Basic Psychological Testing Vocabulary (170 Terms)
Achievement Tests
Actuarial Approach
Adaptive Behavior Inventories
Administrative Indexes
Admission Tests
Age Norm
Alternate Forms Method
Area Transformation
Assessment Center
Banding
Bandwidth-Fidelity Dilemma
Barnum Effect
Basal Level
Base Rate
Behavior-Based Rating Scale
Bias
Bias in Prediction
Big Five
Biodata
Brunswick's Lens Model
CAT-ASVAB
Ceiling Level
Clinical Assessment
Clinical Interview
Clinical Scales
Coaching
Composite Score
Computer-Based Test
Interpretation (CBTI)
Computerized Adaptive Testing
(CAT)
Computerized Performance
tests designed to measure acquired knowledge or skill in a particular
area or domain
approach to interest measurement that compares your scores to the
scores of members of specific groups
inventories that assess the ability to function in day-to-day life situations
used in conjunction with measures such as the Strong Interest Inventory
that provide information about the type and pattern of responses (e.g.,
how many "like" versus "dislike" responses are made)
tests used by colleges and universities to assist in determining which
applicants to admit or to reject
method of describing scores in terms of the average or typical age of the
respondents achieving a specific test score
method of estimating reliability that involves administering two parallel
forms of a test
method of transformation based on areas under the normal curve that
can change some important characteristics of scores
assessment method that uses multiple methods and multiple assessors
to evaluate examinees on several work-related dimensions
grouping together individuals whose test scores are too similar to permit
reliable differentiations
trade-off between breadth and precision in measurement
tendency to accept as accurate feedback that is vague but positive
lowest age level at which the examinee can consistently answer
Stanford-Binet items correctly
proportion of the population who meet a specific criterion (e.g.,
proportion of an applicant pool who would succeed on the job)
scale that includes specific behavioral examples of the dimension to be
rated and/or the levels of performance on that dimension
tendency of a test to make systematic errors in measurement or
prediction for particular groups
group differences in intercepts, slopes, or standard errors when tests are
used to predict specific criteria
personality taxonomy that uses five factors (extroversion, emotional
stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to
experience) to describe normal personality
data about an individual's background, life accomplishments, or present
status that can be used to predict future performance
model widely used in research on judgment that examines links between
the information available to the judge (clinical) and his or her judgment
computerized version of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
highest level at which the examinee can answer at least some Stanford-
Binet items correctly
integration of information from multiple procedures by a clinician to arrive
at assessment or diagnosis of an individual
relatively unstructured interview used to obtain case histories or to start
the process of clinical assessment
scales on the MMPI that identify individuals whose responses are most
similar to individuals in specific diagnostic groups
using courses, workbooks, or other methods to improve performance on
admissions tests
score obtained by combining scores from multiple tests or measures
automated system for interpreting the meaning of test scores
testing method in which the selection of items is done via computer to
provide the most efficient and appropriate test to each subject
computerized monitoring systems that continuously track rates of output
Monitoring
Computerized Test Administration
Concurrent Validation Strategy
Configural Interpretation
Construct
Construct Explication
Construct-Oriented Validation
Strategy
Content-Oriented Validation
Strategy
Correction for Attenuation
Correlation Coefficient
Criterion
Criterion-Referenced Test
Criterion-Related Validation
Strategy
Crystallized Intelligence
Cultural Bias Hypothesis
Culture-Reduced Testing
Cyril Burt
Difference Score
Differential Validity Hypothesis
Difficulty
Dissimulation
Distractor Analysis
Drawing Tests
DSM-IV
EEOC - Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Efficiency versus Equity
Empirical Scales
Empirically Derived Test
EQ
or production in specific jobs or tasks
using a computer rather than paper and pencil to administer a test
strategy that uses scores of a screened sample (e.g., people who
received relatively high scores on a test) to evaluate the relationship
between a test and a criterion
use of patterns of configurations of test scores to arrive at predictions or
diagnoses
abstraction that summarizes some regularity in nature (psychological
constructs describe some regularity in behavior or experience)
process of describing what a construct means and what it is related to
method of determining what a test measures by examining the
correlates of test scores (e.g., are scores on this test correlated with
good measures of some conceptually similar construct)
method of determining what a test measures by examining test content
estimate of the correlation you would expect between two imperfect
measures if the effects of measurement error could be removed
statistical measure of the association between two sets of scores
measure that can be used to evaluate the accuracy of a decision
