INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

INTRODUCTION

This module is designed for students of PUP Santa Rosa Campus taking up the course
PSYC 30125 – Psychological Assessment. This course is orientation into the rudiments of
psychological testing. The principles, methods and uses of psychological testing are tackled.
Emphasis is placed on issues of item analysis, reliability, and validity in test construction. The
administration, scoring, and interpretation of objective cognitive and affective tests used in
various applied industrial, and government settings are covered. Ethical considerations as well
as current trends and issues in psychological testing in the Philippine setting are discussed.

COURSE OUTCOMES: After completing this course, the students must be able to:

1. Discuss the roots of psychological testing and its impact to modern day practices.

2. Describe the importance of studying the historical foundations of Psychological testing.

3. Distinguish the difference between psychological assessment and psychological testing.

4. Apply the technical concepts, basic principles, and tools of measurement of statistics in
psychological processes.

5. Report the basic process, research methods, statistical concepts utilized in test
construction and standardization.

6. Identify the significance, benefits, and limitations of psychological testing.

7. Identify, assess, and evaluate the methods and psychological testing tools relative to the
specific purpose and setting: industrial, clinical, government, and academe.

8. Apply ethical considerations and standards in different dimensions of psychological

testing.

9. Familiarize students in actual administration, scoring, interpretation, evaluation, and

application of psychological tests.

10. Construct their own questionnaires that undergone item analysis, reliability, and validity.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:

1. Familiarize with the VMGO of the university.

2. Have a clear understanding of the course requirements.

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 3. Provide their expectations from the course.

COURSE GRADING SYSTEM:

MIDTERM/FINAL GRADE:

Class Standing (Activities/Assignments/Quizzes, e-Portfolio) = 70%

Major Exam (Midterm/Final Exam) = 30%

Total = 100%

FINAL GRADE: (Midterm Grade + Final Grade)/2

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 UNIT I – AN OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

All fields of human endeavor use measurement in some form, and each field has its own
set of measuring tools and measuring units. For example, if you’re recently engaged or thinking
about becoming engaged, you may have learned about a unit of measure called the carat. If you
have been shopping for a computer, you may have learned something about a unit of
measurement called a byte. As a student of psychological measurement, you need a working
familiarity with some of the commonly used units of measure in psychology and a knowledge of
some of the many measuring tools employed. In the pages that follow, you will gain that
knowledge as well as an acquaintance with the history of measurement in psychology and an
understanding of its theoretical basis.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Define psychological testing and psychological assessment.

2. Describe the differences between psychological testing and psychological assessment.
3. Explain the tools of psychological assessment.
4. Discuss the historical and cultural perspectives as well as the legal and ethical
considerations of psychological assessment.

COURSE MATERIALS

LESSON 1: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

The semantic distinction between psychological testing and psychological assessment is

blurred in everyday conversation. Somewhat surprisingly, the distinction between the two terms
remains blurred even in edition after edition of some published “psychological testing”
textbooks. Yet the distinction is important. Society at large is best served by a clear definition of
and differentiation between these two terms as well as related terms such as psychological test
user and psychological assessor. Clear distinctions between such terms may also play a role in
avoiding the turf wars now brewing between psychology professionals and members of other
professions seeking to use various psychological tests. In many psychological evaluation
contexts, it requires greater education, training, and skill to conduct an assessment than to
simply administer a test. We define psychological assessment as the gathering and integration
of psychology - related data for the purpose of making a psychological evaluation that is
accomplished through the use of tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, behavioral
observation, and specially designed apparatuses and measurement procedures. We define
psychological testing as the process of measuring psychology-related variables by means of

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devices or procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior. Some of the differences
between these two processes are further discussed in the table below.

