PSY 550 Midterm
Short Answers
The 25 questions below are worth 4 points each.
1. What is the key difference between psychological testing and psychological assess-

ment?
2. Name three estimates of a test’s inter-item consistency.

3. From the intelligence test data he gathered at Ellis Island, Henry Goddard concluded

that many of the people attempting to immigrate to the United States were “feebleminded.” What was this claim based on?
4. What do test developers do to address test-taker guessing?
5. In order to conduct research using human subjects, a university requires re-

searchers to complete an online ethics course and then correctly respond to all of
the items of the test on that material. What kind of test could this BEST be characterized as?

6. As compared to one-on-one and face-to-face assessments, what is one disadvan-

tage of CAPA?

7. According information presented in the modules, what are at least two characteris-

tics about psychological traits?

8. The U.S. Navy is highly selective when it comes to applications for Navy SEAL train-

ing. What kind of distribution of test scores on a Navy SEAL Qualifying and Screening Examination administered to a class of high school seniors would be expected to
yield?
9. Describe an anchor protocol.

10. What is a halo effect?

11. Why is a normal distribution of scores desirable?

12. Give an example of an incidental sample.

13. What kind of utility analysis is most likely to be utilized when the purpose is the an-

swer some finance-related question with a dollars-and-cents?

14. What need did the first group intelligence testing fulfill?

15. What is the relationship between test reliability and standard error of measurement?
16. Jana takes a personality test administered by the True Compatibility Dating Service.

According to the personalized, computerized personality profile that results, Jana
learns that her need for exhibitionism is much greater than her need for stability.
Since the test analyzes data only with regard to Jana, and no other client of the dating service, what kind of scoring was utilized?
17. What kinds of concerns or issues arise if accommodation is made for the purpose of

administering a test?

18. What is the ultimate purpose or end point of a utility analysis?

19. The directions for scoring a particular motor ability test instruct the examiner to “give

credit if the child holds his or her hands open most of the time.” Because what
constitutes “most of the time” is not specifically defined, directions such as these
could result in lowered reliability estimates for what kind of reliability?

20. Give an example of convergent evidence of construct validity.
21. What is coefficient alpha an expression of?
22. If someone tells you what their recently measured “IQ” is, what value is that person

most likely giving you?

23. You are interested in developing a test for social adjustment in a college fraternity or

sorority. You begin by interviewing persons who had graduated from college after
having been a member of a fraternity or sorority for at least two years. What stage of
test development are you in and what would you do next?
24. What factors affect the generalizability of findings from a particular test?

25. Describe the relationship between the cut score and the selection ratio.

Essay Questions
The essay questions below are worth 10 points each.
26. Identify at least three different tools of psychological assessment and review the

benefits and liabilities of utilizing these tools.

27. Consider issues of diversity reviewed thus far in the course. Identify and discuss the

issues of diversity related to psychological assessment and rights of test-takers with
someone of a different culture, language background, and ability.

28. Describe the forms and sources of error and how error contributes to reliability.

29. Part of test utility includes cut scores. Describe two kinds of cut scores, two ways

that cut scores are established, and at least two different problems that can arise
with cut scores.

30. Compare and contrast what makes a good test with what makes a good test item.

 

All parties in America have a central element and that is their ability to attract thousands of small contributions through mass mailings to likely party supporters, Hershey(75). Hershey then points out that this ability allowed the national party an independent financial base. (75) Then in the 1960s the two parties wanted to increase every aspect of their parties from contributions to finding the most qualified candidates.

The first was the service party path followed first by the RNC. The foundation of this strategy was implemented in the 1960s by RNC chair Ray Bliss and was continued later by chairman Brock until the 1970s as a means to reviving the party post water-gate. (75) There were two keys to success in performing this new service role: money and campaign technology. (76) The republicans used direct-mail appeals that brought in larger levels of income. The example the book provides is that the RNC fund-raising jumped from $29 million to $105.9 million within the next few years.(76) This strategy offered a broad array of services from candidates to local party organizations. State and local party leaders were glad to accept the help since the party worked closely to identify with the business community. A great example of this strategy was the 1980 presidential election. The republicans suffered huge losses in the house and senate after water-gate and eventually cost them the White House. After only four years the republicans were able to take back the White House in the 1980 election largely due to the service party path.

