Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics - PSY309 Fall 2026

Course

Gabriela Malkova

For information about registration please contact our admissions.

About

Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics

Course code: PSY310

Term and year: Fall 2026

Day and time: Wednesday 15.00-17.45

Instructor: doc. PhDr. Gabriela Málková, Ph.D.

Consultation hours: Thursday 9:00 – 10:30 (room 4.11) or under and individual agreement online

Credits US/ECTS

3/6

Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Length

15 weeks

Pre-requisite

Introduction to Psychology, Sociology or Anthropology

Contact hours

42 hours

Course type

HSC Required/Optional

HUM, PS, IR, JC Elective

1. Course Description

Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics introduces students to the principles, methods, and professional applications of psychological assessment as an evidence-based process of psychological decision-making. The course examines the role of psychological tests within the broader framework of assessment and introduces students to the scientific, ethical, and practical foundations of responsible psychological testing. Students explore fundamental psychometric concepts, including psychological measurement, reliability, validity, standardization, and norm-referenced interpretation, while developing an understanding of how psychological assessment instruments are designed, evaluated, and used in professional practice. Rather than treating psychometrics as a collection of statistical procedures, the course presents psychometric principles as an essential framework for evaluating the quality, trustworthiness, and appropriate interpretation of psychological assessment tools. The course is designed to prepare students for further studies in clinical, educational, or research psychology, and lays the groundwork for ethically grounded and scientifically informed test use in professional settings.

A distinctive feature of the course is the Group project (assessment design studio), a semester-long collaborative project in which students work in small development teams to design the first prototype of a psychological assessment instrument. Through successive stages of construct definition, operationalization, item development, peer review, and critical reflection, students experience the early phases of psychological test development while gaining insight into the complexity of creating scientifically sound assessment tools.Throughout the course, students critically examine the historical development of psychological testing, ethical and legal aspects of professional test use, cultural and contextual influences on assessment, and contemporary challenges associated with digital assessment and technological advances in psychological testing. Particular emphasis is placed on professional judgement, the integration of multiple sources of psychological evidence, and the responsible interpretation and communication of assessment results across diverse applied settings, including clinical, educational, organizational, and/or forensic psychology.

2. Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of PSY302/502, students will be able to:

1. Describe and explain the core principles of psychological assessment and psychological measurement, including reliability, validity, standardisation, and norm-referenced interpretation.

2. Design the first prototype of a psychological assessment instrument by defining a psychological construct, developing assessment items, and critically evaluating their theoretical relevance, clarity, and fairness.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of administering, scoring, interpreting, and communicating psychological assessment results in accordance with standardized procedures and ethical guidelines.

4. Critically evaluate the appropriate use, limitations, and ethical implications of psychological assessment across different professional contexts.

5. Evaluate the quality of psychological assessment tools by considering psychometric evidence, professional standards, and the intended purpose of assessment.

6. Identify and discuss contemporary challenges in psychological assessment, including digitalization, cultural adaptation, artificial intelligence, and ethical decision-making.

3. Reading Material

Primary Course Text:

· Cohen, R. J., Schneider, W. J., & Tobin, R. M. (2025). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to Tests and Measurement (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Selected chapters from the primary course textbook will be assigned throughout the semester and announced in advance through the course learning platform (MyLearning).

Supplementary Literature

· Urbina, S. (2014). Essentials of Psychological Testing (2nd ed.). Wiley.

A concise introduction to psychological testing and measurement that complements the primary textbook by providing additional explanations and practical examples.

· Gould, S. J. (1996). The Mismeasure of Man (Revised and Expanded Edition). W. W. Norton.

Selected chapters will be used to stimulate critical discussion on the history, ethics, and societal implications of psychological testing.

Additional Readings

· Selected journal articles, professional guidelines, and supplementary materials will be provided throughout the semester via MyLearning to complement individual course topics. These materials may include:

o EFPA (European Federation of Psychologists' Associations) guidelines

o APA Standards and ethical recommendations

o Current research articles on psychological assessment and psychometrics

o Selected case studies and practical examples used during lectures and Group project sessions.

