Textbook: Psychological Testing by Kaplan and Saccuzzo

This course explores the theory and technique of administering, scoring, and interpreting psychological tests. The course is divided into three sections. The first section involves a review of the basic psychometric principles that apply to all types of psychological tests. The second section focusses on issues related to administering, scoring, and interpreting the tests that typically are used in a standard assessment battery.

In the last segment of the course, students gain hands-on experience in working with a standard test battery. In a rudimentary simulation of a testing situation, students will score and interpret tests that they administer to a partner from the class who will be role playing a prepared character. Each student writes a paper that describes the character he/she intends to role play, as well as a final test report that describes the results of the test battery that he/she administered to the partner.

The purpose of this test battery project is help students gain a first-hand knowledge of the many issues involved in psychological testing. It does not in any way qualify students to be testers.

COURSE OUTLINE AND RELATED TEXTBOOK READINGS:

I. Basic psychometric concepts

A. Overview of tests (Chapters 1,8,20,22)
B. Norms and basic statistics (Chapter 2)
C. Reliability (Chapter 4)
D. Validity (Chapter 5)
E. Item analysis (Chapter 6)

** EXAM ON SECTION I (7O pts - Emphasis on lectures and chapters 1,8,20,22)

II. Tests of a standard battery

A. Wechlser Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) (chpt 11)
B. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (chpt 15)
C. Rorschach (chpt 16)
D. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (chpt 16)
E. Bender-Gestalt
F. Interpreting a test battery

** Quizzes ON SECTION II (85 pts)

** Hand in description of your character's test responses (3O pts)

III. In class project on test battery administration, scoring, and interpretation

** HAND IN Test Battery Report (50 pts)


Evaluation:

Your final letter grade for the course is determined by the percentage score you obtain after completing all tests, papers, quizzes, etc. Total number of points for the course = 235.

During the semester you can calculate your percentage (and thereby estimate your letter grade at that point in the semester) based on the exams, quizzes, and papers that you completed up to that point in the semester:

Percentage score = (total points you have / total points possible) x 100

Letter Grade / Percentage Score

A = 93 - 100

A- = 88 - 92

B+ = 83 - 87

B = 78 - 82

B- = 73 - 77

C+ = 68 - 72

C = 63 - 67

C- = 58 - 62

D = 52 - 57

FAIL below 52

CLASS ATTENDANCE IS CRUCIAL DURING THE LAST SECTION OF THE COURSE WHEN WE ARE WORKING WITH THE TEST BATTERY. POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED FOR ABSENCES AND COMING LATE TO CLASS.

Grades will be reduced by one letter grade for each day an assignment is handed in late.

* The instructor reserves the right to make changes in this course.

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