Psychology 2080A 001 FW24

Introduction to Test and Measurement

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

Western University

London                   Canada

 

Department of Psychology

Fall/Winter 2024

 

Psychology 2080A Section 001

 

Introduction to Test and Measurement

 

 

1     Calendar Description

 

This course examines principles of psychological assessment in an applied context through lectures and demonstrations. Topics will include reliability and validity, legal and ethical issues in test construction, and selected controversial questions relating to assessment in areas such as personnel selection, standardized testing in schools, and group differences in test performance.

 

Antirequisites: Psychology 3840F/G

Prerequisites: Not Applicable

 

3 lecture hours; Course Weight: 0.5

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

2     Course Information

 

Instructor:                      Dr. Shane Goodwin

Office & Phone:            TBA

Office Hours:                 by appointment via Zoom

Email:                               shane.goodwin@uwo.ca

 

Teaching Assistant:   TBA

Office:                               TBA

Office Hours:                 TBA

Email:                               TBA

 

Time and Location of Classes: See Student Centre for Timetable

 

For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.

 

3     Course Materials

 

There is no required textbook for this course. Any course readings will be provided via OWL. However, for students wishing to obtain additional readings to augment their learning, the following textbooks are recommended resources:

 

Kaplan, RM, & Saccuzzo, DP. Psychological Testing: Principles, Applications, and Issues. 2018; 9th Edition (Belmont, CA.; Wadsworth).

 

Rust, J, Kosinski, M, and Stillwell, D. Modern Psychometrics: The Science of Psychological Assessment. 2021; 4th Edition (New York, NY.; Routledge).

 

4     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

The objectives of this course are to:

  • Understand important concepts related to psychological testing and measurement, with particular attention to the assessment of reliability and validity.
  • Gain an introductory understanding of testing in applied areas including education, personality, and health.
  • Understand ethical and legal implications of psychological testing.

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

·       Describe types of assessments used in psychological testing.

·       Be able to identify weaknesses in the structure and content of items and how it may impact measurement.

Weekly lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions.

Multiple choice and short answer exams; short assignment.

Knowledge of Methodologies

·       Understand the difference between reliability and validity and the way we assess different measurement concepts.

Weekly lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions.

Multiple choice and short answer exams; short assignment.

Application of Knowledge

·       Distinguish between approaches to psychological testing in different applied areas such as education or health, and the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

·       Be able to construct a short questionnaire to measure a psychological phenomena.

Weekly lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions.

Multiple choice and short answer exams.

Communication Skills

  • Appropriately describe the psychometric properties of a test.

·       Appropriately describe different assessment forms.

Weekly lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions.

Multiple choice and short answer exams; short assignment.

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

·       Identify and think critically about bias in items and how they may affect our measurement and interpretation of psychological outcomes.

 

Weekly lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions.

Multiple choice and short answer exams.

 

 

 

 

Autonomy and Professional Capacity

·       Develop an understanding for the next steps needed for developing a deeper ability to conduct measurement validation.

Weekly lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions.

Multiple choice and short answer exams.

 

5     Evaluation

 

Assignment (15%). There is one assignment due October 29. You will be required to select a psychological phenomena of interest and find a validated measure used in the estimation of the phenomena. In this assignment you will describe the creation, validation, and psychometric properties of the selected measure in a short-form response (one-page single spaced). A full description of the assignment details can be found on OWL.

 

Midterm 1 (25%). Inclusive of all lectures and readings up to October 1. Multiple choice and short answer format.

 

Midterm 2 (25%). Inclusive of all lectures and readings up to November 5. Multiple choice and short answer format.

 

Final Exam (35%). Content includes all material covered throughout the term (cumulative). Multiple choice format.

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

As per Senate absence policy, one midterm or assignment can be missed without documentation. All other absences must be approved and unapproved absences will receive a grade of zero. Approved absences (including the allowed single undocumented absence) will have that proportion of the course grade reassigned to the final exam.

 

Midterms: There will be no makeup exams for the midterms.

Assignment: The assignment is due within 24 hours of the due date as a form of universal accommodation. Any late submissions after the 24-hour accommodation will receive a late penalty of 10%. Assignments will not be accepted more than 5 days after the originally scheduled due date, at which point a grade of zero will be applied. 

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%     1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%     2100-2999-level courses

75%     3000-level courses

80%     4000-level courses

 

In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding

 

Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.

 

6     Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

Exam 

Date 

Time: 

Location 

Midterm 1  

October 1

2:45pm-4:05pm ET* 

 

In class  

Assignment

October 29

2:30pm

Submit on OWL

Midterm 2 

November 5

2:45pm-4:05pm ET* 

In class 

Final Exam 

During the final exam period, determined by the office of the registrar. 

2 hours in length, TBA 

TBA 

Note. *The midterms will begin 15 minutes after our regular class begins to allow proctors to set-up the exams in the room. Please wait outside the classroom until you are invited in by the proctors or professor. 

 

7     Class Schedule

 

Dates 

Topics Covered 

Sep. 10 

Course introduction

History of measurement

Introduction to necessary statistics 

Sep. 17 

Constructing a measure: How to write good items

Sep 24 

Constructing a measure: Selecting items, creating a scale, and modes of administration

MIDTERM 1 (Oct. 1, 2:45pm EST, see OWL announcement for class location) 

Oct. 8 

Reliability

READING WEEK (October 15)

Oct. 22 

Validity

Oct. 29

Psychometric Measurement and Item Response Theory

 

Assignment is due at 2:30pm

MIDTERM 2 (Nov. 5, 2:45pm EST, see OWL announcement for class location) 

Nov. 12 

Applications in Personality Testing

Nov. 19

Applications in Intelligence Testing

Nov. 26 

Applications in Health Testing

Dec. 3

Applications in Educational Testing

Bias in Measurement

Ethical Considerations

EXAM PERIOD BEGINS

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

 

The use of a calculator with basic arithmetic functions (add, subtract, multiple and divide) is recommended for use during the midterm or final exam.

 

Plagiarism Detection Software

 

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com.

 

Use of AI

 

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

 

Multiple Choice Exams

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

9     Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

 

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10  Absence & Academic Consideration

 

View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link

 

Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.

 

Medical Absences

 

Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.

 

Nonmedical Absences

 

Submit appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Religious Consideration

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

11  Other Information

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement

 

Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

12  Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.