Testing Practices in European Countries

Abstract

Summary: Tests constitute one of the technological tools most frequently used by psychologists in their professional practice. Like any other scientific technology, tests can be used both in appropriate and inappropriate ways. Currently, various institutions, both national and international, are developing projects and activities aimed at improving testing practices. In Europe, the Task Force on Tests and Testing created by the European Federation of Professional Psychologists' Associations (EFPPA) designed a questionnaire to sample the opinions of professional psychologists about tests and testing in order to help in making the right decisions for improving testing practices in Europe. This paper presents the results obtained using the EFPPA Questionnaire. A sample of 3,455 Spanish, 2,407 English, 2,079 Dutch, 321 Slovenian, 218 Croatian, and 210 Belgian psychologists responded to the questionnaire. In general, European psychologists show a positive attitude toward tests and testing, while at the same time expressing the need for institutions to adopt a more active role in promoting good testing practices. Results show that the tests most frequently used are intelligence tests, personality questionnaires, and depression scales. Finally, the results are analyzed in detail, and some possible measures for improving testing practices in Europe are discussed.

Tests in Europe: Where We Are and Where We Should Go

“…This point was acknowledged by those psychologists who took part in the European study on test attitudes (Muñiz et al, 2001;Evers et al, In Press). Academic formation received in universities is not enough to ensure correct use of the majority of the tests.…”

“…In Europe, under the leadership of these two and other associations, professionals discuss the review processes related to the usage of tests and to testing in general. As a result, surveys about attitudes toward testing have been designed (Evers et al, In Press;Muñiz, et al, 2001), and a review of the current European Test Review Form has been carried out (Bartram, 1998(Bartram, , 2011. The study promoted by the EFPA Standing Committee on Tests and Testing, on Test Attitudes across Europe (Evers et al, In Press), is an excellent example of such descriptive information, which tells us "where we are" in relation to psychometric practices.…”

Competence in Intelligence Testing: A Training Model for Postgraduate Psychology Students

“…The fact that there is no systematic external requirement for monitoring the assessment practices of experienced psychologists makes it crucial that rigorous training methods are employed during the postgraduate years to prevent errors becoming established in the first place. The mistakes of experienced psychologists are often attributed to lack of adequate training, especially in specialist graduate psychology programs (Slate, Jones, & Covert, 1992) and psychologists themselves have reported being insufficiently prepared in their postgraduate training for administering assessment instruments in general (Muniz et al, 2001).…”

Utilización De Los Test en España: El Punto De Vista De Los Psicólogos

“…Conocer esta opinión es clave para promover acciones y proyectos sobre aquellos aspectos que sean percibidos como deficitarios por los profesionales. Los primeros datos en seis países europeos se obtuvieron en el año 2000 (Muñiz et al, 2001), y una buena panorámica sobre los resultados obtenidos a partir de entonces en Europa puede verse en Evers, Muñiz, Bartram et al (2012). La misma encuesta fue utilizada también en otros países no europeos (Evers, McCormick, Hawley, Muñiz, et al 2017).…”