• Syllabus
• Course Schedule
• Lab Schedule
• Personality Report
• Bell Curve Page (links to resources relating to the Bell Curve Controversy)
• Mismeasure of Man
• Introduction Reading Questions
• Chapter 5 Reading Questions
• Chapter 6 Reading Questions
• Bell Curve Reading Questions
• Introduction Reading Questions
• Chapter 13 Reading Questions
• Chapter 20 Reading Questions

 
 

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
Spring, 2000

Course Number:   PSYCH 457
Instructor:            Aubyn Fulton
Office Hours:        http://www.puc.edu/Faculty/Aubyn_Fulton/fulton/springsched.htm
Phone #:               6536 (office)    2991 (home)
Web Page:               http://www.puc.edu/Faculty/Aubyn_Fulton/fulton
EMAIL:                afulton@puc.edu
Course Time:        9:00 am - 9:50 am MWF             Lab Time:   2:00 - 4:50, TUESDAY  
 

Required Materials:
Cohen, R. J. & Swerdlik, M. E. Psychological Testing & Assessment. 4th Ed. Mayfield, 1999.
Gould, Stephen Jay. The Mismeasure of Man. New York: Norton, 1981
Herrnstein, Richard and Charles Murray. The Bell Curve. New York: The Free Press, 1994.
Statistical Calculator 

General Class Objectives:
The general goals of this course are to introduce students to the nature, problems and potential of psychological testing. Towards this end this course will have three basic components - an introduction to basic psychometrics, an exploration of the psychological idea of "intelligence", and a survey of personality assessment. The laboratory will provide hands-on experience in the construction, evaluation and administration of classroom, intelligence and personality tests.

Specifically, by the end of this course students will:
1. Know the limits of and dangers inherent in psychological measurement.
2. Be thoroughly familiar with basic psychometric concepts and formulas, and be able to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of any published psychological test.
3. Be familiar with the psychometric and clinical characteristics of the most important and widely used psychological tests.
4. Be familiar with the various theoretical, ethical and professional issues related to psychological assessment.
5. Be familiar with issues surrounding important controversies related to intelligence and projective testing.
6. Have taken, scored, interpreted, constructed and evaluated psychological tests.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
EXAMS: There will be two examinations over the material presented in class and required readings. The Mid-Term will consist of a take-home, open-book exam which will include comprehension questions over lecture and text material, psychometric and statistical calculation problems requiring use of SPSS, and thought problems. The final exam will be a comprehensive, closed book examination over Cohen & Swerdlik, Gould, and Herrnstein & Murray and reserve reading, given during test week. Exams taken at other than their scheduled times will be penalized 10% per day late, unless arrangements have been made with the instructor no less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled time.

TESTS: There will be 9 weekly tests over the previous week's assigned reading, administered at the beginning of each lab. Each test will be worth 15 points. The lowest test score will be dropped. No make-up tests will be given for any reason.

TEST EVALUATION: Each student will be asked to identify (using sources such as the Mental Measurements Yearbook) the most appropriate tests to be used in three different scenarios. Guidelines to be passed out in class.

LAB REPORTS: Written Lab Reports will be due the week after most labs, reporting on results and interpretations. One lab report on all of the personality tests taken during the course will be due at the end of the quarter, synthesizing the data into a comprehensive personality assessment. Guidelines for this paper will be passed out in class.

LABORATORY
Labs will provide students with first-hand experience in classroom test construction, administration and analysis, and personality test administration scoring and interpretation. Labs will take the full three-hour period, so students should not schedule other academic or work activities during this time. Some labs will provide opportunity for focused practice of skills and exposure to procedures discussed in class and text.

ATTENDANCE:
Since this is a high participation course students are expected to attend all classes. Students missing more than 3 classes and/or 1 lab can expect to have their final course grade lowered. Coming to class late will count as ½ of an absence for this purpose.  

EVALUATION:
Grades will be based on the percentage of the top score. Final grades will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor, but students achieving the following percentages will be assured of receiving some form of the corresponding grade:

95% of the top score = A-
85% "                         = B-
70% "                         = C-
60% "                         = D-

Approximate relative weighing of each evaluation category:
Midterm Exam                       100 points
Final Exam                             150 points
Tests (8 @ 15 points)             120 points
Personality Report                   30 points
Test Evaluation Report            25 points
Lab Reports (6 @ 15 points)   75 points
TOTAL                                  500 points
 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE 

*Special Series on the Utility of the Rorschach for Clinical Assessment” Psychological Assessment  (September, 1999; Volume 11, #3)
 

LAB Schedule

4/4     LAB1: Statistics  Refresher
(Review of basic psychometric principles, formulas and calculations)

4/11    LAB2: Test Construction                  TEST1: C1-4; C7 (pp. 215-230)
            (Students will construct an objective achievement test)
DUE: Lab1 Report (15 points). Answers to statistical questions and problems. Must show all work. Points will be deducted if work not neat and well organized.
 
4/18  LAB3: Personality Testing I              TEST #2: C4-5
            (Students will take and score personality tests)
DUE: Lab2 Report (15 points). Assigned multiple-choice questions and Table of Test Specifications. Each group must turn in a final, copy-ready version of their test.

4/25  LAB4: Reliability & Validity                       TEST #3: C6
            (Students will assess the reliability and validity of their objective achievement test)

5/2     LAB5: Intelligence Testing                          TEST #4: C8-9
            (Students will take portions of individual & Group IQ tests)
DUE: Lab4 Report (15 points). Answers to questions related to reliability and validity of the test constructed in Lab 2.

5/9     LAB6: Item Analysis                                   TEST #5:C10, G19-61; C7231-253
            (Students will complete an item analysis on their objective achievement test)
DUE: Lab5 Report (15 points). Answers to questions related to the WAIS-III and SB-IV
 
5/16  LAB7: Personality Testing II                       TEST #6: Gould 5-6
            (Students will take and score personality tests)
DUE: Lab6 Report (15 points). Answers to questions relating to Item analysis of test constructed in Lab 2

5/23   LAB8: Bell Curve Wrap-Up               TEST #7: Bell Curve Intro, 13 & 20
                                                                                                                            G 365-390;   H&M 553-575

5/30     LAB9: Personality Testing III            TEST#8: C11
            (Students will complete review of all Bell Curve related questions)

6/6     LAB10: Projective Testing                          TEST #9: C12-13; reserve
            (Students will take a position on Projective testing after reviewing arguments from both sides) 
DUE: Lab10 Report (15 points). Summary of Projective Testing project        
 

Personality Test List

Students will take, score describe and summarize the following personality tests in lab:

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2)
• Sixteen Personality Factory Questionnaire (16PF)
• California Personality Inventory (CPI)
• Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS)
• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

The Personality Report will serve as the Lab Report for Labs # 3, 7, & 9. It will be due at the beginning of class on Friday, June 9. No late papers will be accepted. The Personality Report must be typed, double-spaced, with 1" margins on all four sides of all pages. The Report will consist of 1 to 2 pages for each of the above named tests. For each test, students will first describe its technical characteristics (based on test manuals and MMY), then summarize the key findings for their own personality.

Technical Characteristics should include the following: Type and nature of items and scales; reliability and validity, and evaluation of the test norms. For tests with many scales, reliability and validity information should be summarized (give relevant high, low, and median correlations).

Personal Findings should include the following: All significant results (either above cut-offs, or most extreme in the profile); surprising results (results which differ from either your own expectations, or from consensus of other tests).

Overall Summary: One page that summarizes findings from all 7 tests. Indicate areas of general agreement, and discuss and explain interesting discrepancies.