Question 1

Because of the unique problems in assessing very young children,which of the following would be the BEST practice when attempting to estimate the reliability of tests designed to measure cognitive and motor abilities in infants?
A) Use relatively short test-retest intervals.
B) Use relatively long test-retest intervals.
C) Do not use the test-retest method for estimating reliability of the test.
D) Use only inter-scorer reliability estimates.

Accepted Answer

Using relatively short test-retest intervals would be the best practice when attempting to estimate the reliability of tests designed to measure cognitive and motor abilities in infants as this approach would minimize the effects of developmental changes, maturation, and practice effects. Long test-retest intervals could result in confounding variables potentially influencing the results, making it difficult to establish test-retest reliability. Not using the test-retest method would not provide reliability estimates, and relying on only inter-scorer reliability estimates may not be sufficient as different scorers may have different interpretations of the child's behavior or responses.

Question 2

"Coefficient alpha 20" is a reference to A) a variant of the Kuder-Richardson KR-20 formula. B) the 20^th in a series of formulas developed by Cronbach. C) a 20^th-century revision of a Galtonian expression. D) None of these

Accepted Answer

"Coefficient alpha 20" is a variant of the Kuder-Richardson KR-20 formula used in educational testing to measure the internal consistency reliability of a test.

Question 3

In the Chapter 5 Meet an Assessment Professional feature,Dr.Bryce B.Reeve cited an experience in which he learned that the "Excellent" response category on a test was best translated as meaning ______ in Chinese?
A) "super bad"
B) "superlative"
C) "bad"
D) None of these

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the Chapter 5 Meet an Assessment...

Question 4

The items of a personality test are characterized as heterogeneous in nature.This tells us that the test measures
A) aspects of family history.
B) ability to relate to the opposite sex.
C) unconscious motivation.
D) more than one trait.

Accepted Answer

The term "heterogeneous" means that the items in the personality test are different from each other and measure more than one trait. Therefore, the best choice is D, which states that the test measures more than one trait. Choices A, B, and C all describe specific aspects of personality or behavior, which is not necessarily the case for a heterogeneous personality test.

Question 5

The fact that young children develop rapidly and in "growth spurts" is a problem when it comes to the estimation which type of reliability for an infant development scale?
A) internal-consistency reliability
B) alternate-forms reliability
C) test-retest reliability
D) interrater reliability

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability involves administering the same test to the same individuals at two different time points to see if the scores are consistent. However, with young children who are rapidly developing and experiencing growth spurts, administering the test at two different time points may not provide accurate results since their developmental level may have changed significantly between the two administrations. Therefore, test-retest reliability is not the best choice for an infant development scale.

Question 6

All indices of reliability provide an index that is a characteristic of a particular
A) test.
B) group of test scores.
C) trait.
D) approach to measurement.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All indices of reliability provide an index...

Question 7

In the language of psychological testing and assessment,reliability BEST refers to
A) how well a test measures what it was originally designed to measure.
B) the complete lack of any systematic error.
C) the proportion of total variance that can be attributed to true variance.
D) whether or not a test publisher consistently publishes high quality instruments.

Accepted Answer

Reliability in psychological testing and assessment refers to the consistency or stability of test scores over time or across different raters or versions of the test. It is often expressed as a correlation coefficient and represents the proportion of total variance in scores that can be attributed to true variance rather than measurement error or other factors. Option A refers to validity, option B refers to accuracy, and option D is not a relevant definition of reliability.

Question 8

In the Chapter 5 Meet an Assessment Professional feature,Dr.Bryce B.Reeve noted the necessity for very brief questionnaires in his work due to the fact that many of his clients were:
A) young children with very short attention spans.
B) seriously ill and would find taking tests burdensome.
C) visually impaired an unable to focus for an extended period of time.
D) All of these

Accepted Answer

Dr. Bryce B. Reeve emphasized the need for brief questionnaires because many of his clients were seriously ill, making it burdensome for them to take lengthy tests.

Question 9

Most reliability coefficients,regardless of the specific type of reliability they are measuring,range in value from:
A) -1 to +1
B) 0 to 100
C) 0 to 1.
D) negative infinity to positive infinity

Accepted Answer

Most reliability coefficients range in value from 0 to 1, indicating the degree of consistency or stability of a measurement over time, across different raters, or in different forms of the same test. A coefficient of 0 indicates no reliability, whereas a coefficient of 1 indicates perfect reliability. Negative values or values greater than 1 are not possible for most reliability coefficients.

Question 10

In general,approximately what percentage of scores would be expected to fall within two standard deviations above or below the standard error of measurement of the "true score" on a test?
A) 85%
B) 90%
C) 95%
D) 99%

Accepted Answer

Approximately 95% of scores would be expected to fall within two standard deviations above or below the standard error of measurement of the "true score" on a test. This is because two standard deviations above and below the mean will cover about 95% of the data in a normal distribution.

Question 11

A score earned by a testtaker on a psychological test may BEST be viewed as equal to
A) the raw score plus the observed score.
B) the error score.
C) the true score.
D) the true score plus error.

Accepted Answer

A score on a psychological test is best viewed as the sum of the true score (the actual measure of the trait or ability being assessed) and the error score (the amount by which the score deviates from the true score due to various factors).

Question 12

The greater the proportion of the total variance attributed to true variance,the more ____________ the test.
A) scientific
B) variable
C) reliable
D) expensive

Accepted Answer

A test with a higher proportion of true variance is considered more reliable because it indicates that the test is accurately measuring what it is intended to measure, with less error or variability caused by extraneous factors.