Testing in Contrast to Assessment

In contrast to the process of administering, scoring, and interpreting psychological tests

(psychological testing), psychological assessment may be conceived as a problem-solving
process that can take many different forms. How psychological assessment proceeds depends
on many factors, not the least of which is the reason for assessing. Different tools of evaluation
—psychological tests among them—might be marshaled in the process of assessment,
depending on the particular objectives, people, and circumstances involved as well as on other
variables unique to the particular situation. Admittedly, the line between what constitutes testing
and what constitutes assessment is not always as clear as we might like it to be. However, by
acknowledging that such ambiguity exists, we can work to sharpen our definition and use of
these terms. It seems useful to distinguish the differences between testing and assessment in
terms of the objective, process, and outcome of an evaluation and also in terms of the role and
skill of the evaluator. Keep in mind that, although these are useful distinctions to consider,
exceptions can always be found.

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The Tools of Psychological Assessment

The Test

A test may be defined simply as a measuring device or procedure. When the word test is
prefaced with a modifier, it refers to a device or procedure designed to measure a variable
related to that modifier. Consider, for example, the term medical test, which refers to a device or
procedure designed to measure some variable related to the practice of medicine (including a
wide range of tools and procedures such as X-rays, blood tests, and testing of reflexes). In a
like manner, the term psychological test refers to a device or procedure designed to measure
variables related to psychology (for example, intelligence, personality, aptitude, interests,
attitudes, and values). Whereas a medical test might involve analysis of a sample of blood,
tissue, or the like, a psychological test almost always involves analysis of a sample of behavior.
The behavior sample could range from responses to a pencil-and-paper questionnaire to oral
responses to questions to performance of some task. The behavior sample could be elicited by
the stimulus of the test itself, or it could be naturally occurring behavior (under observation).

The Interview

In everyday conversation, the word interview conjures images of face-to-face talk. But
the interview as a tool of psychological assessment typically involves more than talk. If the
interview is conducted face-to-face, then the interviewer is probably taking note of not only the
content of what is said but also the way it is being said. More specifically, the interviewer is
taking note of both verbal and nonverbal behavior. Nonverbal behavior may include the
interviewee’s “body language,” movements and facial expressions in response to the
interviewer, the extent of eye contact, and apparent willingness to cooperate. The interviewer
may also take note of the way that the interviewee is dressed. Here, variables such as neat
versus sloppy and appropriate versus inappropriate may be noted.

Because of a potential wealth of nonverbal information to be gained, interviews are

ideally conducted face-to-face. However, face-to-face contact is not always possible and
interviews may be conducted in other formats, such as by telephone. In an interview conducted
by telephone, the interviewer may still be able to gain information beyond the responses to
questions by being sensitive to variables such as changes in the interviewee’s voice pitch or the
extent to which particular questions precipitate long pauses or signs of emotion in response. Of
course, interviews need not involve verbalized speech, as when they are conducted in sign
language. Interviews may be conducted by various electronic means, as would be the case with
online interviews, e-mail interviews, and interviews conducted by means of text messaging. In
its broadest sense, then, we can define an interview as a method of gathering information
through direct communication involving reciprocal exchange.

The Portfolio

Students and professionals in many different fi elds of endeavor ranging from art to
architecture keep files of their work products. These work products—whether retained on paper,
canvas, film, video, audio, or some other medium— constitute what is called a portfolio. As

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samples of one’s ability and accomplishment, a portfolio may be used as a tool of evaluation.
Employers of commercial artists, for example, will make hiring decisions based, in part, on the
impressiveness of an applicant’s portfolio of sample drawings. As another example, consider
the employers of on-air radio talent. They, too, will make hiring decisions that are based partly
upon their judgments of audio samples of the candidate’s previous work.

The appeal of portfolio assessment as a tool of evaluation extends to many other fields,
including education. Some have argued, for example, that the best evaluation of a student’s
writing skills can be accomplished not by the administration of a test but by asking the student to
compile a selection of writing samples. Also in the field of education, portfolio assessment has
been employed as a tool in the hiring of instructors. An instructor’s portfolio may consist of
various documents such as lesson plans, published writings, and visual aids developed
expressly for teaching certain subjects. All of these materials can be extremely useful to those
who must make hiring decisions.

