Question 1

The basis of the ________ method of test construction is to come up with items that seem directly, obviously, and logically related to what it is you wish to measure.
A) rational
B) empirical
C) philosophical
D) factor analytic

Accepted Answer

The rational method of test construction involves creating items that directly, obviously, and logically relate to the construct being measured, based on theoretical reasoning or rationality.

Question 2

A test created using the empirical method yields what kind of data?
A) B
B) I
C) L
D) S

Accepted Answer

The empirical method typically yields B-data, which stands for behavioral data, as it involves observing and recording behaviors in a systematic way.

Question 3

The sole basis on which items are selected for empirically derived personality scales is whether
A) their content adequately reflects the construct to be measured.
B) they are correlated with other items on the scales.
C) the respondent will be willing and able to give an accurate self-assessment for them.
D) they are answered differently by different kinds of people.

Accepted Answer

The key characteristic of empirically derived personality scales is that items are chosen based on how differently they are answered by different groups of people, not necessarily on theoretical grounds or content relevance. This method identifies items that discriminate between groups (e.g., those with and without a particular trait or disorder) effectively.

Question 4

Dr. Akita is designing a test to measure sociability. She writes items that seem directly and obviously related to sociability, such as "I like to go to parties" and "I enjoy the company of other people." Dr. Akita is using the ________ method of test construction.
A) empirical
B) factor analytic
C) rational
D) projective

Accepted Answer

Dr. Akita is using the rational method of test construction, which involves creating test items that directly measure the construct of interest (in this case, sociability) based on theoretical or rational grounds. The items she writes ("I like to go to parties," "I enjoy the company of other people") are directly and obviously related to sociability, which is characteristic of the rational approach.

Question 5

According to the text, the last step in a factor analysis is to
A) calculate correlation coefficients between all item pairs.
B) administer the items to a new sample.
C) find new criterion groups.
D) name the factors.

Accepted Answer

The last step in a factor analysis is to name the factors, which involves interpreting the meaning of each factor based on the items that load highly on it. This step comes after extracting and rotating the factors and is crucial for understanding what each factor represents.

Question 6

What is the first step in the empirical method of scale construction?
A) Gather lots of items.
B) Identify the groups.
C) Administer items to a large sample.
D) Conduct a factor analysis on existing scales.

Accepted Answer

The first step in the empirical method of scale construction is to gather a large pool of items that could potentially measure the construct of interest.

Question 7

The improvement in reliability gained by adding additional "good" test items can be precisely calculated using the ________ formula.
A) Pearson Product Moment
B) alpha
C) Tucker-Lewis
D) Spearman-Brown

Accepted Answer

The Spearman-Brown formula is used to predict the effect on test reliability of adding or removing items from a test. It is specifically used to estimate the new reliability when the test length is changed, under the assumption that the additional items are of similar quality to the original items.

Question 8

If everybody read, interpreted, and answered an item in exactly the same way, then that item
A) would not be very useful for the assessment of individual differences.
B) would be very informative about personality.
C) was developed using the rational method of test construction.
D) is empirically derived.

Accepted Answer

If everyone responded to an item in the same way, it would not differentiate between individuals, making it ineffective for assessing individual differences.

Question 9

Which objective personality scale could be used to identify individuals who cannot read text?
A) the F scale
B) the MMPI Lie scale
C) the PPI Illiterate Responder scale
D) the CPI commonality scale

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which objective personality scale could be used...

Question 10

Which of the following methods of objective test construction involves creating questions that are directly and obviously related to what the test developer wishes to measure?
A) factor analytic
B) rational
C) empirical
D) a combination of factor analytic and empirical methods

Accepted Answer

Rational test construction involves creating questions that are directly and obviously related to what the test developer wishes to measure, based on the theory or rationale behind the construct being assessed.

Question 11

Which of the following is a limitation of projective tests?
A) Clinicians tend to find them relatively unhelpful despite their considerable validity.
B) Projective tests are relatively inefficient, lacking in validity, and expensive to administer.
C) Although projective tests discriminate between known groups, the content of the items may seem absurd to test takers.
D) Respondents uniformly hate taking projective tests because of their length.

Accepted Answer

Projective tests are criticized for being inefficient, lacking in validity, and expensive to administer, as they often require extensive training to interpret and are not as empirically supported as other types of psychological assessments.

Question 12

Factor analysis can
A) give psychological meaning to groups of traits.
B) unquestionably determine the basic dimensions of personality.
C) identify groups of items that go together.
D) tell which items best differentiate normal and abnormal populations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Factor analysis can
A) give psychological meaning to...