Recommended Resources

Students are encouraged to explore selected professional resources and publicly available materials introducing psychological assessment in contemporary practice. These resources will be used to complement lectures and support the Group project (Assessment Design Studio project). Examples include:

· International Test Commission (ITC)

· European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA)

· American Psychological Association (APA)

· Test publishers' technical manuals (selected examples)

4. Teaching methodology

The course combines interactive lectures, guided discussion, collaborative learning, and project-based activities. Each class is organized into two complementary parts: a lecture, introducing key theoretical concepts and professional principles of psychological assessment, and an Group project - Assessment Design Studio, in which students apply newly acquired knowledge to the development of their semester-long collaborative project. The Assessment Design Studio provides an authentic learning environment in which students work in small development teams to design the first prototype of a psychological assessment instrument. Through successive stages of construct definition, operationalization, item development, peer feedback, and critical reflection, students gain practical insight into the complexity of psychological test development while integrating theoretical knowledge with professional decision-making. Teaching methods include interactive lectures, guided discussion, analysis of authentic psychological assessment materials, case studies, collaborative workshops, peer feedback, and reflective learning activities. Particular emphasis is placed on evidence-based reasoning, ethical decision-making, and the critical evaluation of psychological assessment methods and their application across different professional contexts.

5. Course Schedule

Date

Class Agenda

Sep 2

CLASS 1

Course Introduction: Why Do Psychologists Assess People?

Lecture

· Course overview and course philosophy

o syllabus, course topics and learning objectives

o course organization, teaching schedule and assessment requirements

o required and recommended reading

· Measuring in Psychology

· Psychological constructs as the foundation of assessment

· Psychological Testing

Sources of psychological evidence: psychological tests, interviews, behavioral observation, rating scales, records, and collateral information

· Psychological assessment tools: tests and test batteries and other sources of psychological evidence

· The role of psychometrics in psychological assessment (the problem of normativity)

· Introduction to the semester-long Assessment Design Studio

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

· Formation of Assessment Design Teams

· Exploring measurements in psychology

Sep 9

CLASS 2

Psychological Assessment and Psychological Testing

Lecture

Psychological assessment as a process of professional decision-making

· Different approaches to psychological assessment: psychometric, clinical and dynamic perspectives

· Psychological Assessment structure: tools, procedures, approaches

Psychological tests as a key source of evidence in psychological assessment
Psychological tests as evidence-based professional tools

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

Exploring the structure of a real psychological assessment tool
Identifying the construct assessed by a psychological test
Brainstorming psychological construct for the semester project
Team consultation

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning .

Recommended Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Essential of Psychological Testing by Urbina - to be specified in MyLearning .

Sep 16

CLASS 3

Psychological Testing – history, foundations of psychometric tradition in psychology

Lecture

The origins of psychological testing: Why did psychologists begin to measure human abilities?
Founders of psychological testing: Alfred Binet and the development of modern psychological assessment
From early intelligence testing to contemporary psychological assessment: the role of statistics, psychometrics and evidence-based approaches
Lessons from the history of psychological testing: scientific progress, ethical challenges, and professional responsibility.

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

What exactly do you want to measure? Why is it important? (relevance of your interest)
Specify and defend your area of interest in psychology for your project and root it in a psychological evidence(theory)
Share your ideas to the class

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning .

Recommended Reading: The Mismeasure of Man from S.J. Gould- to be specified in MyLearning

Sep 23

CLASS 4

Psychological Tests as Professional Tools

Lecture

Psychological tests as professional tools: opportunities, limitations, and potential misuse
Professional responsibility in psychological testing
Ethics in the use of Psychological tests: Professional qualification and competence in psychological test use
Test security and restricted access to psychological tests: Why are psychological tests protected?
Ethical principles in psychological testing (brief) and current controversies

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

Identify psychological construct for your group project

· Explore your test construct and justify it using psychological theory and empirical evidence

· Milestone 1 (assignment 1 submission)

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning .

Sep 30

CLASS 5

Psychological Tests as Measurement Instruments

Lecture

How can psychological attributes be measured?

Psychological constructs as the foundation of psychological measurement
Principles of psychological measurement
Standardization and normative assessment
Psychological norms (and their interpretation)
From construct to items: principles of item development
Introduction to reliability: Why should we trust psychological measurements?

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

Develop the concept of a format of your Test

· Transform the construct of your test into measurable indicators

Select the most appropriate assessment format for your instrument.
Peer review and constructive critique
Reflect on existing research/evidence

Reading:

Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning.

Recommended: Selected chapter(s) from Essential of Psychological Testing by Urbina - to be specified in MyLearning .

Oct 7

CLASS 6

Developing Psychological Test Items (How do we prepare good psychological test items?)

Lecture

From psychological constructs to measurable variables
Principles of psychological test item development
Characteristics of high-quality psychological test items
Response formats in psychological assessment (Likert scales, dichotomous items, rating scales, semantic differentials, etc.)
Content validity: ensuring that items adequately represent the construct
Expert review as the first step in test development
Introduction to pilot testing

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

From Construct to the First Test Prototype

Developing the first prototype of your assessment instrument
Reviewing the relevance and clarity of individual items
Peer review and group discussion
Revising items based on theoretical rationale and peer feedback

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning.

Recommended Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Essential of Psychological Testing by Urbina - to be specified in MyLearning .

Oct 14

CLASS 7

Midterm Evaluation

Midterm Test: Test reflecting key topics, concepts, knowledge, discussions, and insights from the first half of the semester : Lecture 1-Lecture 6

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

· Milestone 2: submit the draft of your assessment project for feedback (details of the format of submission to be specified in MyLearning)

Oct 21

CLASS 8

Midterm Feedback

Assessment Design Workshop

· Sharing Proposal Prototypes of your instrument

· Peer consultation

· Formative feedback in class

· Discussion of theoretical challenges

Oct 28

Midterm break

Nov 4

CLASS 9

Evaluating the Quality of Psychological Tests (Reliability and Validity)

Lecture

Reliability: Can We Trust Psychological Measurements?

· How do we know whether an assessment tool actually works?

· Reliability

o Internal consistency

o Test–retest reliability

o Inter-rater reliability

Validity: Are We Measuring What We Think We Measure?

· What is validity and the importance of validity for psychological tests

· Evidence for validity

o Construct validity

o Content validity

o Criterion validity

o Face validity

· Contrasting validity and reliability

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

· Which aspects of reliability would matter for your instrument?

· Sources of information about validity of your instrument – discussion and peer feedback

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning.

Recommended Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Essential of Psychological Testing by Urbina - to be specified in MyLearning .

Nov 11

CLASS 10

Interpreting Psychological Test Results

Lecture:

· How do psychologists interpret psychological test results?

· From scores to psychological interpretation

· The role of norms; norm-referenced vs criterion-referenced interpretation

· Confidence and uncertainty in interpretation

· Integrating multiple sources of evidence

· Why psychologists should never interpret a test score in isolation

· Communicating assessment results responsibly

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

· Discussion: If someone completed your assessment tool today, what would you actually be able to conclude?

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning.

Nov 18

CLASS 11

Psychological Assessment in Professional Practice

Lecture

From assessment questions to assessment decisions
Selecting appropriate assessment methods: Why is there no single "best" psychological test?
Illustrative case studies
Integrating multiple sources of psychological evidence
Psychological assessment across professional settings (Every psychological assessment begins with an assessment question):

Clinical Psychology
Educational Psychology
Work and Organizational Psychology
Forensic Psychology

The role of professional judgement in psychological assessment
Psychological assessment in the digital era: opportunities and challenges

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

· Who would actually benefit from your assessment tool?

o In which professional setting could your assessment tool be meaningfully used?

o Who should be qualified to administer and interpret your instrument?

o What are the ethical limitations of your assessment tool?

o Could your assessment tool be meaningfully adapted for digital administration? What opportunities and ethical challenges would this bring?

