B001780 - PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS

italian

Psychological assessment (types of tests: intellectual functioning, neuropsychological functioning, personality and psychopathology). The psychometric method (factor analysis, classical test theory, reliability, validity, standard error of measurement). Psychological test construction and validation procedures.

1. Kline, P. (1993). The handbook of psychological testing. London: Routledge.
2. Barbaranelli, C., e Natali, E. (2005). I test Psicologici: teorie e modelli psicometrici. Roma: Carocci.
3. McDonald R. P. (1999). Test Theory: A Unified Approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
4. Additional reading material will be provided electronically.

The objective of this course is to provide students with a fundamental background in assessment and measurement. Once this course is completed, students are expected to be able to:
-- Be familiar with basic psychometric concepts and formulas, and be able to evaluate
the psychometric characteristics of published psychological tests.
-- Be familiar with the psychometric and clinical characteristics of the most important and widely
used psychological tests.
-- Be familiar with the various theoretical, ethical, and professional issues related to psychological
assessment.
-- Be familiar with issues surrounding important controversies related to aspects of the field, such
as intelligence and projective testing.
-- Know the limits of and dangers inherent in psychological measurement.
Psychometric principles in assessment, test construction, and test theory will be covered in the practicum portion of the course with the aid of a computer software. For Clinical Psychology students, the background, administration, and interpretation of specific assessment instruments will be covered in the practicum portion of the course by considering some empirical studies reported in the recent psychological literature.

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The psychological assessment and the psychometric method will be discussed by considering the recent literature. In the practicum portion of the course, students will be taught how to evaluate the psychometric properties of a test with a software and how to present the results of the analysis.

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Students will be required to successfully complete (1) a written exam, (2) an oral exam, and (3) a written assignment concerning a research report.

This course is designed as an introduction to the different kinds of psychological tests: intelligence tests, aptitude and achievement test, personality inventories, projective tests, vocational tests. We will discusse the use and the interpretation of the psychological test in education psychology (scholastic aptitude and achievement tests), clinical psychology (clinical diagnosis, evaluation of treatment efficacy), psychological consulting and support (personality test, careers guidance), and industrial and organizational psychology (selection, evaluation). A variety of psychometric and statistical methods will be presented (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, methods of parameter estimation, number of factors to extract, rotation, factor scores). Particular emphasis will be provided to the discussion of the classical test theory: item analysis (item's difficulty, item-total score, item selection), measurement of reliability (McDonald's omega, Cronbach's alpha), standard error of measurement, homogeneity and reliability (parallel, tau-equivalent and congeneric tests), reliability and number of item (Spearman-Brown prophecy formula), disattenuation of correlation, and validity. The interpretation of specific assessment instruments will be discussed by considering some empirical studies reported in the recent psychological literature.