IPS TEST2 PREP

Unit1
1. Define the following words
 Psychometrics refers to the systematic and scientific way in which psychological
measures are developed and the technical measurement standards (e.g. validity and
reliability) required of such measures.
 Psychological assessment is a process-orientated activity aimed at gathering a wide
array of information by using psychological assessment measures (tests) and
information from many other sources (e.g. interviews, a person’s history, collateral
sources).
 testing (i.e. the use of tests, measures), which involves the measurement of
behaviour, is one of the key elements of the much broader evaluative process
known as psychological assessment.
 competency-based assessment which focuses on assessing the skills, behaviours,
attitudes/values required for effective performance in the workplace or
educational/training settings, the results of which are directly linked to the
competency language of the workplace or educational setting). given that computer-
based tests require little, if any, human intervention in terms of administration and
scoring, and computer-generated test interpretation and reports are often available.
2.
Measures Definition Answers
1. Astrology a. which attempted to judge a person’s 1. c
character from the external features of the
body and especially the face, in relation to the
similarity that these features had to animals.
2. Physiognomy b. asserted that palm creases (unlike 2. a
fingerprints) can change and he found that
certain changes appeared to be related to
changes in personality. He also believed that
all hand characteristics should be taken into
consideration before any valid assessments
could be made.
3. Humorology c. The positions of planets are used to 3. f
formulate personal horoscopes that describe
the personality characteristics of individuals
and to predict what might happen in their
lives.
4. Phrenology d. Franz Gall was the founder of phrenology, 4. d
the ‘science’ of ‘reading people’s heads’
5. Chirology e. can be defined as the systematic study of 5. b
handwriting. Handwriting provides
graphologists with cues that are called
‘crystallised gestures’ that can be analysed in
detail. As handwriting is a type of stylistic
behaviour, there is some logic to the argument
 that it could be seen to be an expression of
personality characteristics
6. Graphology f. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, 6. e
developed the concept that there were four
body humours or fluids (blood, yellow bile,
black bile, and phlegm) (McReynolds, 1986).
Galen, a physician in ancient Rome, took these
ideas further by hypothesising four types of
temperament (sanguine, choleric, melancholic,
and phlegmatic), corresponding to the four
humours
7. Thorndike g. 7. h
• The 1905 Binet-Simon scale became
the benchmark for future
psychological tests
• Standardised conditions
• Norms

8. Huarte’s “The Tryal of h. “Whatever exists at all, exists in some 8. j

Wits” amount

9. Simon & Binet i. Introduced performance (non- 9. g

verbal) tests in IQ scales
10. Wolff j. -People differ from one another with regard 10. k
to talents
-Different vocations require different set of
talents
-A system should be developed to determine
specific patterns of abilities of different
persons so that they can be guided towards
appropriate occupations

11 Wechsler k. Coined the term “psychometrics” 10. i

3. According to Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998), Psychological testing and similar
forms or assessments of an employee are prohibited unless the test or assessment being
used:
(a) Has been scientifically shown to be valid
(b) Can be applied fairly to all employees
(c) Is not biased against any employee or group

Unit2
1. Define norm, Mental age scales, Percentiles
• Norm - A measurement against which an individual’s raw score is evaluated to that
the individual’s position relative to that of the normative sample can be determined
 • Mental age scales - The development of a child with a mental age of ten years
corresponds to the mental age of the average ten-year-old regardless of
chronological age
• Percentiles - The percentage of people in a normative standardization sample who
fall below a given raw score
• P – value - The difficulty of an item (p) is the proportion or percentage of individuals
who answer the item correctly
𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲
• p-value = 𝒏𝒐. 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆
2. identify phases in test development and steps in each phase
• Planning
o Specify aim of measure
o Define the content of the measure
o Develop the test plan
• Item Development
o Write items
o Review items
• Assembling and pretesting the experimental version
o Arrange the items
o Finalise length
o Answer protocols
o Developing administration instructions
o Pre-test the experimental version
• Item analysis
o Determine item difficulty values
o Determine item discrimination values
o Investigate item bias
o Identify items for final pool
• Revising and standardizing final version
o Revise test and item content
o Select the items for the standardization versison
o Revise and standardize administration and scoring procedures
o Compile the final version
o Administer the final version to a representative sample of the target
population
• Technical evaluation and establishing norms
o Establish validity and reliability
o Devise norm tables, setting performance standards or cut-points
• Publishing and ongoing refinement
o Compile the test manual
o Submit the measure for classification
o Publish and market the measure
o Refine and update continuously
3. What you do when compiling a test manual
• Specify the purpose of the measure
• Indicate to whom the measure can be administered
• Provide practical information
• Specify administration and scoring instructions
 • Outline the test-development process followed
• Provide detailed information on validity and reliability
• Provide information about cultural appropriateness and test bias
• How norms were established and norm groups selected
• Description of normative sample’s characteristics
• How local norms and cut-off scores can be established
4. What you do when evaluating a measure?
• How long ago a measure was developed
• Quality and appeal of test materials
• Quality of the manual contents
• Clarity of test instructions
• Cultural appropriateness of item content and constructs being tapped
• Bias investigations – does it provide evidence of equivalence
• Adequacy of psychometric properties
• Nature of norms and the recency of norms
5. Compare projective and standardized assessments in table form
• Projective • Standardized

