University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Curriculum Proposal Form #4A
Change in an Existing Course
Type of Action (check all that apply)
Course Revision (include course description & former and new syllabus)
Contact Hour Change and or Credit Change
Diversity Option
General Education Option
area: Select one: *
Grade Basis
Repeatability Change
Other:
* Note:
For the Gen Ed option, the proposal should address how this course relates to specific core courses, meets the goals of General
Education in providing breadth, and incorporates scholarship in the appropriate field relating to women and gender.
Effective Term: 2157 (Fall 2015)
Current Course Number (subject area and 3-digit course number): PSYCH 440
Current Course Title:
Psychological Tests and Measurement
Sponsor(s):
Shen Zhang & Elizabeth Olson
Department(s):
Psychology
College(s):
Letters and Sciences
List all programs that are affected by this change:
Psychology
If programs are listed above, will this change affect the Catalog and Advising Reports for those
programs? If so, have Form 2's been submitted for each of those programs?
(Form 2 is necessary to provide updates to the Catalog and Advising Reports)
NA
Yes
Proposal Information:
I.
They will be submitted in the future
(Procedures for form #4A)
Detailed explanation of changes (use FROM/TO format)
FROM:
PSYCH 440 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS ... Demonstrates the
principles of psychological measurement. Demonstrates contents and uses of specific tests
of mental ability, achievement, personality, interests, and special abilities. Field work: Group
examination of regional schools' testing program - analysis of tests of this program.
TO:
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PSYCH 440 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS ... Demonstrates the
principles of psychological measurement. Demonstrates contents and uses of specific
tests of mental ability, achievement, personality, interests, and special abilities.
II.
Justification for action
This course used to be slash-listed as 640/440, required for graduate students in the school
psychology program and also available to advanced undergraduates. Over the past several
years, the course content at the 640 level has been reorganized into various assessment
courses currently taught in the graduate school psychology program. Although at the
graduate level this course is no longer needed, consider that our undergraduate psychology
majors are not eligible to take assessment courses in the graduate program, we revise this
course to provide a general foundation in tests and measurement for interested undergraduate
students, and especially to fulfill a requirement within the Psychological Science emphasis to
prepare interested psychology majors for graduate study in applied areas of psychology.
III.
Syllabus/outline (if course revision, include former syllabus and new syllabus)
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PSYCH 440
Psychological Tests & Measurement
FALL 2013
____________________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Shen Zhang
OFFICE: Laurentide Hall 1217
EMAIL: zhangs@uww.edu (This is the best way to reach me*)
PHONE: 472-5430
OFFICE HOURS: M&W 10-11am; T&R 11am -12pm, R 2-3pm, or by appointment
CLASS MEETS: T&R 9:30am-10:45pm in Winther Hall 2013, except notified otherwise.
*All messages must include your full name and course number (PSYCH 440).
__________________________________________________________________________
REQUIRED TEXT: Aiken, L. R., & Groth-Marnat, G. (2006). Psychological testing and assessment. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon. Available from University Textbook Rental.
TOOLS & SOFTWARE: A calculator with square root key; Access to the SPSS software (optional)
COURSE D2L WEBSITE: Syllabus and lecture notes, as well as additional information on course topics will
be posted on D2L. You will be alerted to new posts via UW-W e-mail.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: [From the course catalog: This course demonstrates the principles of psychological
measurement; demonstrates contents and uses of specific tests of mental ability, achievement,
personality, interests, and special abilities. Prereq Psych 215 and junior standing. ]
The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to the theory, method, and application/practice
of psychological measurement and testing. Students will learn the basic principles of psychological
testing, the fundamentals of test construction, standardization, and administration, the psychometric
background of tests (such as reliability and validity assessment), and skills in understanding and
interpreting test results. Students will be exposed to some commonly used tests in the field of
psychology, education, and business settings. They will learn about the ethics and societal issues of
testing and assessment, and gain experience with test selection and evaluation. Elementary statistics
necessary to test evaluation and interpretation will be an important part of the course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Explain basic concepts and principles associated with psychological measurement and testing.
2. Appreciate historical progress of psychological measurement, and describe the importance and
applications of psychological measurement in current society.
3. Articulate general approaches of psychological testing, the process of test construction,
standardization, and administration.
4. Perform basic statistics and acquire meaningful information related to test construction and
interpretation.
5. Interpret psychometric properties of tests, such as reliability and validity, and practical issues of
psychological tests.
6. Identify tests that measure human characteristics and behavior in different domains covered in
class, with knowledge of the content, theoretical foundations and application.
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7. Gather information and critically evaluate the quality and utility of tests from scientific journal
articles, and present written arguments following the APA style.
8. Recognize ethical, cultural, and societal issues concerning the use of psychological tests and
assessment.
COURSE ORGANIZATION: This course is divided into two parts. The first part of this course (before Exam 1)
will be devoted to basic issues such as the purposes and history of tests, conceptual and statistical
issues related to test construction and interpretation. The second part of the course (after Exam 1)
will be examining several major types of tests (and assessment) for different settings in which
psychologists practice.
The format of this course will consist of lectures, discussions, statistic exercises, and other activities.
Lectures will elaborate and expand on key concepts and ideas from the textbook. Prior to coming to
class, you are expected to complete readings or other assignments required and be prepared for
discussion. I reserve the right to assign additional readings at my discretion.
COURSE PARTICIPATION & ATTENDANCE: I do not take attendance but you, the students, are expected to
attend all classes and be actively engaged in the classroom activities. In-class exercises and
discussion are equivalently important as lectures in this course. You may be called upon to
participate during class. You are expected to share your knowledge and experience with others so
we can all benefit from our collective insights. Should circumstances result in your missing a class, it
is YOUR responsibility to obtain information presented or materials distributed while you were
absent.