test in which you re scored in relation to a specific standard or criterion,
rather than having your performance compared to the performance of
other examinees
strategy for assessing the validity of decisions by examining the
correlation between scores on a test and sores on a criterion measure
acquired store of factual knowledge; sometimes contrasted with fluid
intelligence, or the ability to reason and actively process information
hypothesis that the content of ability tests unfairly favors some groups
over others
strategy for ability testing that minimizes the use of verbal or culturally
specific items
prominent researcher in the areas of intelligence and heritability who
was accused of faking crucial data
score obtained by subtracting one test score from another
hypothesis that tests might show different levels of criterion-related
validity across groups
defined either in terms of the proportion of examinees who answer an
item correctly (classical item analysis) or in terms of the level of ability
needed to answer the item correctly (item response theory)
response set in which an examinee attempts to distort responses in a
particular direction (e.g., faking psychopathology in an effort to avoid
responsibility for one's actions)
analysis of the pattern of responses to incorrect options of multiple-
choice tests
personality tests that use drawings of human figures or other stimuli to
make inferences about personality
diagnostic classification system currently used by psychologists and
psychiatrists for classifying mental disorders
a federal agency responsible for enforcing the provision of the Civil
Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991 related to employment
trade-off often encountered in testing between doing what is most
beneficial for the institution versus doing what is most beneficial for
some or all examinees
scales developed to take advantage of empirical regularities in test
scores, without necessarily defining any particular construct or concept
that one is trying to measure
test in which items are selected or scored on the basis of their ability to
distinguish between specific groups
emotional intelligence, or the ability to understand one's own behavior
and the behavior of others, and to maintain control over one's own
behavior
Equating process of ensuring that identical scores on different versions of a test
have the same meaning
Error difference between obtained score and true score
Ethical Principles of Psychologists set of principles that governs professional activities of psychologists
Expectancy table table showing the expected score on some criterion variable, given your
score on a test
Face Validity extent to which a test appears to provide a reasonable and acceptable
measure
Factor Analysis statistical technique used to analyze patterns of correlation among
different measures
Fairness value judgment that the outcomes of testing match some desired
criterion of end state
False Positive condition in which a positive decision about an individual turns out to be
an incorrect decision
Flynn Effect steady, long-term increase in levels of intelligence that has been
observed in several countries
Forensic Assessment use of psychological tests and clinical assessment in legal proceedings
(e.g., evaluation claims of insanity)
General Mental Ability (g) general cognitive ability that appears to underlie performance on a wide
array of tests and cognitively demanding tasks
Generalizability Theory theory of measurement that attempts to determine the sources of
consistency and inconsistency in test scores
Global Assessment of Functioning assessment of overall ability to function in day-to-day life that is used as
part of the diagnostic process with DSM-IV
Graphic Rating Scale scale that includes only simple descriptions of the dimension to be rated
and the levels of performance on that dimension
Graphology use of handwriting analysis to draw inference about an examinee's
personality or behavior; this method has not been shown to be valid
Group Test test administered to several examinees at the same time, often requiring
written responses or responses to multiple-choice items
Group x Item Interaction group differences in the relative difficulty of test items
Halo Error tendency to base ratings of specific dimensions on one's overall
evaluation of the person being rated
Heritability extent to which an individual difference variable (e.g., cognitive ability)
can be explained in terms of genetic factors
Holtzman Scoring Technique standardized scoring method for the Rorschach Inkblot Test
Horizontal Percentage Method method of empirically scoring biodata by comparing responses of
various groups
Hutt Adaptation adaptation of Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test that treats is as a
projective test
Hypothesis Confirmation Bias tendency to search for and pay attention to information that confirms
one's initial impressions
Identification of Exceptionality using tests to identify individuals who would be most likely to benefit
from special placement (either for gifted students or for students with
special developmental needs)
Incomplete Sentence Tests tests that ask examinees to complete partial sentences
Inconsistency Scales scales embedded in diagnostic instruments that assess consistency in
responding to the same question or to equivalent questions
Individual Test test administered on a one-on-one basis by a trained examiner