Question 13

A test of infant development contains three scales: (1)Cognitive Ability,(2)Motor Development,and (3)Behavior Rating.Because these three scales are designed to measure different characteristics (that is,they are not homogeneous),it would be inappropriate to combine the three scales in calculating estimates of the test's
A) alternate-forms reliability.
B) internal-consistency reliability.
C) test-retest reliability.
D) interrater reliability.

Accepted Answer

Internal-consistency reliability is the degree of consistency between different items on a single scale or subscale. Since the three scales are designed to measure different characteristics, it would be inappropriate to combine them in calculating estimates of internal-consistency reliability.

Question 14

Different types of reliability coefficients
A) all reflect the same sources of error variance.
B) may reflect different sources of error variance.
C) never reflect the same source of error variance.
D) reflect on error variance during leisure activities.

Accepted Answer

Different types of reliability coefficients may reflect different sources of error variance. For example, test-retest reliability may reflect temporary fluctuations in individual performance, while inter-rater reliability may reflect discrepancies in how different individuals interpret and score the same data. Therefore, it is important to select the most appropriate reliability coefficient for the specific context and purpose of the measurement. Option A is incorrect because different types of reliability coefficients may not always reflect the same sources of error variance. Option C is incorrect because it is possible for different reliability coefficients to reflect the same source of error variance, though it is not always the case. Option D is irrelevant to the concept of reliability coefficients.

Question 15

With regard to a value found for coefficient alpha,
A) "bigger is always better."
B) "smaller is always better."
C) "negative is best."
D) None of these

Accepted Answer

None of these options are correct. The value for coefficient alpha should be interpreted based on the specific context and research question being addressed. In general, a higher value of alpha (closer to 1.0) indicates greater internal consistency or reliability of the items being measured, but this may not always be desirable or necessary depending on the research question.

Question 16

The precise amount of error inherent in the reliability estimate published in a test manual will vary with
A) the purchase price of the test (the more expensive, the less the error).
B) the sample of test-takers from which the data were drawn.
C) the population of test user actually using a published test.
D) All of these

Accepted Answer

The amount of error inherent in a reliability estimate published in a test manual will vary with the sample of test-takers from which the data were drawn. The larger and more representative the sample, the more accurate the estimate is likely to be. The purchase price of the test and the population of test users are not directly related to the error inherent in the reliability estimate.

Question 17

Which of the following is TRUE about systematic and unsystematic error in the assessment of physical and psychological abuse?
A) Few sources of unsystematic error exist, due to the nature of what is being assessed.
B) Few sources of systematic error exist.
C) Gender represents a source of systematic error.
D) None of these

Accepted Answer

Gender can influence the assessment of physical and psychological abuse, leading to systematic error. This is because societal norms and biases about gender can affect how abuse is perceived, reported, and recorded, thus introducing a consistent bias or error in the assessment process.

Question 18

In Chapter 5 of your textbook,you read of the "writing surface on a school desk … riddled with heart carvings,the legacy of past years' students who felt compelled to express their eternal devotion to someone now long forgotten." This imagery was designed to graphically illustrate sources of error variance during test
A) development.
B) administration.
C) scoring.
D) interpretation.

Accepted Answer

The imagery of the heart carvings on a school desk is used to illustrate sources of error variance during test administration, specifically regarding potential distractions or disruptions in the testing environment that could affect test scores. The other options (development, scoring, interpretation) are not directly related to the testing environment and would not be symbolized by the heart carvings.

Question 19

Which is NOT a possible source of error variance?
A) test administration
B) test scoring
C) test interpretation
D) All are possible sources of error variance.

Accepted Answer

All the options listed (test administration, test scoring, and test interpretation) can introduce error variance into the measurement process, making D the correct answer.

Question 20

A goal of a test developer is to
A) maximize error variance.
B) minimize true variance.
C) maximize true variance.
D) minimize stress for testtakers.

Accepted Answer

The goal of a test developer is to maximize true variance, which means that the test should accurately measure the knowledge, skills, or abilities that it is intended to measure. This can help ensure that the test provides useful and reliable information to stakeholders such as educators, employers, or policymakers. Minimizing error variance is also important, as this can reduce the impact of measurement errors on the test results. However, minimizing true variance or causing low stress for test takers may not always be the primary goals of a test developer.

Quiz 5: Reliability

Because of the unique problems in assessing very young children,which of the following would be the BEST practice when attempting to estimate the reliability of tests designed to measure cognitive and motor abilities in infants?

"Coefficient alpha 20" is a reference to

In the Chapter 5 Meet an Assessment Professional feature,Dr.Bryce B.Reeve cited an experience in which he learned that the "Excellent" response category on a test was best translated as meaning ______ in Chinese?

The items of a personality test are characterized as heterogeneous in nature.This tells us that the test measures

The fact that young children develop rapidly and in "growth spurts" is a problem when it comes to the estimation which type of reliability for an infant development scale?

All indices of reliability provide an index that is a characteristic of a particular

In the language of psychological testing and assessment,reliability BEST refers to

In the Chapter 5 Meet an Assessment Professional feature,Dr.Bryce B.Reeve noted the necessity for very brief questionnaires in his work due to the fact that many of his clients were:

Most reliability coefficients,regardless of the specific type of reliability they are measuring,range in value from:

In general,approximately what percentage of scores would be expected to fall within two standard deviations above or below the standard error of measurement of the "true score" on a test?

A score earned by a testtaker on a psychological test may BEST be viewed as equal to

The greater the proportion of the total variance attributed to true variance,the more ____________ the test.

Different types of reliability coefficients

With regard to a value found for coefficient alpha,

The precise amount of error inherent in the reliability estimate published in a test manual will vary with

Which of the following is TRUE about systematic and unsystematic error in the assessment of physical and psychological abuse?

Which is NOT a possible source of error variance?

A goal of a test developer is to