Question 1

In the equation Y = bX + a, the score on the predictor test would be
A) Y
B) a
C) X
D) b

Accepted Answer

In the equation Y = bX + a, which is a simple linear regression equation, X represents the independent variable or the predictor variable. This means that X is the score on the predictor test.

Question 2

In general, for prominent ability and aptitude tests, the rank order of item difficulties is for relevant subpopulations.
A) greatly dissimilar
B) moderately dissimilar
C) virtually identical
D) unknown

Accepted Answer

The rank order of item difficulties for relevant subpopulations in prominent ability and aptitude tests is generally virtually identical, indicating that the tests are consistently measuring the same abilities across different groups.

Question 3

According to the philosophy of_________ , without exception, the best qualified candidates should be selected for employment, admission, or other privilege.
A) qualified individualism
B) quotas
C) unqualified individualism
D) selective fitness

Accepted Answer

Unqualified individualism is the philosophy that supports selecting the best qualified candidates for any position or privilege without exception, based solely on individual merit and qualifications.

Question 4

In terms of testing bias, the majority of evidence indicates that
A) the ability of minority populations is vastly underestimated
B) the ability of minority populations is moderately underestimated
C) the ability of minority populations is accurately estimated
D) the ability of minority populations is vastly overestimated

Accepted Answer

Research generally shows that standardized tests are designed to estimate abilities accurately, but they may not fully account for all cultural and socio-economic factors, leading to debates about fairness rather than accuracy.

Question 5

In the equation Y = bX + a, the predicted grade point average would be
A) Y
B) a
C) X
D) b

Accepted Answer

In the equation Y = bX + a, Y represents the predicted value, which in this context is the predicted grade point average.

Question 6

According to the text, which of the following three ethical positions is correct?
A) unqualified individualism
B) quotas
C) qualified individualism
D) there is no clear consensus

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is D because the text does not specify a clear consensus on which ethical position is correct among unqualified individualism, quotas, and qualified individualism.

Question 7

According to the philosophy of _________, it is ethically inappropriate to use race or sex in employment decisions.
A) qualified individualism
B) quotas
C) unqualified individualism
D) selective fitness

Accepted Answer

Unqualified individualism holds that decisions should be made based on individual merit without consideration of race, sex, or other group characteristics, making it ethically inappropriate to use these factors in employment decisions.

Question 8

If an investigator were using factor analysis to probe the possible bias of a test or scale, he or she is probably investigating
A) content bias
B) predictive validity bias
C) construct validity bias
D) face validity bias

Accepted Answer

Factor analysis is a statistical method used to investigate whether a number of variables of interest (e.g., test items), are linearly related to a smaller number of unobservable factors. This technique is often used in the context of construct validity to determine if a test measures the intended construct and not others, hence it is related to investigating construct validity bias.

Question 9

Since bureaucracies and educational institutions exist at the will of the people, it can be argued that these institutions are ethically bound to act in a manner that is "politically appropriate" to their location. This is the philosophy of
A) qualified individualism
B) quotas
C) unqualified individualism
D) selective fitness

Accepted Answer

The answer of Since bureaucracies and educational institutions exist at...

Question 10

A heritability index can vary between
A) -1.0 and +1.0
B) 0.0 and +1.0
C) -100 to +100
D) 0 to 100

Accepted Answer

The heritability index is a statistic used in genetics that estimates the proportion of variation in a phenotypic trait in a population that is due to genetic variation among individuals. This index ranges from 0.0 (no genetic contribution) to 1.0 (all variation due to genetics), hence the correct range is 0.0 to +1.0.

Question 11

A test is said to show bias in _________when it measures different hypothetical traits psychological constructs) for one group than another or measures the same trait but with differing degrees of accuracy.
A) content validity
B) criterion-related validity
C) construct validity
D) face validity

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is concerned with whether a test measures the trait or theoretical construct it claims to measure. Bias in construct validity occurs when a test does not measure the same construct equally across different groups, or measures the construct with different levels of accuracy for different groups.

Question 12

Heritability has which characteristics)?
A) it is a population statistic
B) it is not constant for a specific trait
C) it depends upon the point in time
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Heritability is indeed a population statistic, meaning it describes how much of the variation in a trait within a population can be attributed to genetic differences. It is not constant for a specific trait because it can vary depending on the population studied and the environment in which the population lives. Additionally, heritability can change over time as both genetic and environmental factors evolve, making it dependent upon the point in time.