Case History Data

Case history data refers to records, transcripts, and other accounts in written, pictorial,
or other form that preserve archival information, official and informal accounts, and other data
and items relevant to an assessee. Case history data may include fi les or excerpts from fi les
maintained at institutions and agencies such as schools, hospitals, employers, religious
institutions, and criminal justice agencies. Other examples of case history data are letters and
written correspondence, photos and family albums, newspaper and magazine clippings, and
home videos, movies, and audiotapes. Work samples, artwork, doodlings, and accounts and
pictures pertaining to interests and hobbies are yet other examples.

Behavioral Observation

If you want to know how someone behaves in a particular situation, observe his or her
behavior in that situation. Such “down-home” wisdom underlies at least one approach to
evaluation. Behavioral observation, as it is employed by assessment professionals, may be
defined as monitoring the actions of others or oneself by visual or electronic means while
recording quantitative and/or qualitative information regarding the actions. Behavioral
observation is often used as a diagnostic aid in various settings such as inpatient facilities,
behavioral research laboratories, and classrooms. In addition to diagnosis, behavioral
observation may be used for selection purposes, as in corporate settings. Here behavioral
observation may be used as a tool to help identify people who demonstrate the abilities required
to perform a particular task or job. Sometimes researchers venture outside of the confines of
clinics, classrooms, workplaces, and research laboratories in order to observe behavior of
humans in a natural setting—that is, the setting in which the behavior would typically be
expected to occur. This variety of behavioral observation is referred to as naturalistic
observation. As an example, one team of researchers studying the socializing behavior of
autistic children with same-aged peers opted for natural settings rather than a controlled,
laboratory environment.

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Role-Play Tests

Role play may be defined as acting an improvised or partially improvised part in a

simulated situation. A role-play test is a tool of assessment wherein assessees are directed to
act as if they were in a particular situation. Assessees may then be evaluated with regard to
their expressed thoughts, behaviors, abilities, and other variables. (Note that role play is
hyphenated when used as an adjective or a verb but not as a noun.)

Who are the parties in the assessment enterprise?

Who Are the Parties?

Parties in the assessment enterprise include developers and publishers of tests, users of
tests, and people who are evaluated by means of tests. Additionally, we may consider society at
large as a party to the assessment enterprise.

The test developer

Test developers and publishers create tests or other methods of assessment. The
American Psychological Association (APA) has estimated that more than 20,000 new
psychological tests are developed each year. Among these new tests are some that were
created for a specific research study, some that were created in the hope that they would be
published, and some that represent refinements or modifications of existing tests. Test creators
bring a wide array of backgrounds and interests to the test development process.

The test user

Psychological tests and assessment methodologies are used by a wide range of professionals,
including clinicians, counselors, school psychologists, human resources personnel, consumer
psychologists, experimental psychologists, social psychologists, and the list goes on.

The testtaker

Having all taken tests, we all have had firsthand experience in the role of testtaker.
However, putting ourselves in the position of test users, it is important to develop an
appreciation for the many varied ways that testtakers can approach an assessment. On the
appointed day of a test administration, testtakers may vary on a continuum with respect to
numerous variables, including:

■The amount of test anxiety they are experiencing and the degree to which that test anxiety
might significantly affect the test results

■ The extent to which they understand and agree with the rationale for the assessment

■ Their capacity and willingness to cooperate with the examiner or to comprehend written test
instructions

■ The amount of physical pain or emotional distress they are experiencing

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■The amount of physical discomfort brought on by not having had enough to eat, having had too
much to eat, or other physical conditions

■ The extent to which they are alert and wide awake

■ The extent to which they are predisposed to agreeing or disagreeing when presented with
stimulus statements

■ The extent to which they have received prior coaching

■ The importance they may attribute to portraying themselves in a good (or bad) light

■The extent to which they are, for lack of a better term, “lucky” and can “beat the odds” on a
multiple-choice achievement test (even though they may not have learned the subject matter)

