This assignment is the first step toward completing your Test Development Proposal in Week 6. Select a construct of interest (e.g. depression, anxiety, self-esteem, marital satisfaction, social persuasion, job satisfaction, etc.) that you are interested in (this can include an area of interest for your dissertation as well) and using the test publisher websites (i.e. Pearson Assessments, Western Psychological Services (WPS), etc.) provided in the week’s readings (or through other sources such as articles, test reviews, etc. found in the UoR library), compile a list of currently available standardized tests/instruments that purport to measure the construct (between 5 and 7 tests/instruments is adequate). Provide a brief summary of your construct of interest and the tests/instruments available that measure it. Write a two-three page paper, not including the Title and References page (an Abstract page is not required for this assignment), on the following:
Concerning your construct of interest:
- Explain your construct of interest. Make a case for why this construct is important to you, the field of psychology, or your specialization area.
- What specifically about your construct are you wanting to assess? Are there different characteristics or behaviors that can be assessed within your construct? For example, if measuring depression as a construct, would you want to measure the severity of depression or the symptoms related to depression? What are all the characteristics of depression? Would you be assessing all of the characteristics?
- Develop a research question addressing what you will be assessing.
Concerning available tests/instruments:
- What is the validity and reliability of each test/instrument?
- What types of scores and scales are provided?
- What information does the test publisher (or other source) provide about each of the test’s/instrument’s strengths and weaknesses/limitations?