Question

Shanique takes a personality test in which she is asked to count to 10 and identify pictures of animals. This personality test most lacks a. validity b. reliability c. consistency d. norming

Short answer

The test most lacks validity.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Test Components

Shanique's personality test involves counting to 10 and identifying pictures of animals. These tasks assess basic arithmetic and visual recognition abilities rather than exploring personality traits. This disconnect helps us identify what aspect the test lacks.

Define the Key Terms

**Validity** refers to how well a test measures what it is supposed to measure. **Reliability** relates to the consistency of the test results over time. **Consistency** is similar to reliability but mainly focuses on how uniform the measurement process is. **Norming** involves setting standards or norms based on a population.

Identify the Correct Answer

Since the test includes simple tasks like counting and identifying animals, which do not align with evaluating one's personality, it fails to measure what it intends to - thus lacking in **validity**.

Key concepts

Validity

In psychological testing, validity is critical because it ensures that a test accurately measures the concept it's intended to assess. For a test to be valid, its tasks must directly relate to the trait in question. In Shanique's case, the personality test asked her to count numbers and identify animal pictures. These activities primarily test cognitive skills rather than exploring her personality. Hence, the test lacks validity because it does not effectively evaluate the intended psychological traits.

There are different types of validity, including:

• Content Validity: Ensures that the test covers all relevant aspects of the concept.
• Criterion-related Validity: Evaluates how well the test correlates with a specific outcome or criterion.
• Construct Validity: Assesses whether the test truly measures the theoretical construct it claims to assess.

These factors must be considered when developing tests to ensure they serve their intended purpose. By focusing on the alignment of test activities with the constructs, psychologists can create more valid and reliable assessments.

Personality Assessment

Personality assessment aims to explore and measure various aspects of an individual's character and behavior. It's a specialized field within psychological testing with a focus on identifying traits such as openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion.

Effective personality assessments use tools like:

• Questionnaires: Structured sets of questions designed to elicit specific personality characteristics.
• Projective Tests: Use ambiguous stimuli to uncover the test-taker's unconscious feelings and thoughts.
• Behavioral Observation: Analyzing a person's actions in various situations to understand their personality traits.

For a personality test to be effective, it should measure components that are theoretical and empirically linked to personality constructs. This focus ensures that the test results are reflective of truly inherent personal characteristics, rather than unrelated skills or abilities.

Test Construction

Building a psychological test involves multiple steps to ensure its effectiveness and accuracy. Test construction demands meticulous planning and execution to cater to specific assessment goals.

Essential steps in test construction include:

• Defining the Purpose: Clearly outlining what the test intends to measure, such as a specific psychological trait or ability.
• Item Development: Creating questions or tasks that are aligned with the test’s purpose and factor in test-takers' background and cultural context.
• Pilot Testing: Administering the test to a sample group to identify any issues or biases in the questions.
• Analysis and Revision: Evaluating pilot results to refine test items and improve validity and reliability.

Through these steps, test designers can ensure that their assessments reliably measure the intended constructs while providing useful and applicable results. This process helps in making thoughtful decisions on what each test should encompass and how to address areas lacking in validity, as seen in Shanique's case.