Topic 1: The Nature and Uses of Psychological Tests

1. A specialist in psychology or education who develops and evaluates psychological

tests:
a. clinician b. psychometrician
c. psychometrist d. counselor

2. Which of the following could be a test, according to the definition offered in the
textbook?

a. a checklist for rating the social skills of a retarded youth

b. a non-timed measure of mastery in adding pairs of three-digit numbers
c. a microcomputer appraisal of reaction time
d. all of the above

3. Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of psychological tests?

a. standardization to a mean of 100
b. sampling of behavior
c. description of behavior with categories or scores
d. use of norms to predict other behaviors

4. Which of the following is an essential step in the standardization of a test?

a. use of identical stimuli with all examinees
b. precise specification of oral instructions for subtests
c. advice to the examiner as to how to handle queries from the examinee
d. all of the above

5. Where is the most reliable source to get directions and instructions for administering specific
psychological tests?
a. the American Psychological Association’s volume on Testing and Assessment
b. continuing education seminars in psychological testing
c. the instruction manual that typically accompanies a test
d. a credentialed psychologist

6. Why are tests merely a sample of behavior?

a. so that the time required for testing is not excessive
b. a sample is as good as the totality of behaviors
c. so that the examiner’s influence is minimized
d. because the examiner has a special interest in that sample of behavior

7. Suppose that answering “true” to the question “I drink a lot of water” happens to help predict
depression. Would it be wise to include this item on a test used to identify depression?
a. yes, because the essential characteristic of a good test is that it predicts relevant behaviors
b. no, because there is no theoretical link between drinking water and being depressed
c. yes, because there is a theoretical link between drinking water and being depressed
d. maybe, depending upon the theoretical orientation of the test developer

8. Which of the following is NOT true in relation to psychological tests:

 a. they typically portray an abstraction that is shown useful in prediction
b. results represent a thing with physical reality
c. every test score will reflect some degree of measure error
d. they sum up performance in numbers of classifications

9. The norm group is referred to as the

a. criterion sample b. standardization sample
c. reference group d. all of the above

10. The purpose of norms is to

a. establish an average performance
b. indicate the prevalence of high and low scores
c. determine deviations from expectation
d. all of the above

11. In the selection and testing of a standardized sample, it is crucial that

a. the sample is representative of the population for whom the test is intended
b. the sample is diverse in composition
c. the sample is uniform in composition
d. all members of the sample are literate

12. Psychological assessment is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT:

a. comparing and combining data from different sources
b. utilizing and understanding a variety of different testing and observational measures
c. an inherently subjective process that makes predictions on a complex gestalt of data
d. an objective process based on a single source of information

13. An important advantage of _________ tests is that the examiner can gauge the level of motivation of
the examinee.
a. group b. personality c. individual d. intelligence

14. Most intelligence tests use a _____________ assortment of test items.

a. homogeneous b. heterogeneous c. random d. culture-free

15. ___________ tests are often used to predict success in an occupation, training course, or
educational endeavor.
a. Intelligence b. Personality c. Aptitude d. Achievement

16. ___________ tests are often used to measure a person’s degree of learning, success or
accomplishment in a subject matter.
a. Intelligence b. Personality c. Aptitude d. Achievement

17. Measures of ___________ emphasize novelty and originality in the solution of fuzzy problems or the
production of artistic works.
a. personality b. achievement c. creativity d. femininity

18. Checklists, inventories, and projective techniques are all examples of ____________ tests.
a. creativity b. intelligence c. personality d. vocational
19. _______________ share a common assumption that behavior is best understood in terms of clearly
defined characteristics such as frequency, duration, antecedents, and consequences.
a. Intelligence tests b. Personality inventories
c. Creativity tests d. Behavioral procedures

20. What subspecialty of psychology uses specialized tests on people to make inferences about the
locus, extent, and consequences of brain damage?
a. Neurology b. Cognitive Psychology
c. Physiological Psychology d. Neuropsychology

21. By far the most common use of psychological tests is to

a. make decisions about persons
b. diagnose mental and emotional disorders
c. determine personality functioning
d. evaluate learning disabilities

22. It is important that the standardization sample be representative of the population for whom the
test is intended because
a. this allows for the examinee’s relative standing to be determined
b. minority groups must be represented in all samples
c. the high generalizability is no longer a confounding variable
d. test standards require a standardization sample

23. A psychometrician is best understood as

a. an expert administrator of personality tests
b. a psychologist who has been trained from the scientist-practitioner model
c. a developer and evaluator of psychological tests
d. any authorized user of assessment instruments

24. In determining the boundaries of flexible testing procedures, the examiner should consider
a. how the test was likely administered to the norm sample
b. the potential consequences of altering the test items
c. the general dictum that testing procedures should be interpreted literally and strictly
d. all of the above

25. All of the following are common sources of error in group testing EXCEPT:
a. lack of clarity in delivering the directions
b. failure to provide allotted break time
c. noise distractions
d. failure to explain when and if examinees should guess

26. Undoubtedly the single greatest source of error in group test administration is:
a. reading the wrong instructions
b. giving the wrong form of the test
c. giving a test to the wrong age group
d. incorrect timing of tests
27. In general, how do test manuals for group standardized tests handle the issue of guessing?
a. they provide explicit instructions to examinees as to the advantages and potential pitfalls of
guessing
b. they warn examinees that guessing is usually counterproductive
c. most commonly, the test manual does not provide any guidance on the pros and cons of
guessing
d. they explain that guessing seldom improves the score

28. Suppose that answering “true” to the question “I drink a lot of water” happens to help predict
depression. Would it be wise to include this item on a test used to identify depression?
a. yes, because the essential characteristic of a good test is that it predicts relevant behaviors
b. no, because there is no theoretical link between drinking water and being depressed
c. yes, because there is a

29. Suppose a tester asks “What is a sofa?” and the child looks puzzled. In general, is it acceptable for
the tester to rephrase the question, asking “What is a couch?”
a. Yes, because valid testing requires the development of rapport.
b. Yes, because the two questions are equivalent.
c. No, because the tester should never deviate from standardized procedure.
d. No, because the rephrased question is easier and therefore not comparable.

30. In most cases, if a test question asks “What shape is a ball?” a correct answer would be recorded if
a. the subject responds verbally “round”
b. the subject responds verbally “spherical”
c. the subject gestures with his index finger in a circular pattern
d. all of the above