Society at large

The societal need for “organizing” and “systematizing” has historically manifested itself in
such varied questions as “Who is a witch?” “Who is schizophrenic?” and “Who is qualified?” The
specific questions asked have shifted with societal concerns. The methods used to determine
the answers have varied throughout history as a function of factors such as intellectual
sophistication and religious preoccupation. Proponents of palmistry, podoscopy, astrology, and
phrenology, among other pursuits, have argued that the best means of understanding and
predicting human behavior was through the study of the palms of the hands, the feet, the stars,
bumps on the head, tea leaves, and so on. Unlike such pursuits, the assessment enterprise has
roots in science. Through systematic and replicable means that can produce compelling
evidence, the assessment enterprise responds to the society’s demand for “some way of
organizing or systematizing the many-faceted complexity of individual differences.”

Other parties

Beyond the four primary parties we have focused on here, let’s briefl y make note of others who
may participate in varied ways in the testing and assessment enterprise. Organizations,
companies, and governmental agencies sponsor the development of tests for various reasons,
such as to certify personnel. Companies and services offer test-scoring or interpretation
services. In some cases, these companies and services are simply extensions of test
publishers, and in other cases they are independent. There are people whose sole responsibility
is the marketing and sales of tests. Sometimes these people are employed by the test publisher;
sometimes they are not. There are academicians who review tests and evaluate their
psychometric soundness. All of these people, as well as many others, are parties to a greater or
lesser extent in the assessment enterprise.

In What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted?

Educational settings

You are probably no stranger to the many types of tests administered in the classroom. As
mandated by law, tests are administered early in school life to help identify children who may
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have special needs. In addition to school ability tests, another type of test commonly given in
schools is an achievement test, which evaluates accomplishment or the degree of learning that
has taken place. Some of the achievement tests you have taken in school were constructed by
your teacher. Other achievement tests were constructed for more widespread use by educators
working with measurement professionals.

Clinical settings

Tests and many other tools of assessment are widely used in clinical settings such as
public, private, and military hospitals, inpatient and outpatient clinics, private-practice consulting
rooms, schools, and other institutions. These tools are used to help screen for or diagnose
behavior problems.

Counseling settings

Assessment in a counseling context may occur in environments as diverse as schools,

prisons, and government or privately owned institutions. Regardless of the particular tools used,
the ultimate objective of many such assessments is the improvement of the assessee in terms
of adjustment, productivity, or some related variable. Measures of social and academic skills
and measures of personality, interest, attitudes, and values are among the many types of tests
that a counselor might administer to a client.

Business and military settings

In business, as in the military, tests are used in many ways, perhaps most notably in
decision making about the careers of personnel. A wide range of achievement, aptitude,
interest, motivational, and other tests may be employed in the decision to hire as well as in
related decisions regarding promotions, transfer, job satisfaction, and eligibility for further
training. For a prospective air traffic controller, successful performance on a test of sustained
attention to detail may be one requirement of employment. For promotion to the rank of officer in
the military, successful performance on a series of leadership tasks may be essential.

Governmental and organizational credentialing

One of the many applications of measurement is in governmental licensing, certification,

or general credentialing of professionals. Before they are legally entitled to practice medicine,
physicians must pass an examination. Law-school graduates cannot present themselves to the
public as attorneys until they pass their state’s bar examination. Psychologists, too, must pass
an examination before adopting the official title of “psychologist.”

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SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS/REFERENCES:

Cohen, R. & Swerdlik, M. (2009). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An

Introduction to Tests and Measurement 7th Ed. McGraw Hill Primis

Hilsenroth, M., Segal, D., & Hersen, M. (2004). Comprehensive Handbook of

Psychological Assessment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Urbina, S. (2004). Essentials of Psychological Testing. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENTS:

Group Work:

1. Why do we need assessment and how is it important the field of psychology? Cite
example/s aligned with the Filipino setting.
2. Are psychological assessments an accurate measure of a psychological construct? Why
or why not?

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