• Test-taker presented with • Test taker presented with

ambiguous stimuli unambiguous stimuli

• Relatively unstructured • Structured

• Subjective • Objective

• Intensive training required to • Relatively easy to learn

learn how to do the test and to
interpret
• Illiteracy not a problem • May be problematic here (not
necessarily, though)

• Interpretation too open • Interpretation more controlled

• Rich in data, more depth • Possibly less depth

• Time-consuming and more • More time- and cost effective

costly
• More information to interpret • Answers may be more
and discuss, therefore better “superficial”
answers
• Reliability and validity not • Well-established reliability and
established validity

• Less able to manipulate • May be easier to manipulate

because test taker do not because questions can give an
know what tester is looking for indication of what is being
measured
 • Results not comparable • Results comparable because of
norms and standardized
procedure

• Can be huge differences • Differences between

between interpreters – who is interpreters are smaller, if at
right all

UNIT3

1. What are reasons for adapting measures?

• To enhance fairness
• To reduce cost and save time
• To facilitate comparative studies
• To compare new measures to existing measures
2. Define Equivalence and Differential item functioning (DIF), ITEM-RESPONSE THEORY (IRT),
Mantel-Haenszel procedure
• Equivalence - Individuals with the same/similar standing on a construct, but
belonging to different groups, should obtain same/similar scores on different
language versions of a measure
• Differential item functioning (DIF) - An item shows DIF if individuals having the
same ability, but from different groups, do not have the same probability of getting
the item right
• ITEM-RESPONSE THEORY (IRT) - A test theory used to develop and assemble test
items, detect bias in measuring instruments, implement computerized adaptive
tests, and analyse test data
• Mantel-Haenszel procedure - This procedure is based on the assumption that an
item does not display DIF if the odds of getting the item right are the same for two
groups of test-takers across all different ability levels
3. What are the steps for maximizing success in test adaptation?
• Review construct equivalence in the languages and cultures of interest
• Decide whether test adaption/translation is the best strategy
• Choose well qualified translators
• Translate/adapt the instrument using the appropriate design
• Review the adapted version and make the necessary changes
• Conduct a small tryout of the adapted test
• Conduct a validation investigation
• Place scores of both the translated and the original test on a common scale
• Document the process and prepare the manual for test users

UNIT4
1. Name and explain the 4 Theories of intelligence
 Spearman
 o General factor (g)
o Expanded to (g) and (s)
o Cattell – split ‘g’ into fluid (non-verbal scales) and crystallized intelligence
(verbal scales)
 Thurstone
o Multiple factor theory of intelligence
o Seven primary mental abilites: verbal comprehension; general reasoning;
word fluency; memory; number; spatial; perceptual speed
 Gardner
o Multiple intelligences
o Musical; bodily kinesthetic; logical-mathematical; linguistic; spatial;
interpersonal; intrapersonal
 Sternberg
o Contextual intelligence
o The ability to adapt to real-world environments
o Triarchic theory of intelligence:
o Componential (analytical) intelligence
o Experiential (creative) intelligence
o Contextual (practical) intelligence
2. Misconceptions about the intelligence score:
 Viewing results as if they represent an inherent and unchangeable ability
 The expectation that results are 100% accurate
 The view that results are infallible and perfectly reliable
3. Define aptitude
 It refers to the individual’s ability to acquire, with training, a specific skill or to attain
a specific level of performance
4. Name the Intelligence and aptitude test
 INTELLECTUAL ABILITY
 1. Raven’s progressive matrices
 2. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III)
 APTITUDE:
 General Scholastic aptitude Test (GSAT)
 Academic Aptitude Test (AAT)
5. Define wellbeing and explain it elements
 A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the
absence of disease
 Subjective (within the individual)
 Objective/between individual and the environment
6. Explain Hedonic and eudemonic well-being
 Hedonic - Subjective experiences of well-being
 Eudaimonic - Maximizing one’s full potential and living as one was inherently
intended to do
7. Carol Ryff’s model of psychological well-being – all the domains and what each one is
about
 Self-acceptance
 Positive relations with others
 Autonomy
  Environmental mastery
 Purpose in life
 Personal growth
8. Explain Dan McAdams’ three levels of personality
 Level 1: Personality traits or basic behavioural and emotional tendencies – stable
characteristics
 Level 2: personal projects and concerns, refers to what the person is doing and
what the person wants to achieve – concerned with an individual’s motives
 Level 3: The person’s life story or narrative – how the person constructs an
integrated identity
9. Explain Etic approach and Emic approach
 Etic approach - Taking an existing measure developed in one culture and adapt it for
us in another It taps constructs that are universal to all persons
 Emic approach - Developing an indigenous personality measure based on the
delineation of constructs and the personality structure derived in a specific culture
(bottom-up approach)
10. What are Aspects to measure in career counselling?
 Abilities
 Aptitude
 Personality
 Interests
 Values
11.