Deck 1: Applications and Consequences of Psychological Testing

Question 1

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In an) _______test, the objective is to determine where the examinee stands with respect to very tightly defined educational objectives.

A) norm-referenced
B) ability
C) criterion-referenced
D) aptitude

Question 5

Which is the most comprehensive term?

A) testing
B) scoring
C) norming
D) assessing

Question 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

Question 7

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 an intellectually disabled 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

Question 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

Question 9

Tests that use a well-defined population of persons for their interpretive framework are referred to as:

A) criterion-referenced
B) population-referenced
C) standard-referenced
D) norm-referenced

Question 10

The norm group is referred to as the

A) criterion sample
B) standardization sample
C) reference group
D) all of the above

Question 11

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

Question 12

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

Question 13

A specialist in psychology or education who develops and evaluates psychological tests:

A) clinician
B) psychometrician
C) psychometrist
D) counselor

Question 14

The ability of a test to predict non-test behavior is determined by

A) an extensive body of postpublication validational research
B) the scores of the standardization sample
C) the reliability of the test
D) the prepublication validational research

Question 15

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

Question 16

In the equation X = T + e, what is the best that a test developer can do?

A) make T very large
B) make T very small
C) make e very large
D) make e very small

Question 17

The______ test is a multivariate assessment of heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color in newborns.

A) Reflex
B) Newborn
C) Apgar
D) Alpha

Question 18

Uniformity of administration procedures is the definition of

A) criterion-referencing
B) standardization
C) norm-referencing
D) reliability

Question 19

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

Question 20

Criterion-referenced tests

A) measure what a person can do
B) compare results to the performance levels of others
C) are passed by everyone
D) all of the above

Question 21

Putting forth a variety of answers to a complex or fuzzy problem is an example of______ thinking.

A) divergent
B) convergent
C) undisciplined
D) intelligent

Question 22

A neuropsychologist investigating the hypothesis that low-level lead absorption causes behavior deficits in children would be an example of using psychological testing for__________ .

A) research
B) self-knowledge
C) program evaluation
D) diagnosis and treatment

Question 23

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

Question 24

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

Question 25

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

Question 26

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

Question 27

_______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

Question 28

In an)_______ test, the performance of each examinee is interpreted in reference to a relevant standardization sample.

A) individually-referenced
B) group-referenced
C) norm-referenced
D) criterion-referenced

Question 29

________tests are often used to predict success in an occupation, training course, or educational endeavor.

A) Intelligence
B) Personality
C) Aptitude
D) Achievement

Question 30

______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

Question 31

In general, Head Start children show immediate gains in

A) IQ
B) school readiness
C) academic achievement
D) all of the above

Question 32

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

Question 33

Placement, screening, certification, and selection are all examples of

A) diagnosis
B) program evaluation
C) classification
D) research-based testing

Question 34

Most intelligence tests use a ______assortment of test items.

A) homogeneous
B) heterogeneous
C) random
D) culture-free

Question 35

The distinction between aptitude tests and achievement tests is based largely upon

A) usage
B) content
C) format
D) difficulty

Question 36

The term______ was invented during World War II to describe a program to select men for secret service assignment in the Office of Strategic Services.

A) assessment
B) evaluation
C) classification
D) estimation

Question 37

Appraising or estimating the magnitude of one or more attributes in a person is referred to as

A) testing
B) evaluation
C) attribution
D) assessment

Question 38

Checklists, inventories, and projective techniques are all examples of _______tests.

A) creativity
B) intelligence
C) personality
D) vocational

Question 39

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

Question 40

Which of the following was used as a situational test by the Office of Strategic Services during WWII?

A) transporting equipment across a raging brook
B) scaling a ten foot high wall
C) surviving a realistic interrogation
D) all of the above

Question 41

Owing to the special nature of this kind of impairment, subjects may receive less credit on a test item than is due.

A) hearing-impaired
B) speech-impaired
C) motor-impaired
D) vision-impaired

Question 42

When instructions for a task are neutral or nonthreatening, test-anxious subjects________

A) perform just as well as low-anxious subjects
B) show a decrement in performance
C) still perceive the situation to be stressful
D) all of the above

Question 43

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

Question 44

What is the relationship between test anxiety and school achievement?

A) high anxiety correlates with low achievement
B) high anxiety correlates with high achievement
C) test anxiety and school achievement are unrelated
D) the relationship between test anxiety and school achievement is unknown

Question 45

When testing a person with a mild motor handicap, examiners may wish to omit

A) multiple choice spatial items
B) untimed spatial items
C) timed performance subtests
D) all of the above

Question 46

Test-anxious students have study habits that are _____those of other students.

A) far superior to
B) slightly superior to
C) about equally effective as
D) worse than

Question 47

When testing children, testing should begin

A) not longer than 5 to 10 minutes after the child arrives
B) when the test manual says it should begin
C) when he/she seems relaxed enough to give maximum effort
D) almost immediately so as to prevent the child from developing fear of the tester

Question 48

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

Question 49

Which age group is most prone to periodic accumulation of fluid in the middle ear during intervals of mild illness?

A) young subjects
B) adolescents
C) young adults
D) old adults

Question 50

Which of the following is a possible sign of hearing loss?

A) inattentiveness
B) poor articulation
C) difficulty in following oral directions
D) all of the above

Question 51

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

Question 52

In one study reported in the text Terrell, et al. 1981), mistrustful blacks performed relatively poorly when tested by ______examiners.

A) black
B) white
C) black or white
D) female

Question 53

Suppose a young girl answers correctly on 37 questions from a 50-item test but answers erroneously on 9 questions, leaving 2 questions blank. Suppose their are four alternatives per question. Using established principles of probability, what would be her corrected score?