Informed Consent the principle that individuals participating in psychological research or
assessment should be informed beforehand about the nature of the task
and the potential risks and threats inherent in the activity
Institutional Decision decision in which an institution (e.g., school) must make a choice about
how to treat an individual (e.g., to offer or refuse admission to graduate
school)
Integrity Test paper-and-pencil test used to draw inferences about an individual's
honesty, dependability, or likelihood of engaging in dishonest or
destructive behavior
Interest response of liking to an object or activity
Internal Consistency Method method of estimating reliability that involves assessing consistency in

Interval Scale
Ipsative Test Format
IQ
Item Analysis
Item Characteristic Curve (ICC)
Item Discrimination
Item Response Theory
Item-Total Correlation
Kappa
Leniency Error
Lie Scale
Linear Regression
Linear Transformation
Mastery Testing
Measurement
Mental Measurements Yearbook
Meta-analysis
Multiple-Aptitude Batteries
Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix
National Assessment of
Educational Progress
Neuropsychological Assessment
Nominal Scale
Norms
Objective Measures
Objective Measures
Occupational Scales
Occupational Themes
OSS Assessment Program
performance across test items
measurement scale in which the size of the differences between objects
is reflected in terms of the size of the differences in the numbers
assigned
type of test in which score comparisons are made within rather than
between individuals (e.g., determining whether one's level of verbal
ability exceeds one's level of mathematical ability, rather than comparing
your verbal ability to others' ability levels)
intelligence quotient, a numerical measure of the overall level of
cognitive ability
set of procedures for analyzing responses to test items and the
relationships between item characteristics and test characteristics
mathematical function describing the relationship between the construct
measured by a test and responses to a specific test item
extent to which responses to an item discriminate those who receive
high versus low scores on a test
modern theory of psychometrics, in which the mathematical relationship
summarized by an item characteristic curve is used to analyze test items
and tests
correlation between scores on an item and scores on the test from which
this item is taken
measure of the agreement between decisions obtained in two separate
tests; used in assessing the reliability of criterion-referenced tests
tendency to assign ratings that are unrealistically high
administrative scale on the MMPI made up of items that are socially
desirable but very unlikely to be true
method for predicting scores on one measure on the basis of scores on
some other measure
method of transforming test scores to produce a simpler or more useful
scale of measurement without changing the essential characteristics of
the scores
criterion-referenced testing strategy in which examinees are asked to
demonstrate mastery of a specific skill or body of knowledge
process of assigning numbers to objects in such a way that specific
properties of the objects are faithfully represented by specific properties
of the numbers
series of reference volumes containing reviews of mental tests
method for combining the results from multiple studies
groups of tests administered together and designed to measure several
distinct abilities
network of correlations that is obtained if several attributes are each
measured using multiple methods
systematic, nationwide effort to assess the knowledge, skills, and
performance of American schoolchildren
use of psychological tests and performance on motor and cognitive
tasks to diagnose neurological disorders
measurement scale in which rank order and interval properties are found
an in which there is a true and meaningful zero point
detailed record of test performance in a norm group, used to assess
relative performance levels
measures that imply clear items and/or standardized scoring systems
measures that require minimal levels of judgment to obtain (e.g.,
production counts)
scales scored in terms of the similarity of the examinee's responses to
those of members of specific occupational groups
broad patterns of occupational interests identified in J. L. Holland (1973);
examples include realistic, investigative, and enterprising themes
method of assessment developed for Office of Strategic Services
(forerunner of the current CIA) that served as the model of assessment
centers currently used in work settings
p value proportion of examinees who answer an item correctly
Percentile Rank type of norm that describes a score in terms of the percentage of a norm
group who achieves that score or a lower one
Performance IQ norm-based summary score for the Performance scale of the Wechsler
series of tests
Point Scale ability test evaluated in terms of how many items are answered correctly,
rather than in terms of age grouping of items
Portfolio Assessment evaluation of student performance on the basis of a sample of
completed tests
Power Test test in which speed of response has little or no effect on the final score
obtained
Predictive Validation Strategy strategy that uses scores of a representative or unscreened sample to
evaluate the relationship between a test and a criterion
Project Head Start series of government initiatives to provide disadvantaged children with
better preparation to succeed in school