Reading: Selected chapter(s) from Psychological Testing and Assessment by Cohen, Schneider and Tobin (2025)- to be specified in MyLearning.

Nov 25

CLASS 12

Dynamic Assessment in Professional Practice

Lecture:

· Assessment beyond standardized testing

· Working with the assessment process

· Case examples

Discussion with practitioner (meet psychology practitioner experienced in using psychological tests)

Assessment Design Studio (Group project)

· Milestone 3: submit your written paper based on your project

· Recommended structure to be specified in MyLearning)

Dec 2

CLASS 13

Final Evaluation

Essay

· The final essay is a short written reflective assignment that evaluates students’ understanding and knowledge acquired during the course and while working on group project.

· Model essay assignment will be presented after the MidTerm holiday

· Criteria for evaluation will be specified in MyLearning on a day of Essay writing

Dec 9

CLASS 14

Assessment Design Showcase

Group presentation based on submitted written group project

· 10 minutes per each group

· Why this construct and format and design?

· What did we learn?

· What would have to happen before this could become a real psychological assessment tool?

· Reflection on the strengths, limitations and future development of the proposed assessment tool.

6. Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

Assignment	Workload (hours)	Weight in Final Grade	Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes	Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes*
1. Active participation, preparation and required reading	60**	15%	Progressed through key topics, problems and questions by studying assigned readings; reviewed classes through materials in MyLearning lessons	1, 4, 6
2. Assessment Design Studio (semester-long group project)	30**	35%	Semester-long collaborative development of the first prototype of a psychological assessment instrument, including project milestones, participation in Assessment Design Studio sessions, peer feedback, submission of a written project report, and a final group presentation.	2, 3, 4, 5
3. Midterm Assignment	30	20%	Documented familiarity with concepts and theories, ability to apply them, respond to an test questions	1, 4
4. Final Evaluation Essay	30	30%	Documented familiarity with concepts and theories, ability to apply them, respond to an essay question	1, 3,4, 5, 6
TOTAL	150	100%

* 1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action

** 60 hours in studying Readings (60:12 weeks = 5 hours of prep per week& class) and 40 hours in preparing web activity assignments (30:10 assignments = 3 hours of prep per assignment)

7. General Requirements and School Policies

General Requirements

All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar with the academic rules in the Academic Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work.

Electronic Communication and Submission

The university and instructors shall only use students’ university email address for communication, with additional communication via NEO LMS or Microsoft Teams. Students sending e-mail to an instructor shall clearly state the course code and the topic in the subject heading, for example, “COM101-1 Mid-term Exam. Question”. All electronic submissions are through NEO LMS. No substantial pieces of writing (especially take-home exams and essays) can be submitted outside of NEO LMS.

Attendance

Attendance, i.e., presence in class in real-time, at AAU courses is default mandatory; however, it is not graded as such. (Grades may be impacted by missed assignments or lack of participation.) Still, students must attend at least two thirds of classes to complete the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are excused, they will be administratively withdrawn from the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are not excused, they will receive a grade of “FW” (Failure to Withdraw). Students may also be marked absent if they miss a significant part of a class (for example by arriving late or leaving early).

Absence Excuse and Make-Up Options

Should a student be absent from classes for relevant reasons (illness, serious family matters), and the student wishes to request that the absence be excused, the student should submit an Absence Excuse Request Form supplemented with documents providing reasons for the absence to the Dean of Students within one week of the absence. Each student may excuse up to two sick days per term without any supporting documentation; however, an Absence Excuse Request Form must still be submitted for these instances. If possible, it is recommended the instructor be informed of the absence in advance. Should a student be absent during the add/drop period due to a change in registration this will be an excused absence if s/he submits an Absence Excuse Request Form along with the finalized add/drop form.

Students whose absence has been excused by the Dean of Students are entitled to make up assignments and exams provided their nature allows. Assignments missed due to unexcused absences which cannot be made up, may result in a decreased or failing grade as specified in the syllabus. Students are responsible for contacting their instructor within one week of the date the absence was excused to arrange for make-up options.

Late Work: No late submissions will be accepted – please follow the deadlines.

