We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
from PART ONE - BASIC ISSUES
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
AIM In this chapter we cover four basic issues. First, we focus on what is a test, not just a formal definition, but on ways of thinking about tests. Second, we try to develop a “taxonomy” of tests, that is we look at various ways in which tests can be categorized. Third, we look at the ethical aspects of psychological testing. Finally, we explore how we can obtain information about a specific test.
INTRODUCTION
Most likely you would have no difficulty identifying a psychological test, even if you met one in a dark alley. So the intent here is not to give you one more definition to memorize and repeat but rather to spark your thinking.
What is a test? Anastasi (1988), one of the best known psychologists in the field of testing, defined a test as an “objective” and “standardized” measure of a sample of behavior. This is an excellent definition that focuses our attention on three elements: (1) objectivity: that is, at least theoretically, most aspects of a test, such as how the test is scored and how the score is interpreted, are not a function of the subjective decision of a particular examiner but are based on objective criteria; (2) standardization: that is, no matter who administers, scores, and interprets the test, there is uniformity of procedure; and (3) a sample of behavior: a test is not a psychological X-ray, nor does it necessarily reveal hidden conflicts and forbidden wishes; it is a sample of a person's behavior, hopefully a representative sample from which we can draw some inferences and hypotheses.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
