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Essentials of Psychological Testing Susana Urbina John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Essentials of Psychological Testing Essentials of Behavioral Science Series Founding Editors, Alan S. Kaufman and Nadeen L. Kaufman Essentials of Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences by Barry H. Cohen and R. Brooke Lea Essentials of Psychological Testing by Susana Urbina Essentials of Research Design and Methodology by Geoffrey R. Marczyk, David DeMatteo, and David S. Festinger Essentials of Psychological Testing Susana Urbina John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2004 by Susana Urbina. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. 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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Urbina, Susana, 1946– Essentials of psychological testing / Susana Urbina. p. cm. — (Essentials of behavioral science series) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-471-41978-8 (paper) 1. Psychological tests. 2. Psychometrics. I. Title. II. Series. BF176.U73 2004 150′.28′7—dc22 2004043537 Printed in the United States of America 10987654321 To all my teachers, in and out of schools, who taught me all I know and to all my students, who taught me how to teach. CONTENTS Series Preface ix One Introduction to Psychological Tests and Their Uses 1 Tw o Essential Statistics for Testing 34 Three Essentials of Test Score Interpretation 77 Four Essentials of Reliability 117 Five Essentials of Validity 151 Six Essential Test Item Considerations 214 Seven Essentials of Test Use 254 Appendix A Commercially Available Tests 291 Appendix B Addresses of Test Publishers and Distributors 293 Appendix C Table of Areas and Ordinates of the Normal Curve 294 vii viii CONTENTS References 307 Index 319 Acknowledgments 326 About the Author 326 SERIES PREFACE n the Essentials of Behavioral Science series, our goal is to provide readers with books that will deliver key practical information in an efficient, accessible style. IThe series features books on a variety of topics, such as statistics, psychologi- cal testing, and research design and methodology, to name just a few. For the ex- perienced professional, books in the series offer a concise yet thorough review of a specific area of expertise, including numerous tips for best practices. Students can turn to series books for a clear and concise overview of the important topics in which they must become proficient to practice skillfully, efficiently, and ethically in their chosen fields. Wherever feasible, visual cues highlighting key points are utilized alongside sys- tematic, step-by-step guidelines. Chapters are focused and succinct. Topics are or- ganized for an easy understanding of the essential material related to a particular topic. Theory and research are continually woven into the fabric of each book, but always to enhance the practical application of the material, rather than to sidetrack or overwhelm readers. With this series, we aim to challenge and assist readers in the behavioral sciences to aspire to the highest level of competency by arming them with the tools they need for knowledgeable, informed practice. Essentials of Psychological Testing has three goals. The first is to survey the basic principles of psychometrics that test users need to use tests competently. The sec- ond goal is to supply, for each of these areas, the information required to under- stand and evaluate tests, and test use, at a basic level. The third goal is to provide readers who need or desire more comprehensive information on psychological testing with the major reference works in the field. It is important to emphasize that this volume is not intended to replace college courses in psychological testing, psychometrics, or tests and measurements. Rather, this book may serve as a review or refresher for those who have taken such courses, as well as a point of departure for further exploration of certain topics. For those who have not yet taken testing courses but are considering them, this volume may be useful as an orientation to ix x SERIES PREFACE the field and as a preview. Finally, for those who are curious about psychological tests but do not intend to pursue formal studies in psychometrics, this book will acquaint them with the essential concepts of this field. Alan S. Kaufman, PhD, and Nadeen L. Kaufman, EdD, Founding Editors Yale University School of Medicine One INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND THEIR USES he first and most general meaning of the term test listed in the dictionary is “a critical examination, observation, or evaluation.” Its closest synonym Tis trial. The word critical, in turn, is defined as “relating to . a turning point or specially important juncture” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 1995). No wonder, then, that when the term psychological appears in front of the word test, the resulting phrase acquires a somewhat threatening connotation. Psy- chological tests are often used to evaluate individuals at some turning point or sig- nificant juncture in their lives. Yet, in the eyes of many people, tests seem to be trials on which too much depends and about which they know all too little. To a large extent, the purpose of this book is to give readers enough information about psychological tests and testing to remove their threatening connotations and to provide the means whereby consumers of psychological tests can gain more knowledge about their specific uses. Thousands of instruments can accurately be called psychological tests. Many more usurp the label either explicitly or by suggestion. The first objective of this book is to explain how to separate the former from the latter. Therefore, we start with the defining features that legitimate psychological tests of all types share. These features not only define psychological tests but also differentiate them from other kinds of instruments. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS A psychological test is a systematic procedure for obtaining samples of behavior, rel- evant to cognitive or affective functioning, and for scoring and evaluating those samples according to standards. A clarification of each of the main terms in this definition is vital to an understanding of all future discussion of tests. Rapid Ref- erence 1.1 explains the meaning and rationale of all the elements in the definition of a psychological test. Unless every condition mentioned in the definition is met, the procedure in question cannot accurately be called a psychological test. It is, 1 2 ESSENTIALS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING Rapid Reference 1.1 Basic Elements of the Definition of Psychological Tests Defining Element Explanation Rationale Psychological tests are They are characterized by Tests must be demonstra- systematic procedures. planning, uniformity, and bly objective and fair to thoroughness. be of use. Psychological tests are They are small subsets of Sampling behavior is effi- samples of behavior. a much larger whole.