Aberrant behavior refers to any type of unusual behavior that would not be expected under normal circumstances. In educational and psychological testing, such behaviors have the potential to severely bias the aberrant examinee's test score while also jeopardizing the test scores of countless others. It is therefore crucial that aberrant examinees…

Psychometric practice does not always converge with the advances of psychometric theory. In order to investigate this gap, the authors focus on the 10 most used psychological tests in Europe, as identified by recent surveys. The article analyzes test manuals published in 6 different European countries for these 10 most used tests. A total of 32…

Describes the role of information on score reliabilities, significance of score differences, intercorrelations of scores, and differential validity of score patterns on the interpretation of results from multiscore batteries. (Author)

Investigates the influence of various scoring cutoffs on mental test performance as measured by the Michell General Ability Test (MGAT) and develops a rationale for selecting the optimum cutoff based on raw scores, internal consistency, stability, parallel-form reliability and concurrent validity estimates. (MB)

Psychological assessment, a subspecialty of psychology has served as one of the earliest proving grounds of automated technology. This Special Series highlights some of the advances in computerized psychological assessment methods and discusses some of the lingering issues and contemporary problems with automated psychological assessment…

Discusses evaluation of tests both in terms of their measurement properties and their potential social consequences. Presents a model for evaluating test validity based on empirical evidence as well as on ethical decisions. Stresses the importance of construct validity as a rational foundation for test predictiveness and relevance; and the…

Indicates that IQ ranking is the most significnat factor affecting Draw A Person test performance by male subjects. IQ rankings were not found to significantly influence drawings by females. (Author/DEP)

Responds to an article questioning the construct validity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Suggests that social desirability should not be invoked as a potential confound unless the obtained covariation is theoretically inconsistent or is so overlapping as to make the respective scales redundant with respect to factorial content. (Author/RC)

States that the correlation between social desirability (SD) and hopelessness is open to several interpretations, but, in the absence of further data, concern for false-negative rates dictates caution in interpreting hopelessness scores when assessing suicidal behavior. Presents data on the relationship of SD, hopelessness, and prediction of…

Navy enlisted personnel (N=60) were administered the Recall scale of the Kahn Intelligence Test (Experimental Form; KIT) and the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Scores for the KIT tasks indicate a significant transfer of data to long-term memory. (Author)

Suggests that when MMPI responses are secured from black samples and interpreted according to traditional actuarial or code book descriptions the questionnaire is capable of working against the welfare of man. (Author/AM)

Reviews the 1974 Standards, an updating serving as a guide to test making and publishing, and training of persons for these endeavors. (DEP)

Determines whether kind of test used in personality assessment is an important factor in influencing the extent to which subjects accept the interpretation made by a psychologist and clarifies the importance of the status of the test-interpreter by eliminating a status-experimenter confound contained within the Snyder and Larsen (1972) study.…

Assessed validity of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) as criterion instruments. The cognitive triad of the PIC was minimally correlated with all intelligence quotient measures and significantly correlated only for reading and…