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: No “incomplete” grades will be given except in extraordinary circumstances.
Your grade in this course will be based on the following:
Exams + Quizzes (280 points):
There will be two exams in this semester on your understanding of the course materials. Each exam
will be worth 100 points. There will also be nine online quizzes from D2L, with 10 points for each quiz,
and your lowest quiz score will be dropped for calculating the final grade.
ANY material that is required or covered in class may be on the exams and quizzes, including
readings, lectures, exercises, and discussion. Exam 2 in general will cover what we have done in
class since Exam 1, however due to the nature of the course, the material is cumulative, and
therefore knowing earlier material will help you do well on Exam2.
NO make-up quiz/exam will be given for unexcused absence for the scheduled exam. It is your
responsibility to notify me in a timely manner if an emergency causes you to miss an exam. In order
to schedule a make-up exam, any absence must get my approval with sufficient documents. I reserve
the right to decide the format and the date of the make-up.
Assignments (120 points)
I will collect various assignments from your in-class activities and homework throughout the semester,
which will earn you a maximum of 120 points in total. At the end of the semester, I will decide which
of these assignments are counted for those points. The purpose of these assignments is for you to
gain hands-on experience applying the concepts learned in the course.
Among these assignments, there will be a test development exercise that is worth 40 points. This
assignment asks you to develop a questionnaire measure, test its quality, and write a report. Detailed
instructions will be available later.
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The rest assignments may be in the following formats: short written responses to questions asked in
class, reflective essays on a particular topic, elementary stats/calculation, SPSS work, and online or
library database search. They will be graded based on the quality. You may also acquire test-taking
experience at the UWW test center or with psychology graduate students.
Homework and due dates will be announced during class and posted on D2L. Points will be docked
for late or incomplete assignments.
Test Evaluation Paper (100 points)
This paper aims to help you practice integrating course knowledge with critical thinking skills in
evaluating tests, and communicating your findings in a clear, logical written format.
For this purpose, you will individually complete one written evaluation of a psychological test of your
choice. The test must be published and still in use. Your paper should incorporate significant
discussions of 3-5 scholarly articles related to the test, follow the APA guidelines, and be 8 to 12pages, excluding cover page, references, etc.
Your paper will describe the psychology construct that you are interested, and may include a brief
historical overview of the construct, a critical evaluation of existing instruments used to measure the
construct, and a detailed description of the test you choose (item generation, basis for item selection,
studies to evaluate reliability and validity, etc.). Your paper shall also discuss any merits, issues, or
problems with the test in actual research.
Your paper topic and research articles to be reviewed must get my approval in order to ensure this
writing project is both feasible and relevant.
Please see the detailed instruction and grading rubric distributed.
Total: 500 points (Exams + Quizzes 280 pts, Assignments 120 pts, Paper 100 pts)
FINAL GRADES will be determined according to the following grade scale:
A 465-500
A- 450-464
B+ 435-449
B 415-434
B- 400-414
C+ 385-399
C 365-384
C- 350-364
D+ 335-349
D 315-334
D- 300-314
F 0-299
CLASSROOM COURTESY: You are expected to show courtesy in class by refraining from chatting, sleeping,
answering phone calls, texting messages, reading newspapers, studying for other courses, and other
distracting behavior.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: I would like this class to be an optimal learning experience for all students. If
you have special needs or concerns related to this course, please let me know (via email or office
visit) as soon as you believe you need them. I will respect the confidentiality of the information.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: As a student in this course you are expected to adhere to the highest standards of
academic honesty. Cheating on exams, plagiarism, and attempting to claim credit for work not
performed or any other form of academic misconduct will be penalized to the fullest extent as
permitted in UWS Chapter 14.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive and non-discriminatory learning
environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with
University policies regarding Special Accommodations, Academic Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodation,
Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events (for details please refer to the Schedule of Classes; the
“Rights and Responsibilities” section of the Undergraduate Catalog; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the
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Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate Catalog; and the “Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures (UWS
Chapter 14); and the “Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures" (UWS Chapter 17).
Tentative Schedule
Date
Topic
9/3
T
9/5
R
9/10
T
9/12
R
9/17
T
9/19
R
9/24
T
9/26
R
10/1
T
10/3
10/8
R
T
10/10
R
10/15
T
10/17
R
10/22
T
10/24
R
10/29
T
Exam 1
10/31
R
Work Day
11/5
T
Intelligence testing
11/7
R
11/12
11/14
T
R
Ind. & Group Differences
Neuropsychological
Assessment
11/19
11/21
T
R
Achievement Tests
Issues in Ability Testing
11/26
T
11/28
R
Personality Assessment
Thanks giving Break
12/3
T
12/5
R
12/10
T
12/17
T
Reading and Due Dates
Introduction, History, & Ethics
Ch1
Quiz 1
Stats Refresher
Appendix A (pp. 439- 453)
Quiz 2
Test Development,
Standardization, &
Administration
Ch2
Ch13 (pp.304-308), Ch16 (pp.382-390)
Ch4 Ch3
Quiz 3
Item Analysis
Ch4
Quiz 4 Paper topic & references due
Reliability
Ch5
Quiz 5
Validity
Ch5
Quiz 6
Paper 1st draft due
Ch6
Quiz 7
Ch7
Ch8
Quiz 8
Ch9
Ch10
Ch14, Ch17, Ch 18
Vocational interests
Ch12
Quiz9
7:45-9:45am Exam 2
Final version of paper due
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