         Like the service party the democrats came up with there own plan to grow and expand their parties role in the 1960s. The democrats had a larger problem due to the diversity within their own party. You had reformers supporting the civil rights and opposing American involvement in Vietnam pushing the democratic party to change their view on these issues. This strategy was an effort to more “democratic” in the nominating process and in particular more representative of people like themselves such as: blacks, women, and young people.(76) The 1968 election was the first of the series of reforms which limited the autonomy of state parties and more authority to the national party for reason in my previous sentence. This change was not limited to democrats due to key court decisions that upheld these actions in certain states. State legislatures passed bills that implemented these reforms that applied to all parties within that state. By the 1970s the problems with this strategy became evident with several democrats staying home during conventions for the reason of feeling alienated. A great example would be the elections of 1980. After gaining large majorities in the house and senate the democrats lose control of the senate. Part of this was due to the republicans raising large sums of money and allowing the state parties use it in ways they deem necessary. The other part was have divided the democratic party was over their new Procedural-reform path. Democrats having the White House and both chambers of congress and not accomplishing much didn’t help either. The democratic party eventually adopted the service path.

Its pretty evident to which path worked. The service path allowed the state and local party to have something to say in decisions, while the procedural-reform path put the majority of the decisions in the hands of the national party. Who knows best in state and local elections? Who knows more about the way people think and behave? The people that are there, the people that are closer and on the ground. The service path offered support to local and state elections. The procedural-reform path offered solutions, but what works in one area of the country will not work in another. Todays elections require more money than ever to be raised and the service path proved that it was better at raising money. I believe results speak for themselves, and the democrats adopted their own form of the service party strategy.  

• Which is an example of a graded signal…

Your answer:
[removed] A sign that says “STOP” at the intersection at the bottom of a steep hill.
[removed] The sign for “help me” in Sign Language
[removed] Swearing
[removed] Visual or Auditory patterns that occur in sequence, like “C-O-M-E I-N.”
[removed] a sound that changes from soft to loud, like when she whispers “Who is it? and then yells “Get out!”

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• The English Language is …

Your answer:
[removed] a predicative combinative mode of communication
[removed] an expressive combinative mode of communication
[removed] a predicative graded mode of communication
[removed] an expressive graded mode of communication
[removed] a nominal combinative mode of communication

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• A sign is…

Your answer:
[removed] not important to survival
[removed] not exhibited by sub-humans, inanimate objects, or even professors
[removed] a substitute for a concept in the thought process
[removed] a call to action
[removed] arbitrarily associated with its referent

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• A symbol is…

Your answer:
[removed] a call to action
[removed] associated to it’s referent by an iconic bond
[removed] not typically important to survival
[removed] is associated to it’s referent by an cause and effect bond
[removed] exemplified by the a “foot print” in the sand.

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• Body Lanaguage is really…

Your answer:
[removed] nominal combinative
[removed] based on signals we call symbols
[removed] predicative combinative
[removed] expressive graded
[removed] unimportant to survival

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• Babbling is…

Your answer:
[removed] a communication that utililizes a signal called a symbol
[removed] species specific
[removed] not exhibited by children born deaf
[removed] exhibited by professors who are unsure of their lecture material (hint- maybe so but don’t select this option).
[removed] a nominal graded communication

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• Swearing is an example of….

Your answer:
[removed] Sign Language
[removed] an expresssive combinative communication
[removed] bad langauge
[removed] an expressive graded communication
[removed] body language

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• Which are examples of TYPES of SIGNALS

Your answer:
[removed] Predecative and Propositional
[removed] Expressive and emotional
[removed] Nominal and Expressive
[removed] Combinative and Nominal
[removed] Graded and Combinative

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• Which are examples of 3 different TYPES of MESSAGES

Your answer:
[removed] expressive, emotional and graded
[removed] Nominal, Expressive and Predicative
[removed] Nominal, graded and combinative
[removed] Predicative, Combinative and Language
[removed] Graded, Combinative and Nominal

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• Bees communicate by making…

Your answer:
[removed] honey
[removed] a buzzing sound with their lips
[removed] bee language
[removed] signs
[removed] symbols

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• The initial crying of a baby at birth and the pursuing few weeks is a communication that is…

Your answer:
[removed] predicative
[removed] unnecessary
[removed] expressive
[removed] symbolic
[removed] nominal

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• Which is not true of a symbol…

Your answer:
[removed] It is associated arbitrarily with it’s referent
[removed] It is part of a predicative combinative communication
[removed] It can be substituted for a concept in the thought process
[removed] It is a signal used in Body Language.
[removed] It can be discursive or presentational

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• Parrots…

Your answer:
[removed] are the only non-humans in addition to Apes that use language
[removed] use a nominal combinative mode of communication that involves learning
[removed] use a predicative combinative form of cummunication
[removed] are the only non-humans that use language
[removed] use a nominal combinative mode of communication that is genetically inherited

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• Cicadas…

Your answer:
[removed] use a nominal combinative form of communication
[removed] use a predicative graded form of communication
[removed] perform a dance to communicate symbolically about the location of trees
[removed] use an nominal graded form of communication
[removed] are taught to communicate by their parents

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• A person with severe left brain damage in the language areas may be able to do nothing EXCEPT…

Your answer:
[removed] read
[removed] swear
[removed] write
[removed] talk
[removed] understand speech

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• In Hocketrt’s 1960 essay, he wrote about the 13 ____________________ of language, which have been used to compare animal and human communication.