Electronic Devices

Electronic devices (e.g. phones, tablets, laptops) may be used only for class-related activities (taking notes, looking up related information, etc.). Any other use will result in the student being marked absent and/or being expelled from the class. No electronic devices may be used during tests or exams unless required by the exam format and the instructor.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Academic Tutoring Center

The use of artificial intelligence tools to search sources, to process, analyze and summarize data, and to provide suggestions or feedback in order to improve content, structure, or style, defined here as AI-assisted writing, is not in itself plagiarism. However, it is plagiarism if, as a result, it obscures the authorship of the work produced or the degree of its originality. The AAU acknowledges prudent and honest use of AI-assisted writing, that is, the use of AI for orientation, consultation, and practice is allowed. A work (text, image, video, sound, code, etc.) generated by artificial intelligence based on a mass of existing data, defined here as AI-generated work, is not considered a work of authorship. Therefore, if an AI-generated work (e.g. text) is part of the author’s work, it must be marked as AI-generated. Otherwise, it obscures the authorship and/or the degree of originality, and thus constitutes plagiarism.

Unless explicitly permitted by the instructor, submission of AI-generated work is prohibited.

If unsure about technical aspects of writing, and to improve their academic writing, students are encouraged to consult with the tutors of the AAU Academic Tutoring Center. For more information and/or to book a tutor, please contact the ATC at: http://atc.simplybook.me/sheduler/manage/event/1/.

Course Accessibility and Inclusion

Students with disabilities should contact the Dean of Students to discuss reasonable accommodations. Academic accommodations are not retroactive. Students who will be absent from course activities due to religious holidays may seek reasonable accommodations by contacting the Dean of Students in writing within the first two weeks of the term. All requests must include specific dates for which the student requests accommodations.

8. Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage*	Description
A	95–100	Excellent performance. The student has shown originality and displayed an exceptional grasp of the material and a deep analytical understanding of the subject.
A–	90–94
B+	87–89	Good performance. The student has mastered the material, understands the subject well and has shown some originality of thought and/or considerable effort.
B	83–86
B–	80–82
C+	77–79	Fair performance. The student has acquired an acceptable understanding of the material and essential subject matter of the course, but has not succeeded in translating this understanding into consistently creative or original work.
C	73–76
C–	70–72
D+	65–69	Poor. The student has shown some understanding of the material and subject matter covered during the course. The student’s work, however, has not shown enough effort or understanding to allow for a passing grade in School Required Courses. It does qualify as a passing mark for the General College Courses and Electives.
D	60–64
F	0–59	Fail. The student has not succeeded in mastering the subject matter covered in the course.

* Decimals should be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Lessons13

Here is the course outline:

his introductory class presents the key concepts and overall structure of the course and introduces psychological measurement as a foundation of psychological assessment. Through a collaborative in-class activity, we will explore what it means to measure, how measurement procedures influence the information we obtain, and why measuring psychological attributes presents particular challenges. We will introduce the concept of a psychological construct and consider how psychologists use observable indicators to make inferences about characteristics that cannot be directly observed. The class will also introduce the Assessment Design Studio group project, the semester-long group project that will accompany our work throughout the course.

This lecture introduces the foundations of psychological testing and assessment. We will explore how psychologists measure psychological constructs, what makes a psychological test a systematic measurement instrument, and how test responses are scored and interpreted. We will then distinguish psychological testing from the broader process of psychological assessment, focusing on how different sources of evidence are integrated to answer assessment questions and support professional decisions.

