PSY3041 Lecture Notes

Week 1 Introduction to Psychological Testing

School Achievement

- E.g. National Assessment Program Language and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

Clinical Diagnosis

- E.g. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Relevance

- Tests/assessments widely used and outcomes have important implications

- Responsibility of:
o Test developers and publishers test construction and evaluation standards
o Test users clinicians, counsellors, psychologists, HR personnel
o Test takers can vary with respect to many variables on test day e.g. distress and
anxiety, previous coaching, motivation
o Society individual differences are acknowledged but systems typically organise or
systemise this complexity e.g. who is schizophrenic
o Other parties e.g. organisations, companies, government agencies sponsor
development for different reasons (sponsor test development/implementation etc.)

Henry Herbert Goddard (1866 1975)

- Interested in measuring intellectual functioning in children

- 1908 published adaption of the Alfred Binet intelligence test The Binet and Simon Tests of
Intellectual Capacity
- 1911 his test widely used in schools, courts and by psychologists
- feeble-mindedness
- moron

Goddard: A Mixed legacy

- Special education
o Instrumental role
o Wide ranging benefits to both gifted and low achieving students
o Psychological testing became a mainstream in schools and other settings
- Eugenics study of methods of improving the quality of the human race, especially by
selective breeding
o Dark chapter in history of psych testing
o Goddard: feebleminded people should be sterilised or institutionalised
o Adopted by Nazi Germany

Eugenics history

- In Australia
 o Stolen generation psychological testing not relevant
- In America
o Approx. 60,000 forced sterilisations annual 1909-1960s to protect white racial
health, and weed out the defectives of society
o Immigration restrictions immigrants denied entry, sterilised or deported
o Largely based on IQ testing but also rage, socioeconomic status and criminality
- PSYCH TESTING CAN BE POWERFUL

Testing vs Assessment

- Originally testing referred to test administration, interpretation etc., but by WW2

assessment became the widely used term
- Testing measuring variables using devices or procedures to estimate behaviour
- Assessment gathering and integrating data to make an evaluation using tools such as
tests, interviews, questionnaires, observation, devices, procedures
- There are important distinctions
a) Objective
b) Process
c) Role of the evaluator
d) Skill of the evaluator
e) Outcome

Objective

- Testing to obtain some gauge of an ability or attribute, usually numerical

- Assessment to answer a referral question, solve a problem, arrive at a decision using tools
of evaluation

Process

- Testing administer and score the test consistent with the manual, group or individual
setting
- Assessment consider score and how an individual processes rather than results of
processing, individual (observe how they are taking the test etc.)

Evaluator Role

- Testing not key to the process, tester can be substituted

- Assessment key to the process, selects tools of evaluation, draws conclusions,
responsibility of choosing the tools (judgement is used, using lots of different sources of
information)

Evaluator skill

- Testing technician-like skills in administering, scoring and interpreting test scores

- Assessment educated in the tools, skills in evaluation, thoughtful use and integration of
data

Outcome

- Testing test score(s)

- Assessment answer to a referral question