Question

Q#1. Explain test reliability and validity and the methods by which each can be established; describe what makes a test objective; and provide the two definitions of test standardization and why these two aspects of testing are needed.

Q#2. Explain how video games, the Internet, and television may actually have increased the intelligence in Westernized nations.

Q#3. Describe how African Americans have been unfairly stigmatized because of their performance on standardized IQ tests; and state the counterarguments against the claim that IQ differences among races are due to “genetic heritage.”

Q#4. Your child, like other children at his or her school, is being tested several times a year with standardized tests. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this mass standardized testing for your child?

Answer 1

• 1.The term reliability in psychological research refers to the consistency of a research study or measuring test.For example, if a person weighs themselves during the course of a day they would expect to see a similar reading. Scales which measured weight differently each time would be of little use.
• If findings from research are replicated consistently they are reliable. A correlation coefficient can be used to assess the degree of reliability. If a test is reliable it should show a high positive correlation.
• Internal reliability assesses the consistency of results across items within a test. External reliability refers to the extent to which a measure varies from one use to another.
• The split-half method assesses the internal consistency of a test, such as psychometric tests and questionnaires. There, it measures the extent to which all parts of the test contribute equally to what is being measured.
• This is done by comparing the results of one half of a test with the results from the other half. A test can be split in half in several ways, e.g. first half and second half, or by odd and even numbers. If the two halves of the test provide similar results this would suggest that the test has internal reliability.
• The split-half method is a quick and easy way to establish reliability. However it can only be effective with large questionnaires in which all questions measure the same construct. This means it would not be appropriate for tests which measure different constructs.
• The test-retest method assesses the external consistency of a test. Examples of appropriate tests include questionnaires and psychometric tests. It measures the stability of a test over time.
• A typical assessment would involve giving participants the same test on two separate occasions. If the same or similar results are obtained then external reliability is established. The disadvantages of the test-retest method are that it takes a long time for results to be obtained.
• The test-retest method assesses the external consistency of a test. This refers to the degree to which different raters give consistent estimates of the same behavior. Inter-rater reliability can be used for interviews.
• It can also be called inter-observer reliability when referring to observational research. Here researcher when observe the same behavior independently (to avoided bias) and compare their data. If the data is similar then it is reliable.
  
• The concept of validity was formulated by Kelly (1927) who stated that a test is valid if it measures what it claims to measure.For example a test of intelligence should measure intelligence and not something else (such as memory).
• Internal validity refers to whether the effects observed in a study are due to the manipulation of the independent variable and not some other factor. In-other-words there is a causal relationship between the independent and dependent variable.
• External validity refers to the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other settings (ecological validity), other people (population validity) and over time (historical validity).
• Face validity is simply whether the test appears (at face value) to measure what it claims to.Tests wherein the purpose is clear, even to naïve respondents, are said to have high face validity. Accordingly, tests wherein the purpose is unclear have low face validity.
• A direct measurement of face validity is obtained by asking people to rate the validity of a test as it appears to them. This rater could use a likert scale to assess face validity.
• Construct validity was invented by Cornball and Meehl (1955). This type of validity refers to the extent to which a test captures a specific theoretical construct or trait, and it overlaps with some of the other aspects of validity
• Construct validity does not concern the simple, factual question of whether a test measures an attribute. Instead it is about the complex question of whether test score interpretations are consistent with a nomological network involving theoretical and observational terms
• To test for construct validity it must be demonstrated that the phenomenon being measured actually exists. So, the construct validity of a test for intelligence, for example, is dependent on a model or theory of intelligence. Construct validity entails demonstrating the power of such a construct to explain a network of research findings and to predict further relationships.
• Concurrent validity-This is the degree to which a test corresponds to an external criterion that is known concurrently (i.e. occurring at the same time). If the new test is validated by a comparison with a currently existing criterion, we have concurrent validity. Very often, a new IQ or personality test might be compared with an older but similar test known to have good validity already.
• Predictive validity-This is the degree to which a test accurately predicts a criterion that will occur in the future. For example, a prediction may be made on the basis of a new intelligence test, that high scorers at age 12 will be more likely to obtain university degrees several years later. If the prediction is born out then the test has predictive validity.
  
• Simply, an objective type test is one which is free from any subjective bias either from the tester or the marker. It refers to any written test that requires the examinee to select the correct answer from among one or more of several alternatives or supply a word or two and that demands an objective judgement when it is scored.
• They are pin-pointed, definite and so clear that a single, definite answer is expected.
• They ensure perfect objectivity in scoring. The scoring will not vary from examiner to examiner.
• When questions are framed with reference to the objectives of instruction, the test becomes objective-based. This type of test may contain essay type and objective type test items.
• An essay test may be objective-centered or objective-based, though it may be difficult to score it objectively. An objective type test, on the other hand, can always be scored objectively, though it may not be objective-centered if it is not planned with reference to the objectives of instruction.
• This test reduces (a) the role of luck and (b) cramming of expected questions. As a result, there is greater reliability and better content validity. This type of question has greater motivational value.It possesses economy of time, for it takes less time to answer than an essay test. Comparatively, many test items can be presented to students. It also saves a let of time of the scorer.
• A standardized test is any form of test that (1) requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that (2) is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.
• While different types of tests and assessments may be “standardized” in this way, the term is primarily associated with large-scale tests administered to large populations of students, such as a multiple-choice test given to all the eighth-grade public-school students in a particular state, for example.
• A standardized test is a test that is given to students in a very consistent manner? meaning that the questions on the test are all the same, the time given to each student is the same, and the way in which the test is scored is the same for all students.
• Standardized tests are practical, they're easy to administer, and they consume less time to administer versus other assessments.
• Standardized testing results are quantifiable. By quantifying students' achievements, educators can identify proficiency levels and more easily identify students in need of remediation or advancement.
  
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