Your answer:
[removed] Speech Chains
[removed] Recursions
[removed] Channels
[removed] Transmissions
[removed] Design features

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• ___________________________ is the Term used to indicate that the communicator can talk about things that are distant in time and/or space.

Your answer:
[removed] Discreteness
[removed] Displacement
[removed] Arbitrariness
[removed] Productivity
[removed] Rapid fading

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• ________________________ is the use of syllable, word and phrase stress, along with pitch and loudness variations in our speech.

Your answer:
[removed] Specialization
[removed] Rapid fading
[removed] Syntax
[removed] Morphology
[removed] Suprasegmentals

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• This characteristic of communication removes communication barriers and is largely responsible for the unlimited exchange of information for both sexes of all ages.

Your answer:
[removed] Pragmatics
[removed] Interchangeability
[removed] Echolalia
[removed] Morphology
[removed] Learnability

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• Another way to describe “grammar’ or the grammatical rules and structures of language is.

Your answer:
[removed] Morphemes
[removed] Semantics
[removed] Syntax
[removed] Expressive language
[removed] Broadcast transmission

 

Assignment 1: Analyzing a Social Policy

In this course, you have learned that social policies are formulated to solve social problems considered important by a mass of voters, media, and political actors. Social policy is but one solution to the problem—not necessarily the most rational, effective, or socially just. Social policies are human creations and, as such, can be changed. In this paper you will analyze a social policy as a tool for social justice.

Research one social welfare policy using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet.

Analyze the policy and address the following:

The social problem addressed by the policy

1. What is/are the problem/s to be solved in the most fundamental terms?
2. What is the history of the problem/s in the United States?
3. What are the various theories about the causes of the problem/s? Based on this, what do you think is/are the most important causes/s of the problem/s?

The policy objectives, value premises, expectation, and target populations

1. Policy objectives—overt and covert objectives: What are the stated objectives of the policy? In your judgment, what are the covert objectives of the policy?
2. What are the values underlying the policy objectives? What values are revealed by the overt and covert objectives?
3. What did the policymakers expect would be the result of the policy?
4. Target segments of the population at whom policy is aimed: Discuss the direct target of the policy in terms of size and other demographic characteristics. Who are the indirect targets of the policy?

Effects of the policy

1. Intended effects: What effects did the lawmakers intend?
2. Unintended effects: What effects did the lawmakers not foresee?
3. Distinguish between short-range (less than five years) and long-range (over five years) effects of the policy.

Implications of the Policy

1. Changes in the distribution of material resources: Are there any changes to the distribution of material resources, including income and other tangible benefits, as a result of the policy for direct or indirect target groups?
2. Changes in distribution of services, rights, and statuses: Are there any changes in services, rights, or statuses as a result of the policy?

Alternative Policies

1. What alternative policy/policies would more effectively address the social problem discussed in the policy analysis while advancing social justice?

Write a 4–6-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Make sure to include research in addition to the textbook from credible, scholarly sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A1.doc.

By Saturday, February 9, 2013, deliver your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

Grading Rubric

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
What is/are the problem/s to be solved in the most fundamental terms? What is the history of the problem/s in the United States?	32
What are various theories about the causes of the problem/s? Based on the theories selected, what do you think is/are the most important causes/s of the problem/s?	28
Policy objectives—overt and covert objectives: What are the stated objectives of the policy? In your judgment what are the covert objectives of the policy? What are the values underlying the policy objectives? What values are revealed by the overt and covert objectives?	28
What did the policymakers expect would be the result of the policy?	28
Target segments of the population at whom policy is aimed: Discuss the direct target of the policy in terms of size and other demographic characteristics. Who are the indirect targets of the policy?	28
Intended effects: What are the effects that lawmakers intended? Unintended effects: What are the effects that the lawmakers did not foresee? Distinguish between short-range (less than 5 years) and long–range (over 5 years) effects of the policy.	36
Changes in the distribution of material resources: Are there any changes to the distribution of material resources, including income and other tangible benefits, as a result of the policy for direct or indirect target groups? Changes in distribution of services, rights, and statuses: Are there any changes in services, rights, or statuses as a result of the policy?	28
What alternative policy/policies would address the social problem discussed in the policy analysis more effectively while advancing social justice?	28
Written Components: Organization (16) Usage and mechanics (16) APA elements (24) Style (8)	64
Total:	300