Question 13

Estimates of the heritability of intelligence are specific to
A) the population sampled
B) the point in time
C) the particular test used
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Estimates of the heritability of intelligence can vary based on the population being studied, the time period during which the study is conducted, and the specific intelligence tests used. This is because genetic and environmental influences can differ across populations, change over time, and interact with the methods used to measure intelligence.

Question 14

For IQ, most studies report heritability estimates right around
A) .50
B) .80
C) .30
D) .60

Accepted Answer

Most studies estimate the heritability of IQ to be around 0.50, indicating that about 50% of the variation in IQ within a population can be attributed to genetic factors.

Question 15

With respect to African-American and white examinees, it appears that the Scholastic Aptitude Test
A) overpredicts the performance of African-American examinees
B) underpredicts the performance of African-American examinees
C) overpredicts the performance of white examinees
D) both b and c

Accepted Answer

The answer of With respect to African-American and white examinees,...

Question 16

According to Jensen's study of cumulative deficit, African-American children in an impoverished environment lose about ________IQ points) a year between the ages of 5 and 16.
A) .5
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3

Accepted Answer

Jensen's study on cumulative deficit suggests that African-American children in impoverished environments lose about 1 IQ point per year between the ages of 5 and 16.

Question 17

When an item or subscale of a test is demonstrated to be relatively more difficult for members of one group than another when the general ability level of the groups being compared is held constant and no other reasonable theoretical rationale exists to explain the difference, this is an example of
A) content bias
B) predictive validity bias
C) construct validity bias
D) face validity bias

Accepted Answer

Content bias occurs when an item or subscale is more difficult for one group than another, despite equal ability levels, without a theoretical rationale for the difference.

Question 18

With the Scholastic Aptitude Test, a consistent finding with respect to African- American and white examinees is that
A) separate, parallel regression lines are needed
B) a single homogeneous regression line works best
C) separate, nonparallel regression lines are needed
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Separate, parallel regression lines are needed because the relationship between test scores and criteria (like college GPA) often differs in slope or intercept for African-American and white examinees, indicating different predictive validity.

Question 19

One potentially troubling implication of unqualified individualism as a philosophy of test usage is that
A) minorities never get a chance to be hired
B) the majority group usually defines the test
C) race or sex may prove to be valid predictors
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Unqualified individualism suggests that any characteristic, including race or sex, could be used as a valid predictor for outcomes, which can be troubling as it may lead to discrimination or bias in test usage.

Question 20

In the text, what ethnic group of teenage children) was identified as showing unusual deviations in the rank order of item difficulty on several subtests of the WISC- III?
A) African-American
B) Latino
C) Eastern European
D) Native American

Accepted Answer

The text identifies Native American teenage children as showing unusual deviations in the rank order of item difficulty on several subtests of the WISC-III.

Quiz 6: Group Tests and Controversies in Ability Testing

In the equation Y = bX + a, the score on the predictor test would be

In general, for prominent ability and aptitude tests, the rank order of item difficulties is for relevant subpopulations.

According to the philosophy of_________ , without exception, the best qualified candidates should be selected for employment, admission, or other privilege.

In terms of testing bias, the majority of evidence indicates that

In the equation Y = bX + a, the predicted grade point average would be

According to the text, which of the following three ethical positions is correct?

According to the philosophy of _________, it is ethically inappropriate to use race or sex in employment decisions.

If an investigator were using factor analysis to probe the possible bias of a test or scale, he or she is probably investigating

Since bureaucracies and educational institutions exist at the will of the people, it can be argued that these institutions are ethically bound to act in a manner that is "politically appropriate" to their location. This is the philosophy of

A heritability index can vary between

A test is said to show bias in _________when it measures different hypothetical traits psychological constructs) for one group than another or measures the same trait but with differing degrees of accuracy.

Heritability has which characteristics) ?

Estimates of the heritability of intelligence are specific to

For IQ, most studies report heritability estimates right around

With respect to African-American and white examinees, it appears that the Scholastic Aptitude Test

According to Jensen's study of cumulative deficit, African-American children in an impoverished environment lose about ________IQ points) a year between the ages of 5 and 16.

When an item or subscale of a test is demonstrated to be relatively more difficult for members of one group than another when the general ability level of the groups being compared is held constant and no other reasonable theoretical rationale exists to explain the difference, this is an example of

With the Scholastic Aptitude Test, a consistent finding with respect to African- American and white examinees is that

One potentially troubling implication of unqualified individualism as a philosophy of test usage is that

In the text, what ethnic group of teenage children) was identified as showing unusual deviations in the rank order of item difficulty on several subtests of the WISC- III?