Tests and Scales

This area concerns the tests, scales, and instruments used to assess abilities, achievement, and traits in education and psychology.

Scope

It covers intelligence and aptitude testing, achievement and personality scales, test construction, and the uses and controversies of testing.

Sub-topics

• Affective Measures
• Measures (Individuals)
• Association Measures
• Attitude Measures
• Interest Inventories
• Personality Measures
• Projective Measures
• Teacher Made Tests
• Timed Tests
• High Stakes Tests
• Standardized Tests
• Objective Tests
• Questionnaires
• Occupational Tests
• Screening Tests
• Speech Tests
• Situational Tests
• Auditory Tests
• Audiometric Tests
• Diagnostic Tests
• Biographical Inventories
• Behavior Rating Scales
• Licensing Examinations (Professions)
• Placement Tests
• Exit Examinations
• Informal Reading Inventories
• Cognitive Tests
• Achievement Tests
• Rating Scales
• Criterion Referenced Tests
• Essay Tests
• Language Tests
• Listening Comprehension Tests
• Mathematics Tests
• Norm Referenced Tests
• Performance Tests
• Reading Tests
• Science Tests
• Writing Tests
• Multiple Choice Tests
• Aptitude Tests
• Creativity Tests
• Nonverbal Tests
• Field Tests
• Preschool Tests
• Prognostic Tests
• Vision Tests
• Item Banks
• Pretests Posttests
• Maturity Tests
• Problem Sets
• College Entrance Examinations

Core questions

• How are abilities and traits measured by tests?
• How are tests and scales constructed?
• How should test scores be interpreted and used?
• What are the controversies around testing?

Key concepts

• Intelligence testing
• Aptitude and achievement tests
• Scale construction
• The g factor
• Norming
• Test bias

Key theories

Intelligence testing

Binet and Simon created the first practical intelligence test; Spearman developed the concept of general intelligence (g).

Validity of tests

Cronbach and Meehl established the framework for validating tests and scales.

History

Standardized testing began with Binet's intelligence scale and Spearman's factor analysis, expanding into achievement, aptitude, and personality testing, amid enduring debate over fairness and use.

Debates

What do intelligence tests measure?

Whether tests capture a general ability (g) and how fairly they apply across groups.

Key figures

• Alfred Binet
• Théodore Simon
• Charles Spearman
• Lee Cronbach

Seminal works

• binet-simon-1905
• spearman-1904
• cronbach-meehl-1955

Frequently asked questions

What is an intelligence quotient?

A score from standardized tests intended to measure general cognitive ability relative to a population, originating with Binet's scale.