ATP ATP Psychometrics & Score Interpretation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'construct validity'?
- The degree to which a test measures the theoretical construct it claims to measure (Correct answer)
- The physical design of the test booklet
- Whether the test was built using proper construction methods
- The number of item writers involved
Correct answer: The degree to which a test measures the theoretical construct it claims to measure
Construct validity refers to how well a test measures the theoretical construct (e.g., competence, anxiety) it is intended to assess.
Question 2: What does 'convergent validity' evidence demonstrate?
- That scores on a test decrease over time
- That a test correlates highly with other measures of the same construct (Correct answer)
- That different tests measure unrelated constructs
- That test scores cluster around a central value
Correct answer: That a test correlates highly with other measures of the same construct
Convergent validity is supported when a test correlates strongly with other measures that theoretically assess the same construct.
Question 3: What is 'discriminant validity'?
- The ability to distinguish between passing and failing examinees
- Evidence that a test does NOT correlate highly with measures of different constructs (Correct answer)
- The number of items that discriminate between groups
- A type of differential item functioning analysis
Correct answer: Evidence that a test does NOT correlate highly with measures of different constructs
Discriminant validity is demonstrated when a test shows low correlations with measures of theoretically unrelated constructs.
Question 4: What is a 'scale score' in standardized testing?
- A score based on the physical weight of the answer sheet
- A transformed score designed to be comparable across test forms and administrations (Correct answer)
- A score that measures physical fitness
- The sum of correct answers before conversion
Correct answer: A transformed score designed to be comparable across test forms and administrations
Scale scores are transformed from raw scores to provide a common metric that allows meaningful comparisons across different test forms and administrations.
Question 5: What is 'vertical scaling' in educational testing?
- Administering tests on elevated platforms
- Linking tests across grade levels to track growth on a common scale (Correct answer)
- Adjusting scores based on geographic location
- Ranking items from easiest to hardest
Correct answer: Linking tests across grade levels to track growth on a common scale
Vertical scaling links assessments across grade levels onto a single scale to measure student growth over time.
Question 6: What is a 'T-score' in psychological measurement?
- A score calculated using the Student's t-test
- A standardized score with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10 (Correct answer)
- The total raw score on a test
- A score used only in teacher evaluations
Correct answer: A standardized score with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10
A T-score is a standardized score with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10, used to interpret individual scores relative to a normative group.
ATP ATP Psychometrics & Score Interpretation 2
What is 'construct validity'?