Psychological Assessment (PSYC 350)

Syllabus & Course Calendar, Spring 2017

Instructor: Dr. Heather Meggers-Wright (you can call me Dr. Meggers)
Email: [email protected]
Office: D224
Office Hours: Thursday 12:30-2:00
* I am only on campus on Thursdays and my availability is limited due to my clinic schedule during the week.
Please be advised that if you can’t come to my office hours, then we may need to schedule a phone call on a
weekend.

Readings
• Cohen, R.J., Swerdlik, M.E., & Sturman, E.D. (2013). Psychological Testing & Assessment: An
Introduction to Tests and Measurement, 8th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
(recommended)
• Additional readings, as assigned, available on D2L (required)

Course Description

This course provides an overview of psychological assessment, including psychometrics, test

construction, validation, clinical interviewing, and psychological tests. Specific categories of test
covered include: intelligence tests, achievement tests, neuropsychological tests,
psychosocial/behavioral instruments, career inventories, positive psychological instruments,
personality inventories, and projective tests.

Course Objectives
The main goals for this course are to have an understanding of psychological assessment, mainly
psychometrics, test construction, clinical interviewing, and the broad categories of
psychological tests and their primary uses. Specific objectives for the course include:

1. Students will be able to identify and analyze the basic psychometrics utilized in existing
instruments and those required in test construction.
2. Students will be able to categorize and discriminate specific psychological tests and their
primary uses.
3. Students will be able to analyze and interpret basic findings from psychological
tests/instruments.
4. Students will be able to apply and synthesize data gathered from psychological
tests/instruments to formulate a psychological report.
Course Assignments & Grading
Exams (200 pts)

There will be 2 non-cumulative exams in this course worth 100 points each. Please see the
syllabus for examination dates. The exams will be a mix of multiple choice, matching, short
answer, and/or essay. I will not provide a detailed study guide for these exams—they will cover
the material from the book, assigned readings and the lecture notes accompanying those
readings and that is what you should study.

Quizzes (60 pts)

There will be 4 in-class quizzes that between the exam periods to help you keep on track and
focused between exams. The dates are on the calendar. They will be taken during the first 20
minutes of class, will be multiple choice, and will be worth 15 pts each. If you do not come to
class or are late, you may not make up the quiz or receive extra time.

Article Worksheet (40 pts)

You will read a research article describing the development of a psychological test used in
research understanding human behavior and fill out a worksheet that applies concepts learned
in class about reliability, validity, and test development to the contents of the article.

Self-Assessment Report (100 pts)

Students will write one comprehensive self-assessment report to interpret testing results from self-
administered tests in personality and career assessment using tools provided by the UWSP Career
Services office online, and another web source. This assignment will involve researching the
theory guiding the assigned assessments, and “interpreting” the results after taking the
assessments. More details will come in class and on D2L.

Point distribution for this course is as follows. Use this chart to keep track of your progress
throughout the semester.

Point Distribution: Possible My score Total Points to Final Grade:

Exam #1 100 pts _____ A = 370-400 (92.5-100%) A- = 358-369 (89.5-92.4%)

Exam #2 100 pts _____ B+ = 346-357 (86.5-89.4%) B = 330-345 (82.5-86.4%)

Quizzes (15 each) 60 pts _____ B- = 318-329 (79.5-82.4%) C+ = 306-317 (76.5-79.4%)

Article Worksheet 40 pts _____ C = 290-305 (72.5-76.4%) C- = 278-289(69.5-72.4%)

Self Assessment Report 100 pts _____ D+ = 266-277 (66.5-69.4%) D = 238-265(59.5-66.4%)

Total: 400 pts _____

F = 0-237(0-59.4%)
Class Policies:
Assignments: Assignments are to be turned in exactly as described below on the Due Date calendar. Read it
and follow the directions. Also, make sure you read any supporting documents posted on D2L—I spend time on
those to give you more information on HOW to do an assignment, as well as give information on how it will be
evaluated. You are responsible for following the directions in these documents. Any deviation from these
assignment directions that I have not personally permitted will result in a grade of zero points on the assignment.

Make-Up Exams and Late Assignments: Make-up exams will be offered only under extreme circumstances
(e.g., death in family, accident, medical emergency) decided on a case-by-case basis. In order to qualify for a
make-up exam, students must: a) provide a valid excuse for missing the exam (e.g. letter from physician) and b)
schedule a make-up exam within one week of the missed exam, at a time that is convenient to the instructor.
Failure to provide adequate rationale for missing an exam will result in a score of zero points for the exam.

Assignments must be turned in as assigned to receive full credit. In the case of expected absence or illness, you
may submit your out-of-class assignment prior to class. Assignments not submitted by the designated due date
and time will result in at least a 10% reduction in credit per day, with a late deduction day beginning one minute
after the designated time due has passed.

Respect: Students enrolled in this class are expected to be respectful of each other and the professor. Right
now your job is to be a student, and a professional student is one who comes to class on time and ready to work.
Stay off your phone, don’t carry on side conversations, give your fellow students your attention when they speak,
and otherwise treat class time like it is your job.

Attendance: While attendance is not mandatory, it is in your best interest to attend class given that information
presented in class (not necessarily covered in the reading) is potential exam material. Also, in-class assignments
and presentations are only completed in class (unless there is an emergency) and videos are only shown in class
(no exceptions), which is also potential exam material. If you are unable to attend class, it is your responsibility to
obtain lecture notes and review any missed activities or videos with your classmates. It is recommended you
exchange contact information with at least a couple of your classmates in case you need material you missed.

