Running head: WEEK 2
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WEEK 2
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Tests and Measurements
Jamie Bass
Capella
Tests and Measurements
Introduction
My career interest in psychology is applied behavioral analysis. I have a passion for working with children and I love studying behavior. I feel this is a special field, with a lot I can continue to learn each day. I have previously worked in a related field as a TSS worker, and as part of the Mental Health Solutions. The deep devotion for my career stems from the fact that as a child, I had friends who often struggled with mental health and other behavior related issues that often made me feel I would like to be a part of making it easier for them to experience the joy of life like everyone else. As part of my future plans, and which I have already began, I would love to work with children who have development disorders This has been one of the leading reasons why I would like to be the best I can in order to give back to people like these, and being the best also includes amassing as much learning as possible, through learning and on-ground experience. The three tests researched and reviewed are the Intelligence / Cognitive Abilities test in which I selected the Differential Ability Scales - II (DAS-II), the Achievement/ Aptitude in which I selected the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and the Personality test in which I selected the Personality Inventory for Children - Second Edition (PIC-2).
Purpose for Testing, Content and Skills, and Intended Test Takers
The Differential Ability Scales®-II (DAS-II®) provides a psychologist with insight into the cognitive ability and achievement of children, aged between 2 - 6 and 11 - 17 years of age, and how they processes information, enabling appropriate interventions and/or recommendations for the classroom and at home. There are four different forms for the test, which include preschool, school-age, cognitive battery, and school achievement. The test is taken in approximately 45 - 60 minutes (Canivez et al., 2020).
The second test selected was the graduate record examination (GRE). This is a standardized exam whose purpose is to measure one's aptitude for abstract thinking. The scope of the test entails analytical writing, mathematics, as well as vocabulary. The graduate record examination is commonly used to target candidates who must be at least 18 years old, particularly to test the eligibility of applicants at joining graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada (Chen et al., 2015). The third test selected was the Personality Inventory for Children - Second Edition (PIC-2) is a multidimensional, objective questionnaire that is completed by parents or parent surrogates, and is used in the evaluating of children and adolescents, between the ages of 5 to 19 years, which translates to kindergarten through 12th grade going children.
The purpose of PIC-2 test is to assess both broad and narrow dimensions of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal adjustment in children aged between 5 and 19 years. The contents tested in the test include but are not limited to providing estimates of current problems in adjustment, so as to facilitate the development of individualized treatment plans, estimating changes in emotional and behavioral psychopathology through one or more PIC-2 re-administrations, suggesting areas of adjustment that would benefit from additional investigation by diagnostic interview or psychometric assessment, as well as representing the description of the child by a parent-informant in a form that can be integrated with similar estimates derived from teacher-description or self-report. The tester provides a 275 True-False items test for a full-scale version of the test, which is to be take in 40 minutes to administer, while the shorter version of the test is a behavioral summary test containing 96 items, and is taken in 15 minutes (Grubenhoff et al., 2016).
Appropriateness of Test Content, Skills Tests, and Content Coverage
The Differential Ability Scales®-II (DAS-II®) is very appropriate for the level at which it is administered, particularly because it helps to promote verbal and general cognitive ability among young minds, particularly because it picks up children from a tender age of two years all the way to 17 years (Canivez et al., 2016). The information obtained is critical to helping enhance a child’s learning experience and general performance because it helps, to shed more light on how they processes information, which can then be used to come up with appropriate interventions and/or recommendations for the classroom and at home (Bishop et al., 2011).
When it comes to the graduate record examination (GRE), its appropriateness lies in the fact that it can help to enhance a test takers ability to be more critical in their thinking, especially because the main focus of the studies are analytical subjects including analytical writing, mathematics, as well as vocabulary (Jamieson et al., 2010). This is appropriate for the test takers because by the age of 18 years, one is expected to ave a more advanced level of abstract thinking, so this test cannot be considered too hard for people of that age, neither is it too easy for them. This is an equal challenge, considering that the test takers are expected to have interacted with the subjects tested right from their young age (Powers, 2004).
