Psychological Testing

This course is an introduction to the principles underlying educational and psychological measurement and testing. The general goals of this course are to explore the nature, problems, challenges and potential of psychology testing. The first half of the course is devoted to the foundations of psychological testing in various contexts. As part of this we examine topics such as the historical roots of psychological testing, uses of psychological tests, ethical considerations, and technical and methodological principles involved in developing and evaluating test materials. The second section of the course surveys major types of psychological tests, such as intellectual ability, educational aptitude, personality and assessment in the workplace. By the end of the course students are expected to understand the basics of test theory and test construction, and be able to critically evaluate the tests that we consider in the course which are drawn from tests commonly used in the field of psychological testing