Extra Credit & Rounding Policy:

IF extra credit is awarded in the class, final grades will not be rounded. An 89.99% will be a B+, not an A-. If there
is no opportunity for extra credit, the instructor may choose to round within a half-percentage point. Excessive
rounding contributes to grade inflation and will not be awarded under any circumstances. Extra credit is not up
for individual negotiation. The only guaranteed way to receive the grade you want for the course is to earn it
through your performance on regular course assignments.

Incompletes: Incompletes will only be given in extreme circumstances (e.g., medical emergency) with proper
documentation (e.g., doctor’s note). An incomplete is not an option for students who feel overwhelmed by
academics, work schedules, or extracurricular activities. Typically, incompletes must be completed within one
semester, otherwise an “F” will result.
Campus-Wide Policies:
Students’ Rights & Responsibilities: UWSP values a safe, honest, respectful, and inviting learning environment.
In order to ensure that each student has the opportunity to succeed, the University has developed a set of
expectations for all students and instructors. This set of expectations is known as the Rights and Responsibilities
document, and it is intended to help establish a positive living and learning environment at UWSP.

Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is central to the mission of higher education, particularly to UWSP.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism. Plagiarism
includes copying or paraphrasing other students’ work, and copying or paraphrasing material from sources (e.g.,
internet, articles, books) without using quotations or citations. You may not collaborate with other students on
exams or homework assignments for this course. Violation of academic integrity is left to the discretion of the
professor of this course. The minimum penalty is a zero for the assignment. For more information, see the UWSP
“Student Academic Standards and Disciplinary Procedures” section of the Rights and Responsibilities document,
Chapter 14, which can be accessed from: http://www.uwsp.edu/stuaffairs/Documents/RightsRespons/SRR-
2010/rightsChap14.pdf.

Accommodations: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law requiring educational institutions
to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. For more information about UWSP’s policies,
see: http://www.uwsp.edu/stuaffairs/Documents/RightsRespons/ADA/rightsADAPolicyInfo.pdf. If you have a
disability and require classroom and/or exam accommodations, please register with the Disability and Assistive
Technology Center, if you have not done so already, and then contact the professor. I am happy to help in any
way I can. For more information, please visit the Disability and Assistive Technology Center, located on the 6th
floor of the Learning Resource Center. You can also find more information at:
http://www4.uwsp.edu/special/disability.

Extra Assistance: If you would like extra assistance related to course materials or if you have any questions
related to your performance in the course, please come by my office hours or set up an appointment. If you
would prefer help from a student, you can contact the UWSP Tutoring Learning Center (018 LRC, 715-346-3568) or
utilize the Psychology Tutoring Center (contact Kay in the Psychology Department office, 715-346-2883).

Emergency Response: In the event of a medical emergency call 911 or use the Red Emergency Phone
outside of room D230 Science Building. Offer assistance if trained and willing to do so. Guide Emergency
Responders to victims. In the event of a tornado warning, proceed to the lowest level interior room without
window exposure or the hallways outside of our classroom. See
www.uwsp.edu/rmgt/Pages/em/procedures/other/floor-plans.aspx for floor plans showing severe weather
shelters on campus. Avoid wide-span rooms and buildings. In the event of a fire alarm, evacuate the building in a
calm manner. Meet underneath the athletic sign outside the HEC across from the Science Building. Notify the
instructor or emergency command personnel of any missing individuals. In the event of an active shooter –
Run/Escape, Hide, Fight. If trapped, hide, lock doors, turn off lights, spread out, and remain quiet. Follow
instructions of the Emergency Responders. See UW-Stevens Point Emergency Management Plan at
www.uwsp.edu/rmgt for details on all emergency response at UW-Stevens Point.
 Tentative Course Calendar
All of the contents are subject to change by the instructor, including topics, readings, due dates
and exam dates.
Dates Thursdays 2:00-4:30 Other Info
Jan 26 Introduction to Psychological Testing and Statistics For best performance, print out lecture
Review materials and take the time to fill in
- Read Chapter 1, 3 (pg 98-114) details, examples, extra bits of info I talk
about in class as exams go beyond PP
slides.
Feb 2 Norms and the Use of Comparison Groups +
Introduction to Intelligence Testing
- Read Chapter 4 & 9
Feb 9 Intelligence Testing In-Class Quiz (lecture material covered
Read Chapter 10 & 2 through last class)

Feb 16 Intelligence Testing + Ethics and Legal Cases

(Cont)
Feb 23 Cont/Catch-up class
Mar 2 Neuropsychological Assessment In Class Quiz (lecture material covered
Chapter 15 through the last class- cumulative)
Mar 9 Exam 1 Exam 1 covers all in-class and assigned
materials from 1-26 through 3-2
Mar 16 Reliability & Validity in Testing
Read Chapter 5 & 6
Mar 23 No Class Spring Break
Mar 30 Guest Speaker- career locker Article Worksheet due on D2L by 5:00
p.m.
Apr 6 Test Development
Apr 13 Personality Testing
- Read Chapter 12 & 13
Apr 20 Personality Testing In-Class Quiz (lecture and online
article/worksheet from 10-20 through
last class)
Apr 27 Clinical & Counselling Assessment
Chapter 14
May 4 Assessments in Careers & Business In-Class Quiz (lecture material covered
- Chapter 16 from Oct 20 through last class-
cumulative)
May 11 Exam 2 Exam 2 covers all in-class and assigned
materials since 3-16
Final Exam Tuesday May 16th Career & Personality Self-Assessment
Period Due by the end of the day- upload to
D2L