The PIC-C test is appropriate in assessing both broad and narrow dimensions of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal adjustment. For children aged between 5 and 19 years, the biggest life challenge they may have is to try and fit into a society that may not be quite welcoming. As such, in order to ensure that such children as well averse with what awaits them and what they are expected to do at any one time, it is important to ensure their ability to adjust is favorable (Dumont et al., 2013).
Materials Provided by Test Developers
In the the tester provides a test with of 20 distinct subsets, which include 17 that are cognitive targets and 3 for achievement, and is taken in approximately 45 - 60 minutes. GRE consists of 6 sections taken in 3 hours and 45 minutes with small breaks in between. In the PIC-2 test, the tester provides a 275 True-False items test for a full-scale version of the test, which is to be take in 40 minutes to administer, while the shorter version of the test is a behavioral summary test containing 96 items, and is taken in 15 minutes.
Test-User Knowledge, Skills, and Training
The Differential Ability Scales®-II (DAS-II®) published by Pearson was deemed favorable by the test-user because it played a huge role at the test-users ability to improve their child’s learning experience both at school and at home, and was an important diagnostic tool in doing so. The graduate record examination (GRE) published by ETS was deemed favorable by the test-user because it helped to enhance analytical ability particularly in out-of-class activities in addition to the in-class activities such as mathematics and other STEM-related activities. The PIC-C test published by WPS was deemed favorable by the test-user because it provided a complete picture of a child’s emotional, behavioral, social, and cognitive adjustment on its own.
Comparisons and Contrasts of the Three Tests
Based on the analysis above, each of the three tests selected are unique in their own ways, and, therefore, useful in different ways. However, in the particular case of my study, being that I intend to focus more on children who are suffering from behavioral challenges, the most effective and relevant test that I will use will be the Personality Inventory for Children - Second Edition (PIC-2). This is because of the three tests, this is the one that focuses more on assessing the behavior of a child right from when they are 5 years old to 19 years old, the age at which they can be legally considered mature. This means that should I be able to utilize this test within my career and the rest of my study, I will build capacity as a specialist who can be able to access the behavior of children who have behavior disorders, such as those suffering from autism in the most effective manner (Lachar, 2014). Although the other test, (DAS-II®) and GRE, would still be important in my career, some of them focus on the academic side, which for me is not a priority considering that even before a child they become academically fit, they need to have behavioral fitness.
References
Bishop, S. L., Guthrie, W., Coffing, M., & Lord, C. (2011). Convergent validity of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the differential ability scales in children with autism spectrum disorders. American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 116(5), 331-343.
Canivez, G. L., McGill, R. J., & Dombrowski, S. C. (2020). Factor Structure of the Differential Ability Scales–Second Edition Core Subtests: Standardization Sample Confirmatory Factor Analyses. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 38(7), 791-815.
Canivez, G. L., & McGill, R. J. (2016). Factor structure of the Differential Ability Scales–Second Edition: Exploratory and hierarchical factor analyses with the core subtests. Psychological Assessment, 28(11), 1475.
Chen, Z., Lin, W., Chen, Q., Chen, X., Wei, S., Jiang, H., & Zhu, X. (2015, July). Revisiting word embedding for contrasting meaning. In Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics and the 7th International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing (Volume 1: Long Papers) (pp. 106-115).
Dumont, R., Willis, J. O., Veizel, K., & Zibulsky, J. (2013). Personality Inventory for Children–Second Edition. Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals.
Grubenhoff, J. A., Currie, D., Comstock, R. D., Juarez-Colunga, E., Bajaj, L., & Kirkwood, M. W. (2016). Psychological factors associated with delayed symptom resolution in children with concussion. The Journal of Pediatrics, 174, 27-32.
Jamieson, J. P., Mendes, W. B., Blackstock, E., & Schmader, T. (2010). Turning the knots in your stomach into bows: Reappraising arousal improves performance on the GRE. Journal of experimental social psychology, 46(1), 208-212.
Lachar, D. (2014). Personality inventory for children, (PIC-2), personality inventory for youth (PIY), and student behavior survey (SBS). The Use of Psychological Testing for Treatment Planning and Outcomes Assessment: Volume 2: Instruments for Children and Adolescents, 2, 141.
Powers, D. E. (2004). Validity of Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) general test scores for admissions to colleges of veterinary medicine. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(2), 208.