This lesson explores the historical foundations of psychological testing and the emergence of the psychometric tradition in psychology. We will trace the development of psychological measurement from early approaches to individual differences to Alfred Binet's pioneering work on intelligence assessment and the later development of IQ and large-scale testing. Historical examples will be used to examine fundamental questions about what test scores actually represent, how they can be interpreted, and how testing can affect decisions about individuals. Through discussion and short activities, we will connect the history of psychological testing with contemporary issues of validity, fairness, appropriate test use, and professional responsibility. RECOMENDED READING: S. J. Gould: The Mismeasure of Man - ch. 5 (The Hereditarian Theory of IQ:An American Invention)

Our work with Time Perspective highlighted two important principles that we will use for your Milestone 1 of your group project (Assessment Design Studio.) 1. A psychological construct is not the same as the evidence we use to assess it. Psychological constructs are abstract – we cannot observe them directly. Instead, we look for observable or reportable indicators: thoughts, feelings, behaviours, choices, responses, or performances that may provide evidence about the underlying construct. A questionnaire, interview, self-report, observation, or test is not an indicator. These are methods or formats we may use to collect evidence. When thinking about a construct, ask: What would I expect to observe, hear, or learn about a person if this construct were present? The basic logic is: CONSTRUCT → INDICATORS → EVIDENCE → INFERENCE ABOUT THE CONSTRUCT 2. Psychological constructs must be grounded in theory and research. A familiar psychological term does not necessarily have one obvious or universally agreed meaning. Different theories may define the same construct differently, propose different dimensions, or revise its structure as new evidence becomes available. The Time Perspective example illustrated this well: encountering different versions or numbers of dimensions is not simply a problem to eliminate. It tells us that we need to ask which theoretical model we are using and what evidence supports it. Before asking “How can we measure this construct?”, we therefore need to ask: “What exactly do we mean by this construct, and what psychological theory and evidence support this conceptualization?” This is the starting point for Milestone 1 of your Assessment Design Studio.

Your task is to select a meaningful psychological construct that will serve as the basis for your group project: proposing and creating a prototype of a psychological test. At this stage, your main goal is to develop and justify a clear, evidence-based conceptualization of your construct and to consider what observable or reportable evidence could provide information about it. PLEASE READ attached RECOMENDED PROCEDURE FOR Milestone 1 of ADS PLEASE READ attached Assignment 1 INSTRUCTIONS

This lesson focuses on psychological tests as professional tools. We will examine why access to a test does not automatically mean competence to use it and how professional responsibility extends across the whole assessment process: from selecting and administering a test to interpreting and communicating its results. We will then shift from the test-user perspective to the test-taker perspective and explore the rights of people being assessed. Particular attention will be given to informed consent, communication of test findings, privacy and confidentiality, including situations in which these principles become ethically complex. Through case-based activities, we will consider how these principles apply in practice, including assessment of children and situations in which professional responsibilities may come into tension. By the end of the lesson, you should be able to think about psychological testing not simply as the administration of a test, but as a professional process involving competence, evidence, judgement, responsibility, and respect for the person being assessed. Reading: Cohen et al. Ch.2 Key concepts: Psychological test as a professional tool • test-user competence • qualification levels (A–B–C) • administration vs. interpretation • professional responsibility • developmental appropriateness • vulnerability • computerized testing • informed consent • competence/capacity to consent • deception • debriefing • privacy • confidentiality • limits of confidentiality • third-party presence • professional judgement Key professional frameworks: American Psychological Association (APA) — ethical standards; psychological assessment and evaluation guidelines APA Ethics Code 8.07 & 8.08 — deception in research and debriefing

We will first return to an unfinished topic from our previous class and continue our discussion of ethics in psychological testing, with particular attention to the responsibilities and ethical considerations associated with the test user. The second part of the session will focus on our Group Assessment Project. We will reflect on the first milestone, discuss feedback on your Construct Rationale, and use this feedback to move towards the next stage of assessment development: refining the link between the construct, possible sources of evidence, measurable indicators, and assessment format. Finally, we will clarify the study framework for the course and preparation for the Midterm Evaluation (14 October). We will discuss how to use the weekly topics, lecture structure, recommended readings, and key concepts in MyLearning to guide your preparation and understanding of the material covered so far.

This section is designed to help you prepare for the Midterm Test.

