Describe the three characteristics that are common to all psychological tests and explain how psychological tests can demonstrate these characteristics to various degrees. Give examples.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Three characteristics:
• All good psychological tests have three characteristics in common:
o First, good tests representatively sample the behaviors thought to measure an attribute or thought to predict an outcome. For example, suppose we are interested in developing a test to measure your physical ability. One option would be to evaluate your performance in every sport you have ever played. Another option would be to have you run the 50-meter dash. Both of these options have drawbacks. The first option would be very precise, but not very practical. Can you imagine how much time and energy it would take to review how you performed in every sport you have ever played? The second option is too narrow and unrepresentative. How fast you run the 50-meter dash does not tell us much about your physical ability in general. A better method would be to take a representative sample of performance in sports. For example, we might require you to participate in some individual sports (e.g., running, tennis, gymnastics) and team sports (e.g., soccer, basketball) that involve different types of physical abilities (e.g., strength, endurance, precision). This option would include a more representative sample.
o Second, all good tests include behavior samples that are obtained under standardized conditions. That is, a test must be administered the same way to all people. When you take a test, various factors can affect your score besides the characteristic, attribute, or trait that is being measured. Factors related to the environment (e.g., room temperature, lighting), the examiner (e.g., examiner attitude, how the instructions are read), the examinee (e.g., illness, fatigue), and the test (e.g., understandability of questions) all can affect your score. If everyone is tested under the same conditions (e.g., in the same environment), we can be more confident that these factors will affect all test takers similarly. If all of these factors affect test takers similarly, we can be more certain that a person’s test score accurately reflects the attribute being measured. Although it is possible for test developers to standardize factors related to the environment, the examiner, and the test, it is difficult to standardize examinee factors. For example, test developers have little control over what test takers do the night before they take a test.
o Third, all good tests have rules for scoring. These rules ensure that all examiners will score the same set of responses in the same way. For example, teachers might award 1 point for each multiple choice question you answer correctly, and they might award or deduct points based on what you include in your response to an essay question. Teachers might then report your overall exam score either as the number correct or as a percentage of the number correct (the number of correct answers divided by the total number of questions on the test).
Demonstrating the characteristics to various degrees:
• Although all psychological tests have these characteristics, not all exhibit these characteristics to the same degree.
• Some tests may include a more representative sample of behaviors than do others.
• Some tests, such as group-administered tests, may be more conducive to administration under standardized conditions than are individually administered tests.
• Some tests have well-defined rules for scoring, and other tests have general guidelines.
• Some tests have very explicit scoring rules, for example, “If Question 1 is marked true, then deduct 2 points.” Other tests, such as those that include short answers, may have less explicit rules for scoring, for example, “Award 1 point for each concept noted and defined.”