and gain knowledge about the mind.
  • Future testing may disprove the hypothesis.
  • This does not mean that a hypothesis has to be shown to be false, just that it can be tested.
  • Applying the scientific method to psychology, therefore, helps to standardize the approach to understanding its very different types of information.
  • It provides well-defined steps to standardize how scientific knowledge is gathered through a logical, rational problem-solving method.

• Personality Testing in the Workplace

  • Using personality tests as hiring or evaluation tools in the workplace is very controversial.
  • A personality test is a questionnaire or other standardized instrument designed to reveal aspects of an individual's character or psychological makeup.
  • Employment testing is the practice of administering written, oral, or other tests as a means of determining the suitability or desirability of a job applicant.
  • The premise is that if test scores are found to correlate with job performance, then it is economically useful for the employer to select employees based on scores from that test.
  • As mentioned above, tests like the MMPI are often useful in identifying mental illness.

• Overview of Personality Assessment

  • Psychologists measure personality through objective tests (such as self-reports) and projective measures.
  • The most common of these methods include objective tests and projective measures.
  • An objective test is a psychological test that measures an individual's characteristics in a way that isn't influenced by the examiner's own beliefs; in this way, they are said to be independent of rater bias.
  • They usually involve the administration of a bank of questions that are marked and compared against standardized scoring mechanisms, in much the same way that school exams are administered.
  • The original MMPI was based on a small, limited sample composed mostly of Minnesota farmers and psychiatric patients; the revised inventory was based on a more representative, national sample to allow for better standardization.

• History of Intelligence Testing

  • He created and published the first IQ test in the United States, the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
  • The Wechsler scales were the first intelligence scales to base scores on a standardized bell curve (a type of graph in which there are an equal number of scores on either side of the average, where most scores are around the average and very few scores are far away from the average).
  • Cattell created the Culture-Fair Intelligence Test.
  • This test is a nonverbal group test typically used in educational settings, designed to measure the reasoning ability associated with g.
  • Because of the Flynn effect, IQ tests are recalibrated every few years to keep the average score at 100; as a result, someone who scored a 100 in the year 1950 would receive a lower score on today's test.

• The Psychology of Recruiting and Selecting Employees

  • Common selection tools include ability tests, knowledge tests, personality tests, structured interviews, the systematic collection of biographical data, and work samples.
  • The main goal of these tests is to predict job performance, and each test has its own relative strengths and weaknesses in this regard.
  • The best interviews follow a structured framework in which each applicant is asked the same questions and is scored with a standardized rating scale.
  • Unlike psychomotor ability tests, physical ability tests measure gross motor skills, such as lifting and running.
  • When we ask if a measure has good construct validity, we're asking, "does this test the thing we are interested in testing?"