WHAT IS A TEST?

WHAT IS A TEST?
A test is a measurement device (a tool, a
technique) and/or a procedure used to:

a) quantify behavior or
b) aid in understanding and predicting behavior

A test is a series of questions on the basis

on which some information or an attribute
is sought or measured.
 PARTS OF A TEST

STIMULUS RESPONSE
notice the “behavioristic/experimental” paradigm underpinning the concept of a test.
 Physical Tests
Medical Tests

Chemical Tests
Electrical Tests

PSYCHOLOGICAL
Teacher-Made
TESTS
Tests

Psychological tests are merely a subset of an entire gamut of

tests out there.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS

A psychological test is a systematic procedure for obtaining

samples of behavior, relevant to cognitive or affective functioning,
and for scoring and evaluating those samples according to
standards (Urbina, 2004).
 r a t i o n
n /g e ne
i o
select tion
test co
n s tru c
UNIVERSE OF
PSYCH BEHAVIORS
TEST
sta
nd
ard
representativeness iza
tio
n
psychometrics
standardization
and scoring &
administration objectivity interpretation
int
psychological testing eg
rat
ion

psychological
assessment
 PSYCH
TEST

UNIVERSE OF
BEHAVIORS

PSYCH
TEST

PSYCH Different psychological tests may be pooled

TEST from the same universe of behaviors, but each
may be composed of unique set of sampled
PSYCH
behaviors (items), resulting to different
TEST
psychometric properties.

Thus, the goal in test construction is to develop a group of items/behaviors that will collectively provide
the best representation of the universe of behaviors (hence, the best psychometric properties).
 PSYCH PSYCH
TEST TEST

PSYCH
PSYCH
TEST
TEST

NOTICE THAT BECAUSE PSYCH TESTS COME FROM THE

SAME UNIVERSE OF BEHAVIORS, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE
AN OVERLAP (CORRELATION) AMONG THEM.
 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

OVERT
COVERT BEHAVIORS
BEHAVIORS
“universe of
“abstractions/ measurable,
constructs/variables” observable
behaviors”

PSYCH
TEST
PSYCHOMETRIC
PROPERTIES OF A
GOOD TEST
... and test item
 Does this item validly measure General Information?

Who is the first president of the United

States of America?

What behaviors (covert or overt) other than General

Information does this item measure?
 Does this item validly measure Religiosity?

In a scale of 1 to 6 (with 6 having the

highest degree), how religious do you
consider yourself?

What behaviors (covert or overt) other than Religiosity

does this item measure?
Does this item validly measure Non-Verbal Reasoning?

A B D G K ___

What behaviors (covert or overt) other than Non-Verbal

Reasoning does this item measure?
... and test item
 Which scale provides the most precision?
Which scale provides the most ability to differentiate?
Which scale provides the most consistency of responses over
time?

I could never show kindness to those who have done me

wrong.

SCALE A: 1 2 3
SCALE B: 1 2 3 4 5
SCALE C: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
 RELIABILITY IS CONSISTENCY IN RESPONSES

X X X X X X
AVERAGE
(TRUE SCORE) =

reliability is represented by low standard deviation, brought about by the

consistency of the scores obtained by an individual across time (test-retest)

TEST SCORE
(or average item endorsement) =
ITEM ITEM ITEM ITEM ITEM ITEM
(TRUE SCORE) 1 2 3 4 5 6
reliability is represented by low standard deviation, brought about by the
consistency of item endorsements by an individual
(assuming the assumption of item equivalency)
 STANDARDIZATION

uniformity of procedure use of standards (norms derived

in all important aspects from a group of individuals—known
of the administration, as the normative or standardization
sample—in the process of
scoring, and
developing the test) for
interpretation of tests ...
evaluating test results
to make all the variables that are
under the control of the examiner
as uniform as possible, so that
everyone who takes the test
will be taking it in the same way.
... and test item
Which scale provides the most information in differentiating
the examinees?

Which scale provides the most sensitivity?

Scores obtained by 7 examinees on four tests

TEST A TEST B TEST C TEST D
SUBJ 1 10 1 1 0
SUBJ 2 10 2 1 0
SUBJ 3 10 3 4 0
SUBJ 4 10 4 4 0
SUBJ 5 10 5 4 0
SUBJ 6 10 6 7 0
SUBJ 7 10 7 7 0
Which item is more likely to provide normally-
distributed endorsements within a scale?

I do not believe in giving up on people, no matter

what they did against me in the past.
vs

I never believe in giving up on people, no matter

what they did against me in the past.
Which item is more likely to TARGET
elevations in personality?

I feel dissatisfied with my life.

vs

I never felt dissatisfied with my life.

Which item is easier (more likely to be
endorsed) by a “normal” sample?

I am very restless.

vs

I tend to be very restless.

Which item is less likely to be endorsed by a
“normal” sample?

I make people laugh all the time.

vs

I believe I make people laugh all the time.

 TO INFER/PREDICT
BEHAVIORS
(A PRIORI)
Industrial: Should this employee be
promoted? Should this applicant be hired?
School: Can this student survive the
demands of an Ateneo education? Does
this student have the aptitude for college
education?
Counseling: Does this person have the
ability to adapt in an isolated work
environment?
Military: Can the handling of a gun be
entrusted to this person?
TO EXPLAIN BEHAVIORS
(A POSTERIORI)
Forensic Cases: Should the marriage
be annulled?
Clinical Diagnosis: Is this person
suffering from depression?
Counseling: Why does this couple
quarrel a lot? What is in this person’s
personality as to why he doesn’t seem to
have the motivation to work?
Business: Why are the employees in
this department not motivated?
Social: What in this gunman’s
personality led him to be violent?
 TYPES OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
FORM S
FORM M
FORM W