Psychology : Semester I : Development and Individual Differences |
 |
|
| Sections: |
Introduction | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 7 | Section 8 |
|
|
 |
Psychology : Development and Individual Differences : Section Five Testing and Individual Differences Psychological tests measure an array of abilities, feelings, attitudes, behaviors and traits. The purpose of this testing ranges from job selection and training to school placement and career guidance, and a wide range of personality dimensions. In modern psychology, testing has been around for about 100 years. Sir Francis Galton was one of the first psychologists to rely on testing as a means of understanding people. Three characteristics of tests have to be taken into consideration: standardization, validity and reliability. Standardization refers to uniform procedures that have to be established to assure that the test is administered and scored in a consistent manner. That is why tests have a manual that explains what to say and how to administer the test. Reliability refers to the consistency with which a test yields a similar score on repetition. For example, if given correctly, IQ test scores do not vary over time. Validity is the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to. If I were to give you a unit test for this unit and have it be a test of physics, it would not be valid because it does not measure what it is relevant to this unit. The first type of assessment that we will look at are personality tests. The type of personality test depends on the approach that you are looking at. There are three major approaches to personality assessment: self-report inventories, behavioral assessment and projective tests. Self-report inventories are the most frequently used assessment tools. They require people to select answers to questions (true-false or rating scales) to provide information about themselves. These inventories assume that an individual knows themselves better than anyone else does. The MMPI, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is a widely used assessment and it has a multitude of questions to which the person responds true or false. An example of a question would be,” I believe that people are plotting against me”. The MMPI gives a profile of the person on 10 clinical scales. The MMPI has been revised from the original and the new test is called the MMPI-2. This test has been used in employment screening and its validity is questioned as a tool for employment since it is often interpreted by untrained people on clinical scales. Here we can possibly see a problem with validity. The test is supposed to measure personality against clinical scales and it is not intended to measure employment possibilities. Self-reports are easy to administer, but there is always concern that people can lie on them for whatever reason.
Projective techniques use ambiguous and unstructured tasks and assume that the person will project their own traits onto the test. The two that are mainly used are the Rorschach (inkblot) test and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The Rorschach test gives the person a set of inkblots, similar to this one and they are asked what they see. The examiner observes how the cards are held, how long they are held, what the subject responds to and then assess the responses based on a very involved scoring process focusing on the major themes. It is called the Rorschach inkblot test since it was devised by Herman Rorschach. The second type of projective test was devised by a husband and wife team, Henry and Christina Morgan. In this test, the test taker is required to make up stories about a series of ambiguous pictures on cards. Again the idea is that the story told is the person’s own story with their needs surfacing. There are cards for men, women and children. The full set of cards is 19, one which is blank. Projective tests have less faking than do inventories but they do not yield objective scores. They rely heavily on the subjective interpretation of the examiner. Behavioral assessment involves techniques such as natural observation and situational testing. Many psychologists like these kinds of tests since a genuine response of behavior is yielded. The problem is that if you use natural observation, you may not be able to observe the behavior you are looking for. If you use the situational method, you set up a simulation and see how people react. For example, if you want to know if people have the necessary traits to work with little children, create a situation where they have to interact with children.
If people know they are being watched, they may not act naturally. The second type of assessment of individual difference is intelligence testing. This is another one of the controversial issues in psychology. One of the reasons for the controversy is that there is no one accepted definition of intelligence. Charles Spearman believed that intelligence is a general ability that is innate and acts as a specific cognitive fuel for our abilities. L.L.Thurston believed that there are a small set of cognitive factors as in verbal comprehension and perceptual abilities that make up intelligence. Howard Gardner, who is a modern day psychologist that has done extensive research on the subject of intelligence believes that there are different kinds of intelligences. He talks about seven different types of intelligence, including music, kinesthetic, verbal, spatial, etc. The beginning of IQ testing began in France by a man named Alfred Binet, in 1904. He was commissioned by the French government to devise a test that would predict children’s progress in school. In 1916, Lewis Terman brought Binet’s test to the United States. He was at Stanford University and the test became known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. Results were presented as an intelligence quotient calculated by dividing mental age by chronological age and multiplying by 100. In 1949, David Wechsler created a test to measure both verbal and performance skills of adults (WAIS) and a separate test for children (WAIS). Both the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler tests are used today. They are individual tests. The main use of these tests today is for talented and gifted programs and to identify learning disabilities. The nature-nurture issue plays a big part in the intelligence issue. On the nature side, studies of identical twins vs. unrelated children raised together as well as apart show the influence of heredity. On the other side of the debate, parents can give their children an environment favorable to the development of intelligence and this favors the nurture side. The third type of assessments are the group tests that measure aptitude and achievement. Aptitude tests are intended to predict ability to succeed in a given situation. The SAT’s, PSAT’s and ACT’s are examples of them. They are an indication of possible success at the college level and success of being able to handle college level classes. Achievement tests are intended to evaluate the success of specific curriculum or what you have learned. AP exams and placement tests are an example of achievement tests. Tests can be somewhat useful…
Thinking is the process of changing and reorganizing information stored in memory to create new or transformed information. Psychologists have divided the processes of thought into five units and have also identified at least three kinds of thinking. Complete the graphic organizer by matching the five units of thought and matching a brief description of each. Then match the three kinds of thinking with the brief descriptions. |
|
© 2006 Aventa Learning. All rights reserved. |
Discussion 4-4: SAT and ACT testing is controversial. There has been a lot written and many students dread those tests that have a huge impact on college choice and acceptance. Take a side that either the testing is good and should be continued or the testing is detrimental and should be abolished. Share your feeling about testing for college. If not using SAT’s and ACT’s, what would be better? Respond to another student also. 
Crossword puzzle on testing and individual differences
Assignment 4-5 : Thinking Activity