Question 13

The Woodworth Personality Data Sheet was designed to measure psychiatric problems in what group?
A) college students
B) U.S. Army recruits
C) potential employees of Target stores
D) high school students

Accepted Answer

The Woodworth Personality Data Sheet was originally designed to identify psychiatric problems in U.S. Army recruits during World War I.

Question 14

If a test consists of a list of True/False questions and is graded using a computer-scored answer sheet, then it is a(n)
A) projective test.
B) Q-sort.
C) objective test.
D) commonality scale.

Accepted Answer

Objective tests are those that have clear, definitive answers such as True/False questions, making them easily scored by computers.

Question 15

The primary criterion for item selection in the empirical method of test construction is determining whether the item
A) makes the scale more reliable.
B) is cross-validated between two known groups.
C) loads highly on its primary factor.
D) will be challenged in a legal context.

Accepted Answer

The empirical method of test construction focuses on selecting items that can differentiate between groups known to differ on the trait being measured, hence cross-validation between known groups is key.

Question 16

The factor analytic technique of test construction is designed to
A) identify individuals who are attempting to lie or sabotage a test.
B) identify groups of test items that seem to be alike.
C) identify items that mean the same thing to the respondent as they do to the researcher.
D) create projective tests.

Accepted Answer

The factor analytic technique in test construction is used to identify groups of test items that appear to be similar or measure the same underlying construct, allowing for the assessment of different dimensions or factors within a test.

Question 17

The approach to personality test construction that examines a set of correlations among many items in order to identify which items are highly correlated is called the ________ approach.
A) nomothetic
B) idiographic
C) rational
D) factor analytic

Accepted Answer

The factor analytic approach to personality test construction involves examining a set of correlations among many items to identify which items cluster together, indicating they are measuring the same underlying construct or factor. This method helps in identifying dimensions of personality by analyzing how different items relate to each other.

Question 18

Which of the following is an objective test?
A) MMPI
B) TAT
C) Rorschach inkblots
D) Picture Story Exercise

Accepted Answer

The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) is considered an objective test because it uses standardized questions with fixed response options (true or false, for example) that are scored in a standardized manner, allowing for little to no interpretation by the test administrator.

Question 19

The main reason why objective tests include so many items is to increase the ________ of the test.
A) criterion-related validity
B) reliability
C) content validity
D) construct validity

Accepted Answer

The main reason for including many items in objective tests is to increase the reliability of the test. Reliability refers to the consistency and stability of the test scores over time and across different conditions. By having more items, the test can more accurately measure what it is supposed to measure, reducing the impact of random errors or anomalies on the overall test score.

Question 20

Increasing the number of items on a test makes it a better instrument according to which principle?
A) construct validation
B) operational definition
C) aggregation
D) incremental validation

Accepted Answer

Increasing the number of items on a test generally makes it a better instrument according to the principle of aggregation. This principle suggests that the more items or observations you have, the more reliable and valid the measurement is likely to be, as it can more accurately represent the construct being measured.

Quiz 3: Personality Assessment: Effect Size, Replicability, and Open Science

The basis of the ________ method of test construction is to come up with items that seem directly, obviously, and logically related to what it is you wish to measure.

A test created using the empirical method yields what kind of data?

The sole basis on which items are selected for empirically derived personality scales is whether

Dr. Akita is designing a test to measure sociability. She writes items that seem directly and obviously related to sociability, such as "I like to go to parties" and "I enjoy the company of other people." Dr. Akita is using the ________ method of test construction.

According to the text, the last step in a factor analysis is to

What is the first step in the empirical method of scale construction?

The improvement in reliability gained by adding additional "good" test items can be precisely calculated using the ________ formula.

If everybody read, interpreted, and answered an item in exactly the same way, then that item

Which objective personality scale could be used to identify individuals who cannot read text?

Which of the following methods of objective test construction involves creating questions that are directly and obviously related to what the test developer wishes to measure?

Which of the following is a limitation of projective tests?

Factor analysis can

The Woodworth Personality Data Sheet was designed to measure psychiatric problems in what group?

If a test consists of a list of True/False questions and is graded using a computer-scored answer sheet, then it is a(n)

The primary criterion for item selection in the empirical method of test construction is determining whether the item

The factor analytic technique of test construction is designed to

The approach to personality test construction that examines a set of correlations among many items in order to identify which items are highly correlated is called the ________ approach.

Which of the following is an objective test?

The main reason why objective tests include so many items is to increase the ________ of the test.

Increasing the number of items on a test makes it a better instrument according to which principle?