Group+3+-+Measuring+Achievement,+Abilities,+and+Interests



**__CHAPTER 13 SECTION 3 __**

Heather Brasel, Emma Grant, Michael Knutson, Connor Wright

**__Brief Summary __** **﻿ ** Psychologists have developed tests to assess special abilities and experiences. Examples of these include aptitude tests, achievement tests, and interest inventories. Aptitude tests are designed to uncover a person’s talents and predict how able they are to learn new skills. A widely used example of such as test is the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). This test includes nine different tests, ranging from manual dexterity to vocabulary. Test results determine whether or not a person would be suited to a wide range of occupations. Other examples of aptitude tests that many high school students are familiar with include the SAT or the ACT. Achievement tests measure how much a person has learned in a particular subject area. They help assess progress for students and instructors. Aptitude tests and achievement tests have become blurred in terms of their definitions due to the fact that they are inherently intertwined because of difficulties distinguishing innate abilities and learned experience. Interest Inventories are used to determine a person’s preferences, attitudes, and interests. Interest inventories are most often used to help people discover the career that is right for them. Interest inventories are different from aptitude or achievement tests in that there are no correct or incorrect answers.

**__Terms __** § ** Aptitude tests **: An instrument used to predict or estimate the probability that a person will be successful in learning a specific new skill or skills in the future. Two examples of aptitude tests are the Differential Aptitude Test (DATE) and the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). § ** Achievement tests **: An instrument used to measure the amount of knowledge a person has learned in a given subject or area. Computers are used during achievement tests, and change the difficulty of the questions as the test progresses. § ** Interest Inventory **: Measures a person’s preferences and attitudes in a wide variety of activities. An example of an Interest Inventory is the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, used to identify interests and success in different careers.

**__Key Concepts __** § **Predictive validity: ** is a measurement of how well a test predicts future performance. The most commonly used example of a test measuring predictive validity are the SAT and the ACT. They are thought to measure how well a student will perform in college. These scores are used as a basis for comparison, with evaluators looking at the performance of students who have had similar tests in the past. § **Differential Aptitude Test (DATE): ** <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The differential aptitude tests are the latest of the career aptitude tests. They are a powerful tool for screening candidates for many occupations because they measure a candidate's aptitude in eight different areas which are listed below-
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Verbal reasoning test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Numerical ability test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Abstract reasoning test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Mechanical reasoning
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Space relations or spatial aptitude test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Spelling test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Language usage test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Spatial aptitude test
 * <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Perceptual speed and accuracy test

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB): ** <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The General Aptitude Test Battery, also known as the GATB, is a professional career aptitude test which measures nine different aptitudes and can be used to help assess the likelihood that you will be successful in specific careers or training programs. The GATB is similar in purpose to the DATE, however, different tests are administered for the GATB and the DATE.

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">SAT: **<span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> is designed to predict a student’s success in college. Though high school is the greatest indicator of college achievement, the SAT provides a standardized score for colleges to evaluate. This is needed since grading standards and procedures differs among high schools.

Ø <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Some differences between the tests are the SAT tests critical thinking and problem solving, there is no science section, and it tests vocabulary much more.



§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">ACT: **<span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> is designed to predict a student’s success in college. Though high school is the greatest indicator of college achievement, the SAT provides a standardized score for colleges to evaluate. This is needed since grading standards and procedures differs among high schools. Ø <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Some differences include that the ACT is a content-based test, it includes a science reasoning test, the math section includes trigonometry, and it tests English grammar.



§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Content Validity **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> how well achievement tests measure student’ mastery of a set of knowledge. Content Validity examines he relevance and clarity of the data provided by the tests. Individuals evaluating content validity are either experts in the field or belong to the target population - i.e. not chosen casually. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">Example: Content validity is illustrated using the following examples: Researchers aim to study mathematical learning and create a survey to test for mathematical skill. If these researchers only tested for multiplication and then drew conclusions from that survey, their study would not show content validity because it excludes other mathematical functions.

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Adaptive Testing: ** <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">a way of giving an achievement test that is administered on a computer. Every test taker gets the same question in the same order in standard tests, but with adaptive testing the computer adapts the test to the taker’s performance by changing the question difficulty. Despite the test takers ability, adaptive testing is more accurate than standard testing, because the computer is able to find the difficulty level where the person answers most questions correctly. An example of this is MAP testing.

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Interests & Abilities **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> Interest inventories are important and can be a great value to a person when they are deciding on the career path they plan to take but interest inventories only provide one source of information. A person should take into account their abilities also, not just their interests. Let’s say Susie really loves playing basketball but she isn’t very good; she shouldn’t plan on playing in the WNBA simply because she has an interest in it.

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Campbell Interest and Skill Survey **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">a widely used self-reports that measures interests and skills in relation to a career. The results are based on the person’s confidence in completing certain tasks and the attraction they feel to different careers. The purpose of this tool is to help people find the career that is right for them. For example, if most scientists said they liked the idea of becoming physicists but wouldn’t be interested in teaching, while other people were more evenly divided on the questions, the person who responded as the scientists did would rank high on the scale of interest in science.

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">The **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> **Kuder Preference Record** <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> is a test or survey used to determine what a person may be interested in. For example, a person may be interested in a career as a teacher, but may not be interested in a career as an engineer. By using the terms “most” and “least”, the type of career that is most suitable for an individual can be obtained.

§ **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Interest **<span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';"> **Inventories** <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">are used to determine a person’s preferences, attitudes, and interests involving careers. If a person’s interest patterns match up to a certain group, that can show the likelihood of that person enjoying a career in a certain category. For example, a person may be asked a question dealing with speaking in front of an audience, and if they aren’t comfortable with that, a job involving public speaking might not be considered.

§ <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif';">Tests of aptitude, or ** innate ability ** or talent, often gets confused with ** achievement **, what a person already knows and how they asses it. Achievement tests are more reliable than a test based on talent, and may best predict a person’s success in a certain category. An aptitude test is used to predict future ability, while an aptitude test measures what a person already knows.

**__<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Links For Further Information __**

<span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Predictive Validity ---Provides a definition for Predictive Validity as well as examples to further understanding. Also provides links to correlating terms. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Differential Aptitude Test ---Provides a list of all the tests as well as expanding on one's knowledge in those tests. Also explains the testing process. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) ---Defines Aptitude as well as the areas one will be tested on. Also gives tips on performing well. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">SAT vs. ACT comparison. ---Gives a play by play difference between the two tests. Also gives <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">recommendations on which test to take. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Statistic Glossary: Content Validity ---Provides a definition for Content Validity as well as examples to further understanding. Also provides links to correlating terms. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Adaptive Testing Q & A ---Answers commonly asked questions regarding Adaptive Testing. Includes several advantages and explains each. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Kuder Assessment Record ---Provides explanation for various areas the company tests on. Also gives links to additional information. <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Interest Inventory Quizzes ---Offers links to multiple inventories. The links are broken down by grade and type of quiz.

**__<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Review Questions __** <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">media type="custom" key="7915929"