Midterm Flashcards
What do personality scales measure?
Motives, interests, values and attitudes
What is the psychometric approach?
Standard approach to measuring
What is reliability?
Whether or not a test can be taken or done multiple times with the same or very similar results
What is validity?
Is the test measuring what it’s supposed to be measuring
What are the three types of validity and what do they mean?
- Content validity: is it actually based on the right stuff
- Criterion-related validity: does it predict how you will do in a given field
- Construct validity: does the test relate to the construct
What is a positive correlation? A negative one?
Positive: two variables co vary in the same direction
Negative: two variables covary in opposite directions
How do you determine the strength of a correlation?
Closer it is to -1 or 1 the stronger the relationship
What must reliability estimates for psychological tests?
Minimum of moderately high correlation
Give an example of criterion related validity
A psychologist develops a pilot aptitude test. If this had good validity than those who score high on test would also preform well in the pilot training program
What did sir Francis Galton do?
Hereditary genius
- researched intelligence and noticed it ran in families over generations
- coined nature vs nurture and defined and tested intelligence
What was the problem with galtons hypothesis?
Money and access to resources also runs in families allowing generations in that family to do better
What did Alfred Binet and Theodore sinon do?
Were asked to develop a test to determine kids who are struggling in school and how to improve education
Developed the Binet-simon intelligence scale based on mental age
What did Lewis Terman do?
Developed the Stanford Binet intelligence scale
Used the intelligence quotient (IQ) = mental age/actual age x100
This made it possible to compare scores of different age groups
What did David wechsler do?
Developed the wechsler adult intelligence scale
Scale was made for adults and did non verbal testing as well
What did Charles spearman conclude?
Found that specific mental talents were highly intercorrelated
Concluded that all cognitive abilities share a common core, which he labelled g for general mental ability
Developed the rational behind IQ tests
Uses factor analysis
What is factor analysis?
Look at variables and the ones that are highly correlated probably have a common influence
What was guilford’s model of mental abilities?
Concluded that intelligence is made up of many separate abilities
May have as many as 150 distinct mental abilities that can be characterized in terms of the operations, contents, and products of intellectual activity
Describe the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test?
Divided into scales that yield separate verbal and performance IQ scores
Verbal scale consists of six subtexts and the performance scale of five
What is exceptional reliability?
Correlations into the .90s
What is qualified validity?
Valid indicators of academic/verbal intelligence, not intelligence in a truly general sense
What are some correlations of the IQ test?
.4 to .5 with school success but this could be due to drive and work ethic as well as support
.6 to .8 with number of years in school but if kids are doing well they are more likely to continue
What are the three types of mental ability tests and what do they measure?
- Intelligence: measure core definition of general intelligence
- Apptitude: potential for achievement in an area
- Achievement tests: current achievement
What were the three categories of intelligence according to stern berg??
- Verbal
- Practical/street smarts
- Social/interpersonal skills
How are intellectual disability and mental retardation diagnosed?
Based on IQ and adaptive testing
IQ of 2 or more SD below mean
Have adaptive skill deficits
Originated before 18