Developing Psychological Tests: From Constructs to Test Items This lesson focuses on the first steps in developing a psychological test. We will begin by revisiting the idea that psychological tests provide samples of observable behaviour from which we make inferences about underlying psychological constructs. We will then explore how a clearly defined construct is translated into a test: identifying behaviours or responses that may serve as indicators of the construct, making basic decisions about the purpose and format of the test, and considering how test scores will be interpreted. Particular attention will be given to scaling – the rules by which responses are translated into numerical values – using simple scoring systems, rating scales, Likert scales, and Guttman scaling as examples. Finally, we will move from these conceptual decisions to writing test items. You will begin applying these principles to your Group Project by considering appropriate response and scoring formats and starting to develop an item pool that represents different aspects of your construct. Suplementary Reading: Cohen et al. – Chapter 8: Test Development (This chapter provides supplementary reading for Lecture 6, focusing on the fundamental principles of psychological test construction.It expands on the topics introduced in class, particularly test conceptualization, scaling, item writing, and the development of an initial item pool. Pay particular attention to the sections on scaling and item writing, and consider how decisions about item formats and scoring relate to the construct being measured.) Key concepts: psychological construct • operational definition • behavioural indicators • test conceptualization • test construction • test tryout • norm-referenced testing • criterion-referenced testing • scaling • scoring rules • rating scale • Likert scale • ordinal scale • Guttman scale • response format • test item • item pool

In Milestone 1, your group selected a psychological construct, explored its theoretical background, developed a working definition, and identified potential indicators. In Milestone 2, your task is to translate your theoretical understanding of the construct into a concrete assessment design. You will prepare the first coherent draft of your psychological assessment tool (your TEST), including its brief theoretical rationale, proposed format, an initial set of items or tasks, and a scoring approach. Your work should build directly on Milestone 1, incorporating the feedback you received and further developing your original ideas. Please use L1 slides to navigate your in the flow of the GP. Also, you can use - as a starting point fo ML1- attached document describing the flow of ADS(group project) journey

Please bring your laptop to work on your assignment in MyLearning. You can bring relevant study materials (ppt , chapters of the reading assigned to particulat topics, your hanswritten notes) in printed form.

This lecture introduces the basic statistical concepts essential for understanding and interpreting psychological test scores. We will explore why individual differences and variability are fundamental to psychological testing and how statistical methods help us describe and compare test performance. The lecture focuses on measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode), measures of variability (range, variance, and standard deviation), and the distribution of test scores. Particular attention is given to the normal distribution, its properties, and the role of standard deviation in understanding individual differences. Key Concepts: Individual differences, raw scores, frequency distribution, central tendency, mean, median, mode, variability, range, variance, standard deviation, symmetrical and skewed distributions, normal distribution, floor and ceiling effects, standard scores, z-scores, reference group, norms, measurement error. Recommended Reading: Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. Psychological Testing and Assessment, Chapter 3: A Statistics Refresher (pp. 75–115). Please read esp. pages 81-101 that follow Lecture 7:-)

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Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics - PSY309 Fall 2026

1. Course Description

2. Student Learning Outcomes

3. Reading Material

4. Teaching methodology

5. Course Schedule

6. Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

7. General Requirements and School Policies

General Requirements

Electronic Communication and Submission

Attendance

Absence Excuse and Make-Up Options

Late Work: No late submissions will be accepted – please follow the deadlines.

Electronic Devices

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Academic Tutoring Center

Course Accessibility and Inclusion

8. Grading Scale

1. L_Course Introduction: Why Do Psychologists Assess People?

2. L_Psychological Assessment and Psychological Testing

3. L_Psychological Testing: A History of Measuring People (16.9.2026)

4. GP_Lessons Learned(Group project 16.9.2026)

5. GP_Milestone 1: Choosing and Defining Your Psychological Construct (25.9.2026)

6. L_Psy Tests as Professional Tools and Ethics (Proffesional perspective 25.9.26)

7. L_Ethics in Psychological Testing (User perspective; 30.9. 2026)

8. GP_ Milestone 1 Feedback

9. Get Ready for the Midterm Test

10. L6 _Developing Psychological Tests

11. GP_Milestone 2 instructions

12. Midterm Test – 14.10.2026

13. L7:A Statistics Refresher for Psych.Assesment