T.Y.B.A. - Psychological Testing and Statistics

T. Y. B.A.
(Syllabus for the years 2005-2006 to 2009-2010)

Paper IV - Psychological Testing and Statistics

Marks : 100

Objectives : .

a) To impart knowledge and understanding of the nature, uses, technical features, and the process of construction of Psychological Tests.
b) To create awareness about Measurement of Intelligence and Assessment of Personality

c) To impart knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts in Statistics and the various measures of Descriptive Statistics - their characteristics, uses applications and methods of calculation.

d) To create a foundation for advanced learning Psychological Testing, Assessment and Statistics.

Section-I - Psychological Testing (50 marks)

Topic I: Psychological Testing, Assessment and Norms
(Chapter 1 and parts of Chapter 4)

a) Testing and Assessment - definitions and tools
b) The parties and types of settings involved
c) Reference sources for authoritative information about tests
d) Various assumptions about Psychological Testing and Assessment
e) What is a `Good Test'?
f) Test Norms - Standardization, sampling, norming, types of norms, fixed reference. Group scoring systems, referenced versus criterion-referenced evaluation
g) Inference from Measurement

Topic II- Reliability
(Chapter.5)
a) The concept of Reliability
b) Reliability estimates - Various methods
c) Using and interpreting a coefficient of Reliability
d) Reliability and individual scores



Topic III. Validity

(Chapter 6)
a) The concept of Validity
b) Content Validity
c) Criterion-related Validity
d) Construct Validity
e) Validity, bias and fairness

Topics IV - Test Development
(Chapter 7)
a) Test conceptualization
b) Test construction
c) Test tryout
d) Item analysis
e) Test revision

*Topic V. Measurement of Intelligence and Assessment of Personality
(Parts of Chapters 8, 9, 11 and 12; pgs. 232-246; 264-286; 335-361; 370-374; 376-402)

a) What is Intelligence? – Definitions and theories
b) Measuring Intelligence.
c) The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales
d) The Wechsler Tests
e) Definitions of Personality and Personality Assessment
f) Personality Assessment - some basic questions
g) Developing instruments to assess Personality - logic and reason, theory, data reduction methods - the Big Five ,Criterion groups
h) Personality Assessment and culture
i) Objective methods of Personality Assessment
j) Projective methods of Personality Assessment


Section II - Statistics (50 marks)

Topic VI-Types of scores, Types of Scales, Frequency Distribution and Graphic representations

a) Continuous and discrete scores - meaning and difference
b) Nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales of measurement
c) Preparing a Frequency Distribution
d) Advantages and disadvantages of Preparing a Frequency Distribution

e) Frequency polygon, histogram; cumulative frequency curve, ogive

f) Smoothing a Frequency polygon - method of running averages


Topic VII. Measures of central tendency

a) Calculation of mean, median and mode
b) The assumed mean, method for calculating the mean
c) Merits, limitations, and uses of mean, median and mode
d) Comparison of the 3 Measures of central tendency
b) Quartile Deviation and Standard Deviation
c) Calculation of the 4 Measures of Variability
d) Merits, limitations, and uses of Range, AD, QD, and SD
e) Comparison of the 4 Measures of Variability
f} Percentiles - nature, merits, limitations, and uses
g) Calculation of Percentiles and Percentile Ranks

Topics IX- Probability, Normal Probability Curve and Standard scores

a) The concept of Probability
b) Characteristics, importance and applications Probability Curve
c) Area under the Normal Curve
d) Skewness - positive and negative, causes of skewness, formula for
calculation
e) Kurtosis - meaning and formula for calculation
f) Standard scores - z, T, stanine; linear and transformation; Normalised
Standard scores


Topic X-Correlation
a) Meaning and types of Correlation - positive, negative and zero
b) Graphic representations of Correlation – Scatterplot
c) The steps involved in calculation of Pearson's product-moment
correlation coefficient
d) Calculation of rho by Spearman's rank-difference method
e) Uses and limitations of Correlation coefficient
f) Regression - simple and multiple

Cohen J. R. & Swerdlik, M. E. (2005), Psychological Testing and Assessment: An introduction to Tests and Measurement. (6th ed.) New York. McGraw-Hill International edition
Note: Chapter no. 2 - 'Historical, Cultural; And Legal/Ethical Considerations Of Testing' will not have a question set on it. However, 1t should be -taught as an orientation to Psychological Testing.
*Topic no. V in Section: 1 and Topic no. VI (I in Section II have a weightage of 18 marks. The remaining 8 topics have a weightage of 16 marks each.
BOOKS FOR REFERENCE:
1) Anastasi, A. & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological Testing: (7"' ed.) Int.Ed. Prentice Hall International, Inc.

2) Guilford, J. P. and Fruchter, B. (1981). Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education. (6th ed.) McGraw-Hill co.

3) Hofftnan; E:(2002). Psychological Testing at Work. New Delhi : Tata McGraw-Hill

4) Kaplan, R. M. & Saccuzzo; D. P: -(2005). Psychological Testing - Principles, applications and issues. (6'1' ed.) Beimont : Thomson Wadsworth

5) Mangal S. K. (1987), Statistics in Psychology and Education. New Delhi, Tata McGraw Hill:
6) McIntre S. A. and Miller L. A. (2000)
7) McBurney D. H. (2001), Research Methods (5'h ed.), Bangatore, Thomson Learning, India.