Format for Psychology Practical File
1. Psychology Practical File with name, class and section and board roll no.
[Front page]
2. Index
S.N Name of Test Date of conduction Signature
3. Introduction to Psychological testing [Heading page]
4. Psychological Tests
Psychological testing refers to the administration of psychological tests. A
psychological test is "an objective and standardized measure of a sample of
behavior". The term sample of behavior refers to an individual's performance on
tasks that have usually been prescribed beforehand.
Performance on the items produces a test score. A score on a well-constructed test
is believed to reflect a psychological construct such as achievement in a school
subject, ability, aptitude, emotional functioning, personality, etc. Differences in test
scores are thought to reflect individual differences in the construct the test is
supposed to measure. The technical term for the science behind psychological
testing is psychometrics.
Types of tests
Tests have been developed to measure many different human developments. They
are classified as:
• • On the basis of Administration – Group test and individual test
• • On the basis of Behaviour – Ability tests [Intelligence tests and
achievement tests], Personality Tests [structures personality tests, projective
techniques and behavioral analysis]
• • On the basis of context – Verbal tests, non-verbal tests, performance tests
5. Fundamental Concept of Psychological Testing
Proper psychological testing is conducted after vigorous research and development
in contrast to quick web-based or magazine questionnaires that say "Find out your
Personality Color," or "What's your Inner Age?" Proper psychological testing
consists of the following:
• • Standardization - All procedures and steps must be conducted with
consistency and under the same environment to achieve the same testing
performance from those being tested.
• • Objectivity - Scoring such that subjective judgments and biases are
minimized, with results for each test taker obtained in the same way.
• • Test Norms - The average test score within a large group of people where
the performance of one individual can be compared to the results of others by
establishing a point of comparison or frame of reference.
• Reliability - Obtaining the same result after multiple testing. It refers to the
consistency of scores obtained by the same person when re-examined with the
same test with different set of questions at another time.
•
• • Validity - The type of test being administered must measure what it is
intended to measure.
Types of Validity
Face Validity
Face validity is a measure of how representative a research project is ‘at face
value,' and whether it appears to be a good project.
Content Validity
Content validity is the estimate of how much a measure represents every single
element of a construct.
Criterion Validity
Criterion Validity assesses whether a test reflects a certain set of abilities.
• • Concurrent validity measures the test against a benchmark test and high
correlation indicates that the test has strong criterion validity.
• Predictive validity is a measure of how well a test predicts abilities. It
involves testing a group of subjects for a certain construct and then comparing
them with results obtained at some point in the future.
Construct Validity
Construct validity defines how well a test or experiment measures up to its claims.
A test designed to measure depression must only measure that particular construct,
not closely related ideals such as anxiety or stress.
6. Application of Psychological testing
a. Detection of specific Behavior Psychological test is used to measure and to
detect the abilities of a person.
b. Individual Differences A psychological test is used to measure the individual
differences, that is different between abilities of different persons and the
performance of the same person at different time.
c. To diagnose by the Psychological Test The psychological tests are usually used
in clinical psychology. In clinical psychology a test's function is to diagnose
mental [Link] tests are used in mental hospitals and coaching and guidance
centers for the assessment and diagnose of mental disorders.
d. Legal Classification A psychological test helps in classifying a number of
people into different categories. For example normal and abnormal, criminal and
innocent, intellectual and mental retarded, able and disable etc.
e. Promoting Self Understanding A psychological test provide standardized
information about the abilities, capabilities, aptitudes, potential competencies
interest, trait and states of a person which helps in understanding one's personality
and planning future prospective.
f. Program Evaluation Effectiveness of a particular program is assessed by the
applications of some kind of test. This function is usually performed by an
achievement test.
g. Scientific Inquiry or Research Some experts use tests for research purpose
which provide information about the mental level and personality of the subject.
h. Military Selection A closely related application of psychological testing is to be
found in the selection and classification of military personal. From simple
beginnings in the World War-I, the scope and variety of psychological tests
employed in military situations underwent a phenomenal increase during World
War-II. Subsequently research on test development has been containing on a large
scale in all brands of the normed services.
i. Industry In industry and business tests are helpful in selection and classifying
personal for placement in jobs that range from the simpler semiskilled to the highly
skilled, from the selection of filling clerks and sales-person to top management for
any of this position, however test results are only one source of information,
though an important one. Industrial and Organizational Psychology (also known as
I-O psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, work psychology,
organizational psychology, work and organizational psychology, industrial
psychology, occupational psychology, personnel psychology or talent assessment)
applies psychology to organizations and the workplace.
j. Education Psychological tests especially those of general intelligence and of
specific aptitudes have very extensive use in educational classification, selection
and planning from the 1st grade (and sometimes earlier) through the university.
Prior to World War-II schools and colleges were the largest users of psychological
tests.
7. Pioneers of Psychology
Modern mental testing began in France in the 19th century. It contributed to
separating mental retardation mental illness and reducing the neglect, torture, and
ridicule heaped on both groups.
Englishman Francis Galton coined the terms psychometrics and developed a
method for measuring intelligence based on nonverbal sensory-motor tests. It was
initially popular, but was abandoned after the discovery that it had no relationship
to outcomes such as college grades. French psychologist Alfred Binet, together
with psychologists Victor Henri and Théodore Simon, after about 15 years of
development, published the Binet-Simon test in 1905, which focused on verbal
abilities. It was intended to identify mental retardation in school children. Wilhelm
Wundt established the first laboratory in Leipzig of psychology in 1879 and
employed introspection as a method of studying the workings of the mind.
William James
Psychologist and philosopher William James is often referred to as the father of
American psychology. His 1200-page text, The Principles of Psychology, became a
classic on the subject and his teachings and writings helped establish psychology
as a science. James also contributed to functionalism, pragmatism and influenced
many students of psychology during his 35-year teaching career.
[Link] definitions:
• • Percentile Rank – An individual`s percentile rank on a test designates the
percentage of cases or scores lying below it. For e.g. Percentile 20 means the
individual is situated above 20% of the group fall below this person`s rank.
• • Percentage – A rate, number or amount in each hundred. Any proportion or
share in relation to a whole.
• • Stanine scores – According to this method the standard population is
divided into 9 groups. Stanine 1 is the lowest and stanine 9 is the highest.
• • Sten Scores – standard scores on a scale of ten.
• • Standrard scores – It designates the individual`s position with respect to the
total range and distribution of scores. The standard score indicates, in terms of
standard deviation how far a particular score is removed from the mean of the
distribution.
•
• Difference between test and experiment
Test Experiment
It is standardized instrument used to The researcher tries to manipulate the
measure intellectual and non-intellectual situation and tries to prove or disapprove
characteristics of an individual through a hypothesis
verbal or non-verbal measures
It evaluates certain attributes of an It determines cause and effect
individual. relationship between variables.
It does not have a hypothesis It has a hypothesis.
It is standardized and has norms. It does not have norms and is meant for
verification of various principles.