Projective Measures measures of personality that involve analyzing responses to an abstract
or unstructured stimulus
Psychological Test measurement instrument that consists of a sample of behavior obtained
under standardized conditions and evaluated against established
scoring rules
Random Responding response set in which there is no apparent relationship between the
content of items and examinees' responses
Range Restriction Effects effects of limiting the range of scores on the test or criterion (e.g., by
removing people who fail a test from a validity study) on the correlation
between tests and criteria; range restriction reduces this correlation
Ranking Methods methods that involve comparing individuals to one another
Rating Methods methods that involve comparing individuals to some standard (e.g.,
average or good performance)
Rational Scales scales developed to measure a specific construct that is defined before
developing the test
Rational-Empirical Scales scales developed using a combination of these two methods
Reliability the consistency of test scores
Reliability Coefficient squared correlation between true and observed scores, or the proportion
of the variability in observed scores thought to be due to differences in
true scores
Response Sets ways of responding to scales or items that reflect particular and
identifiable sources of unwanted error variance
Response Style general tendency to agree or disagree with statements, independent of
the content of those statements
Scatter Analysis use of differences in performance on various sections of intelligence
tests to help diagnose learning disorders and neurological disorders
Scholastic Tests tests used in academic admissions and assessment, which often include
sections measuring general cognitive ability
Selection Ratio ratio between the number of applicants for some position or decision and
the number of positions available
Self-report type of test in which subject describes his or her feelings, attitudes,
beliefs or subjective state
Social Desirability tendency to respond to items in a fashion that seems most socially
acceptable
Spearman-Bowman Formula formula for estimating reliability if test is shortened or lengthened
Speed Test test score in which speed of response is the only factor that influences
the final score
Split-Half Method method of estimating reliability that involves comparing performance on
half of the test with performance on the other half
Stakeholders individuals or groups who have valid concerns about the development
and use of psychological tests
Standard Age Score score on Stanford-Binet that compares examinee's performance to the
performance of others of the same age in the norm group; similar to IQ
Standard Error of Measurement measure of the variability in scores that you expect to find s a result of
measurement error
Standards for Educational and standards adopted by several professional societies that define how
Psychological Testing tests should be developed, evaluated, and used
Stanine a simple are transformation that places scores on a 9-point scale
(standard nines)
Statistical Prediction use of a mathematical formula, rather than clinical judgment, to combine
information from multiple tests and assessments
Structured Interview interview format in which questions and perhaps scoring criteria for
responses are defined in advance of the interview
Tailored or Adaptive Testing method of testing in which test items are selected that are most
appropriate and informative for the individual being assessed
Test-Retest Method method of estimating reliability that involves two administrations of the
same test
The Bell Curve widely discussed book that examines the role of cognitive ability in
determining success in several areas and that makes controversial
recommendations about the public policy implications of individual and
group differences in ability
Trait consistent pattern of behavior in a particular area or domain (e.g.,
honesty)
True Positive condition in which a positive decision about an individual (e.g., decision
to admit a person to graduate school) turns out to be the correct decision
True Score expected value of a test score, or the average you would expect over
many measurements
Two-Point Code method of interpreting MMPI scores that focuses on the two highest
clinical scores in a profile
Utility Theory theory for combining information about criterion-related validity to
estimate the gains or losses associated with using a test
Validity the degree to which inferences made on the basis of test scores are
correct
Validity for Decisions extent to which test scores contribute to making correct predictions or
decisions about individuals
Validity Generalization application of meta-analysis to determine whether validity coefficients
are similar across tests, jobs, and settings
Validity of Measurement extent to which tests measure what they seem to measure
Validity Scales administrative scales that can be used to assess the consistency or
appropriateness of scores on specific clinical or personality scales
Variance measure of the extent to which test scores differ or vary
Verbal IQ norm-based summary score for the Verbal scale of the Wechsler series
of tests
Verification Scale used to assess consistency in responding to essentially identical items
(e.g., the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey includes such a scale)
Work-Sample Test test of maximal performance, which involves carrying out a sample of
tasks under optimal conditions