Psychological Measurement – PSYC 421

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course is an in-depth study of standardized tests in psychology, counseling, and education. Course content includes personality, aptitude, general ability, achievement, and interest tests. It will also cover elementary statistics necessary to test usage and interpretation.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Thousands of psychological tests are used in the fields of psychology, counseling, business, and education.  However, not all of these tests meet accepted standards of reliability and validity.  It is important for the student to be able to evaluate if a particular psychological test meets accepted standards. In addition to identifying proper tests, students must also be aware of the many types of tests used in clinical settings and how these tests are used, the limitations of tests, the information derived from these tests, and how they are used to formulate treatment.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and videos (CLO’s A–F)

 

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (6)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. There will be 6 Discussions throughout the term. The purpose of Discussions is to generate interaction among students in regard to relevant, current course topics. The student is required to post 1 thread of at least 350 words as well as replies of at least 150 words to 2 other students’ threads. (CLO’s A–F)

Statistics Refresher Assignment (1)

In this assignment, the student will review statistical concepts and practice basic statistical procedures, including frequency, median, mode, range, average and standard deviation, variance, central tendency, variability, graphing, z-scores, and T–scores. A simulated scenario will also be completed in order to demonstrate practical application of statistical data. (CLO’s A–F)

Item Development and Analysis Worksheet Assignment (1)

The student will complete a worksheet in order to learn how to perform specific quantitative and qualitative processes and analyses involved in test item creation and evaluation. (CLO’s A, B, D and E)

Test Evaluation Paper Assignment (1)

The student will evaluate 1 psychological test that is not covered in the textbook or course lectures. The student will choose his/her test and report on the psychometric properties of the test as well as justify his/her choice. The assignment will be 3–5 pages in length, including a title page and a references page.  All elements of the paper should adhere current APA formatting guidelines.  (CLO’s A–F)

Interviewing Presentation Assignment (1)

The student will create a PowerPoint presentation on how to properly conduct a clinical Psychological Interview. The student must integrate course content and scholarly research into his/her choice of presentation. The student will be graded based on his/her presentation’s content, aesthetics, and adherence to current APA formatting. (CLO’s B, C and E)

Read & Interact Textbook Assignments (13)

Within this course, students will be required to read and interact with the textbook within the third party platform, Smartbook. Students must complete each reading and item in the textbook in order to earn the points associated with the assigned reading.  (CLO’s A–F).