Some Emerging Trends in Psychlolgical Measurement: A Fifty-Year Perspective

Abstract

Developments in psychological measurement over a 50-year period reveal a growing awareness of the modifiability of human behavior, as exemplified in cross-cultural comparisons, as well as in intergenerational changes within a single culture. Implications for testing are examined with special reference to the need for considering the context in which test takers developed and the contexts in which they are expected to function. Norms are viewed as the test performance of a population at a particular time and place. This orientation affects the interpretation of test scores. At a more basic level, cohort studies reveal systematic population changes. Cognitive scores may rise or decline, depending on concomitant societal changes. Progressive changes in attitudes, self-concepts, and other affective traits may in turn influence cognitive development. Affective variables may thus serve as

Normative data stratified by age and sex for 12 neuropsychological tests

“…(Cf. Anastasi, 1985.) Also, stratification on these other demographic variables would require a much larger control sample. Consequently, for education and intelligence we have reported only correlations with the test scores to indicate the possible influence of these variables on test performance.…”

Incorporating Multiculturalism into Undergraduate Psychology Courses: Three Simple Active Learning Activities

“…First, cognitive processing and intelligence testing is a topic covered in virtually all introductory psychology texts and many undergraduate psychology courses (Trimble et al, 2004). Finally, substantial historical controversy surrounds ethical consideration of multicultural factors in intelligence testing, and test bias continues to be widely debated in the literature (Anastasi, 1985;Raven, Raven, & Court, 1998). Finally, substantial historical controversy surrounds ethical consideration of multicultural factors in intelligence testing, and test bias continues to be widely debated in the literature (Anastasi, 1985;Raven, Raven, & Court, 1998).…”

Developing and Using Educational and Psychological Tests and Measures: The Unificationist Perspective

“…The second focus of criticism regarding the trinitarian view concerns the evolving zeitgeist in psychology and education (Cronbach, 1984;Embretson, 1983;Frederiksen, 1986;Landy, 1986). For the last few decades, education and psychology have witnessed a burgeoning of cognitive and information-processing theories of human behavior (Anastasi, 1985b;Embretson, 1983). In comparison with the models of human behavior that focused on observable behaviors, the more complex and sophisticated cognitive models necessitated a greater emphasis on underlying theoretical constructs as a means of explaining a phenomenon (cf.…”

“…In fact, test developers and test users have only recently acknowledged the full impact of the cognitive revolution (Anastasi, 1986;Landy, 1986). Thus, the emerging zeitgeist among leading measurement specialists emphasizes the primacy of constructs, which contrasts with the historical focus on predicting (as opposed to understanding) human behavior (Anastasi, 1985b;Embretson, 1983;Frederiksen, 1986). In short, the growing role of theoretical constructs in advancing the science of human behavior has been partially responsible for the discord with the tripartite taxonomy of validity strategies.…”

“…In recent years, a growing number of measurement specialists have expressed their dissatisfaction with the trinitarian view and have proposed alternative conceptual approaches for developing and using measures (e.g., Anastasi, 1985bAnastasi, , 1986Cone, 1988;Embretson, 1983;Frederiksen, 1986;Guion, 1980;Guion & Cranny, 1982;Jackson, 1973;Landy, 1986;Lawshe, 1985;Messick, 1975Messick, , 1980Tenopyr, 1977). The emerging theme among these new approaches is the view that the process of constructing a measure and validating the inferences from the scores is nothing more and nothing less than traditional scientific research (Cronbath, 1984;Landy, 1986).…”