EDPY 469. (PSYC 469 is a cross-listed course—a course listed under two different disciplines—with EDPY 469. PSYC 469 may not be taken for credit by students who have obtained credit for EDPY 469.)
Psychology 469: Principles of Psychological Assessment is a three-credit course that introduces educational and psychometric theory, method, and the application of psychological testing. The topics covered include concepts of psychological testing; principles of psychological measurement; techniques used to analyze tests; development of tests (e.g., cognitive, interest, personality); and the use of psychological tests to make decisions about individuals. The focus will be on description of the basic principles of psychological measurement that must be applied to properly evaluate psychological tests, as well as on some of the major applications of psychological tests in education, industry, and clinical practice.
Outline
Unit 1: Psychological Testing and Assessment
Unit 2: Historical, Cultural, and Legal/Ethical Considerations
Unit 3: Norms and Reliability
Unit 4: Validity
Unit 5: Intelligence and Its Measurement
Unit 6: Assessment for Education
Unit 7: Personality Assessment – An Overview
Unit 8: Personality Assessment Methods
Unit 9: Clinical and Counselling Assessment
Unit 10: Neuropsychological Assessment
Unit 11: Assessment, Careers, and Business
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will:
discuss the reasoning behind the construction of tests
critically examine test construction methods
describe the appropriate use of tests and the various legal and ethical issues involved
critically discuss issues related to testing and assessment
discuss the nature and ethical uses of psychological testing, including its origins and history
explain the importance of psychological assessment, including reliability, validity, norms, test standardization, and test development
describe individual and group tests of intelligence and achievement, including uses, characteristics, and applications for testing special populations
identify the different theories of personality corresponding to objective personality measures, such as the MMPI-2
identify the different theories of personality corresponding to subjective personality measures, such as the Rorschach Inkblot Test
describe assessment of normal personality traits using measures such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
analyze the approaches to neuropsychological assessment and the supplemental information gathered when completing a neuropsychological evaluation
select the appropriate psychological tests to measure presenting psychological issues in a case study
discuss applications of testing to various settings such as industrial, occupational, forensic, and neurological
apply the use of psychological testing as it relates to the law, including legal cases from the school systems, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and legal issues in employment
This course is designed to provide students with the background to be a B-level test administrator.
Evaluation
To receive credit for PSYC 469, you must complete all course quizzes and assignments. You must receive a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on each assignment. The weighting of the assessment activities is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Planning Exercise
6%
Quiz 1 (Units 1–4)
13%
Quiz 2 (Units 5–7)
13%
Quiz 3 (Units 8–11)
13%
Assignment 1: PowerPoint Presentation Test Review
25%
Assignment 2: Case Study Project
30%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Cohen, R. J. (2022). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurements (10th ed.). McGraw Hill. (eText)
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.