Psychometrics = The branch of psychology concerned with the design and use of
psychological tests
Goal: Systematically evaluate the characteristics of a psychological test
How: The application of statistical and mathematical techniques to
psychological testing
Psychological constructs cannot be observed (latent traits)
- Measure them by taking a systematic sample of behaviour (= a test!)
- Psychological test = systematic sample of behaviour
A test measures:
● Inter-individual differences (between different people)
● Intra-individual differences (within one person)
Measurement Errors:
● Difference in score does not reflect a difference in the construct
● Random factors causing measurement error
- Reliability
Levels of Measurement:
Scaling
- Transforming raw scores to scale scores
- » A person’s score on a test
,Two ways:
- An average score, mean of all items
- A total score, summation of all items
Norms = give meaning to (scale) scores
Two types of norms:
● Absolute norms: criterion referenced test
- Compare scores to a predetermined value
● Relative norms: norm referenced test
- Compare scores to that of a representative sample
- Raw score X → Relative norm score (z, T, percentile rank)
Three types of norm scores:
● Z Scores:
● T scores:
● Percentile scores (PX) = percentage of people that obtained the same score as or
lower than any particular score
,Week 2: Reliability
Reliability
- How accurate is my measurement?
- To what extent are test scores influenced by random measurement error?
- Can this test give an indication about individual differences?
Classical Test Theory
- Based on the idea that observed scores can be defined by a part true score and a
part error score:
Assumptions:
● μe = 0: (mean of the error in the population is zero)
● ret = 0 (errors are uncorrelated with true scores)
● reiej = 0 (errors are uncorrelated with each other)
Variance of observed test scores:
Reliability coefficients:
● Proportion variance of observed scores accounted for by true scores
● Squared correlations between observed and true scores
● 0 ≤ RXX ≤1 if classical test theory assumptions are met
Estimation based on two measurements:
Requirements parallel tests
● Same true scores:
, ● Identical error variances
Consequences of parallelity:
● Identical observed variances:
● Identical correlations with true score:
● Correlation between parallel tests = reliability of both tests
Three types of parallel tests:
- Alternate forms
- Test-retest
- Split-half
Alternate forms
● Different tests measuring the same construct
● Correlation between scores on both tests gives reliability
Problems:
● Never know if it is truly parallel
- Solutions:
- Domain sampling
- Mean and standard deviation
● Carry-over effects
- Under- or overestimation
Test-retest
● Take the same test twice (parallelism guaranteed!)
● Correlation between test scores equal to reliability
Problems:
● People change over time
- Hence, reliability is underestimated
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller gaiaantico. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.41. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.