Psychological Measurements, Coursework Example

Recent Decisions Made

Recently, I made a decision to move in with my friend after he asked me to take the opportunity to save money because he had an extra room in his rented apartment. This decision was a selection between accepting and rejecting my friends offer. I also recently made a decision to take social studies after realizing that my aptitude levels were enough for additional studies. This decision can be termed as placement (Thorndike and Thorndike 10).

Need for psychological measurement

Certain decisions need psychological measurements in order to come up with the best decision. Recently, I had a hard time choosing whether to allow my friend’s friend enter into my life especially after I realized that he was a bad influence. Classification psychological measurement would have helped me in that it aids in the assessment of an individual’s performance before classifying them into certain groups. This concept would have helped me classify that friend before letting him into my life.

1. This decision should be taken with the consideration of the ability of the pupils in class. Although this is considered a placement issue because of the diverse abilities of different pupils, the fact that all the kids are in the same circumstance means that the instructor should consider the way the pupils are catching up on the subject of phonetics.
2. These applicants should also be assessed according to their abilities in computer programming because it is the main job they are required to do. Their cognitive abilities should also be used in making this decision.
3. This is placement and classification issue because it depends on his abilities to become a lawyer. However, the attitude of Charles about being a lawyer should be taken into consideration when making this decision (Thorndike and Thorndike 19).

The alternative I chose above is measurement of the cognitive ability of an individual before making any decision. Moreover, the attitude of the person in question should count a lot in making decisions. This way the decision will be made with the interests of the individual in question. The attitude of a person is very important in achieving success in a certain feat. However, this alternative test is not conclusive as it leaves out other individuals.

Values are very important in every decision making starting from the decision maker to the one influenced by the decision. For instance, the choice of becoming a lawyer depends on the values that Charles ascribes as much as the values of the person deciding to advice him beliefs in. Therefore, the concept of beliefs and values is very important in every decision making.

A criterion-referenced achievement test

This is where a pupil’s performance is assessed used some pre-set standards. For instance, if the pupils pass a certain mark, say 75%, they are said to have passed their exams.

A norm-referenced achievement test

This is where the individuals taking the test are tested and ranked in relation to one another. For instance, an understudy who scores in the seventieth percentile executed too or superior to anything seventy percent of other pupils of the same age or evaluation level, and thirty percent of the pupils performed better.

An Aptitude Test

This is where individuals are assessed on how they do on certain tasks or their reaction to diverse situations. For instance, a person can be given a numerical test and timed to assess their speed of thinking.

A measure of likes and preferences

This test consists of the comparison of diverse preferences (Thorndike and Thorndike 15). For instance, let a, b, c, and d denote an attribute W, then we can compare one’s level of preference of a over b or a over d.

A measure of personality or adjustment

Case in point, a man may have a changed change in one measurement, a controlled modification in another, and a quelled conformity in the third.

A measure of a trait or construct

For instance, assume that an analyst is keen on measuring the thoughtful way of first year instructors. The specialist characterizes withdrawn as the general absence of social aptitudes, for example, chatting, meeting, and welcome individuals, and going to personnel social capacities.

1. Critical thinking can be defined as an attribute where an individual sermons all the faculties of the brain while adding the experiences to make certain choices.
2. Friendliness is an act of being welcoming to everybody even the strangers. This attribute can be seen as people interact and can be quantified by the opinions of other people towards the character in question.
3. Good citizenship in young children can be seen in the way the kids perform tasks such as picking up litter in school without supervision (Thorndike and Thorndike 15).

How testing is used to aid placement decisions

Several tests with questions that develop questions that evaluate abilities commonly needed of pupils for that substance region. “Cut scores” are the base scores used to gap understudies into higher and lower level courses. SMEs sort test things into classes of proper trouble, or relate thing trouble to course levels. “Execution Level Descriptors” characterize the obliged aptitudes for healing and standard courses

A paper and pencil test intends to test the cognitive ability of the fifth grade students in knowing the functions of the paper and the pencil. This test tests whether the students comprehend that the teacher needs them to use the pencil to write or draw something on the paper. An oral test’s objective is to know whether the student’s oratory skills are up to standard. Product evaluation is meant to assess the ability of the student’s to understand items that are beyond class activities. Performance test intends to test the overall performance of the students in class.

Past decisions are perfect for moments where the situations are stagnant and do not easily change. However, placement decisions use current performance tests, which are appropriate for particulate situations. Changes take place all the time in situations needing placement decisions implying that past achievements are not appropriate for such measurements. As much as past achievements are important for some placement decisions, their appropriateness reduce in dynamic situation, most of which define placement measurements (Thorndike and Thorndike 237).

Television repair person needs expertise in electricity and electronics implying that a proficiency test for such professional involves questions on electronic components. The proficiency test will involve questions testing the knowledge of various components in television such as display, lighting, sound, and other elements concerned with television. This is a technical test because the components involves technical terms and items related to engineering. The test will also involve a good command of English language because some of these components require proficiency in the English language (Thorndike and Thorndike 240).

Works Cited

Thorndike, Robert and Thorndike-Christ, Tracy. Measurement and Evaluation in Psychology and Education. Pearson, 2009.