A) 32
B) 34
C) 36
D) 37

Question 54

According to the text, which kind of test generally requires the greatest vigilance from the examiner?

A) group test
B) individual test
C) group and individual tests require equal vigilance
D) unknown

Question 55

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

Question 56

Which of the examiner characteristics listed below has been found to make a consistent and significant difference in the outcome of individual test results?

A) sex
B) experience
C) race
D) none of the above

Question 57

The necessary prerequisites) to administering a new test are:

A) reading the manual
B) memorizing key elements of instructions
C) rehearsing the test
D) all of the above

Question 58

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.

Question 59

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

Question 60

Suppose subjects are matched on overall IQ. On timed subtests from an intelligence scale such as the WAIS, the performance of low-anxious subjects that of high-anxious subjects.

A) drops below
B) equals
C) surpasses
D) is twice as fast as

Question 61

In a 50-item multiple choice test with four choices per item, what would be the corrected score for an examinee who answered 32 items correctly, answered 9 items incorrectly, and left 9 items blank?

A) 35
B) 32
C) 29
D) 26

Question 62

The test item writer's aim is to make all or nearly all considered guesses guesses_______.

A) correct
B) wrong
C) random
D) educated

Question 63

Regarding the publication of new or revised instruments, the most important guideline is to

A) ensure the publication is in the proper APA format
B) guard against premature release of a test
C) set pricing at a fair level
D) provide sufficient marketing

Question 64

A consulting psychologist evaluates a candidate for law enforcement and notes a significantly elevated K-scale defensiveness). What should the psychologist do?

A) recommend not hiring the candidate
B) recommend hiring the candidate in a probationary status
C) point out that elevated K scores are common in this group

Question 65

Individual tests of intelligence, projective personality tests, and neuropsychological test batteries are examples of Level____ tests.

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 66

According to APA guidelines, who is qualified to use a straightforward paper-and- pencil test of vocational proficiency?

A) a doctoral-level psychologist only
B) a masters-level psychologist or higher
C) psychologists or a responsible nonpsychologist
E)g., business executive)

Question 67

Which of the following does not need to be included in the marketing of tests:

A) information about potential misuse
B) a balanced presentation of the manuals and guides
C) statistics on reliability, validity, norms, and other relevant technical details
D) all should be included

Question 68

Regarding a test manual, ethical guidelines indicate that test publishers

A) are not required to publish a manual
B) are encouraged to publish a manual
C) are required to publish a manual

Question 69

In light of consent guidelines, what requirement does a psychologist have if they are interested in testing an 18-year-old client with intellectual disability?

A) obtain consent from a legal guardian
B) obtain consent from the client
C) cease testing
D) none of the above

Question 70

With respect to the confidentiality of test results

A) there are no exceptions
B) exceptions can be made if law enforcement officials make an official request
C) exceptions can be made only if withholding information would present a clear danger to client or others
D) exceptions can be made if clergy make an official request

Question 71

The single most important principle in the ethics of testing is

A) confidentiality
B) informed consent
C) best interests of the client
D) validity of results

Question 72

With regard to professional ethics, which of the following is NOT true?

A) key sources for ethical guidelines include: the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists
B) responsible test usage is defined by written guidelines published by professional associations
C) if one is conversant with the written professional guidelines, answers to ethical testing issues are always simple and straightforward
D) in general, the evolution of professional and ethical standards have become more restrictive

Question 73

If you are a therapist and your client makes repeated death threats against a specific individual, what is your ethical responsibility?

A) notify law enforcement that your client is making death threats against a specific individual and allow them to handle the situation
B) warn the individual who your client is making threats against and notify law enforcement
C) protect the confidentiality of your client and keep the information to yourself
D) first attempt to have your client sign a "no harm" contract; if he does not comply, then inform law enforcement

Question 74

Vernon and Brown 1964) relate the tragic case of a young girl who was put in an institution for the intellectually disabled because of a test IQ of 29, when, in fact, it was later shown her real IQ was 113. The original low score was a result of

A) undiagnosed autism in the girl
B) gross scoring errors by the examiner
C) unrecognized deafness in the girl
D) misreading the original score of 129)

Question 75

Conscious faking on psychological tests is thought to be

A) rare
B) common place
C) evidence of psychopathology
D) blatant and obvious

Question 76

Access to psychological tests is restricted because:

A) in the hands of unqualified persons, psychological tests can cause harm
B) the selection process is rendered invalid for persons who preview test questions
C) leakage of item content to the general public completely destroys the efficacy of a test
D) all of the above

Question 77

According to the principle of_________ , test takers or representatives are made aware, in language that they can understand, of the reasons for testing, the type of tests to be used, the intended use and the range of material consequences of the intended use.

A) confidentiality
B) informed consent
C) best interests of the client
D) validity of results

Question 78

A common form of error made by graduate students in studies of practice administrations of IQ and achievement tests would be:

A) failure to have required materials on hand
B) incorrect readings of test instructions
C) incorrect calculations of test ceilings
D) excessive queries of responses

Question 79

According to APA guidelines, who is qualified to use an individual intelligence test?

A) a doctoral-level psychologist only
B) an individual with a least a master's degree in psychology or an allied field
C) psychologists or a responsible nonpsychologist
E)g., business administrator)

Question 80

Under what circumstances is it considered ethical to ask a client to take a test such as the MMPI-2 home for completion?

A) almost never
B) only if the tester has an established relationship with the client
C) almost always, as MMPI-2 results are unaffected