Test Construction/Validation – PSYC 545

Course Description

Discussion of principles to produce and improve tests and assessments of knowledge, skills, and other psychological constructs. A focus on techniques for evaluating existing measures for reliability and validity evidence and guidelines for the rigorous development of new instruments.

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 lecture presentations

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, there will be 2 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 400 words, well as replies of at least 200 words to 2 other students’ threads. For each thread, students must support their assertions with at least one (1) scholarly and at least one (1) scriptural citation. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

SPSS Assignments (4)

In these assignments, the student will learn how to go from raw data in SPSS to describing the demographic characteristics of a normative sample. The student will create a table showing the most appropriate descriptive statistics for demographic variables, generate graphs, and develop a descriptive summary. The student will also continue analysis of the data by learning to assess and interpret the reliability and validity of a test. (CLO: A, B, D, E)

Test Evaluation Paper Assignment

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, including a title page and a references page. The assignment should include at least 2 references. All elements of the paper must adhere current APA formatting guidelines. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Quizzes (6)

Each quiz will cover the Textbook material from the assigned module: week. There will be 6 open-book/open-notes quizzes, which each contain 25 multiple-choice questions and allow for 1 attempt. The student will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete each quiz. (CLO: A, B, E)