Understanding Psychometric Assessments

1
Understanding Psychometric Assessments
2
Agenda

• Introductions
• Key concepts in psychological testing
• Standardized intelligence testing, e.g., WAIS-III
• Achievement testing
• Aptitude testing
• Personality testing Trait vs. State
• Self-Directed Search (SDS) Vocational Interest
  Inventory administration and handout
• -- BREAK--
• Selection of SEBs criteria
• Assessment types and appropriate referrals
• Factors affecting test performance
• Re-training and recommendation exercises
• Conclusion Question Answer period

3
Key Concepts In Psychological Testing

• Most Psychological Tests can be placed into two
• broad categories
• Mental Ability Tests
• Personality Tests

4
Mental Ability Tests

• Mental Ability Tests include three principal
• subcategories
• Intelligence Tests (Example WAIS-III)
• Achievement Tests (Example WRAT-3)
• Aptitude Tests (Example CAPS)

5
Intelligence (IQ) Testing

• An Intelligence Quotient
• (IQ) indicates a persons
• mental abilities relative to
• others of approximately the
• same age.
• IQ score is always
• indicative of the individuals
• standing in their own age
• group.

6
IQ Score Distribution Scale
130 Very Superior 120-129 Superior 110-119
High Average 90-109 Average 80-89
Low Average 70-79 Borderline 69
Extremely Low
Any IQ score can be converted to a percentile
score and given a qualitative description.
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Interpreting IQ Test Results

• Do Intelligence tests measure potential or
  knowledge?
• Are IQ scores stable over time?
• How is IQ measured?

8
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Third Edition
(WAIS-III)
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Verbal Scale Subtests

• Vocabulary
• Similarities
• Information
• Arithmetic
• Digit Span
• Letter-Number Sequencing
• Comprehension

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Vocabulary

• Tests ability to define increasingly difficult
  words
• General verbal intelligence
• Educational background
• What does audacity mean?

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Similarities

• Measures higher order thinking
• Logical and abstract reasoning
• Asks in what way certain objects or concepts are
  similar
• How are a calculator and a typewriter alike?

12
Information

• Taps general range of information
• Experience and education
• Cultural background
• Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?

13
Comprehension

• Tests understanding of social conventions and
  ability to evaluate past experience
• To utilize common sense and apply practical
  knowledge
• Why are children required to go to school?

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Arithmetic

• Tests numerical reasoning through verbal problems
• Measure of concentration
• Mental computation skills
• How many hours will it take to drive 150 miles at
  
• 50 miles per hour?

15
Digit Span

• Tests attention and rote memory by orally
  presenting series of digits to be repeated
  forward or backward
• Measure of immediate short-term auditory memory
• Repeat the following numbers backward
• 2 4 3 5 1 8 6

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Letter-Number Sequencing

• Taps into short-term memory
• Asks you to read a combination of numbers and
  letters recall numbers in ascending order and
  then letters in alphabetical order
• L 2 Q 8
• Answer 2 8 L Q

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Performance Scale Subtests

• Block Design
• Matrix Reasoning
• Picture Completion
• Digit Symbol-Coding
• Symbol Search
• Picture Arrangement

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Block Design

• Tests ability to perceive and analyze patterns by
  presenting designs that must be copied with
  blocks
• Measure of visual-motor co-ordination and spatial
  problem solving ability
• Assemble 9 blocks to match the design

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Matrix Reasoning

• Tests non-verbal reasoning ability involving
  pattern completion, classification and serial
  reasoning
• Find the matching pattern.

20
Picture Completion

• Tests visual alertness and visual memory through
  presentation of an incompletely drawn figure
• The missing part must be discovered and named
• Ability to visually differentiate essential from
  nonessential information/details in pictured
  items
• Tell me what is missing

21
Picture Arrangement

• Tests understanding of social situations through
  a series of comic-strip-type pictures that must
  be arranged in the right sequence to tell a story
• Measure of planning ability and foresight
• Put the pictures in the right order.

22
Digit Symbol-Coding

• Tests speed of learning through timed coding
  tasks in which numbers must be associated with
  marks of various shapes
• Visual-motor speed ability to learn rote tasks

23
Symbol Search

• Tests visual search or scanning ability
• Asks to look at two target shapes then see if
  either shape is found in a group of shapes next
  to them
• ? n ? ?
  Yes No

24
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Third Edition
(WAIS-III)
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Valid Unitary IQs and Indices