ORTA Table of Contents

As soon as new readings are received, these will be added.

Note that yellow underlined entries refer to introductory texts and that orange underlined entries refer to intermediate level texts.

1. Origin and basis of testing and assessment

• Historical perspectives
• Nature and use of tests and measurements
• Defining and measuring psychological and educational attributes

2. Psychometric principles of psychological and educational measurement

• Basic concepts in measurement and statistics
  • Dichotomous variables
• Test theory
• Classical test theory
• Item Response theory (Rasch, Mokken)
• Norms and their uses
• Reliability
• Validity
• Item Analysis

3. General psychological attributes

• Intelligence (general and separate abilities)
• Personality
• Interests

4. Test development

• Process of test development
  • Item writing
• Computerized testing and Internet tests
  • The internet and testing
  • Computer-based testing
• Good practices for test developers
• Reviewing tests
• Preparing psychometricians

5. Test use

• Test delivery, administration and scoring
• Feedback and reporting
• Preparing assessment practitioners in applied settings
• Testing individuals with special needs
• Fair practices in testing and test use
• Test motivation, test anxiety, test attitudes
• Rights and responsibilities of test-takers
• Test security
  • New technology and security risks
  • The relationship between security and validity
  • Standards of security
  • How to cheat or steal questions
  • New analyses for security

6. Educational Testing

• Developing and Using Educational Tests
• Individual and institutional decision making
• Credentialing examinations
• Testing and Assessing Children and Youth

7. Occupational Testing

• Measures of Job Performance
• Validity of Personnel Tests
• Applicant Reactions to Testing
• Measuring complex skills (high fidelity simulations, work samples)
• The selection interview
• The Situational Judgment Test
• The Assessment Center
• Validation strategies
• Testing in the Military
• Occupational Integrity Testing

8. Clinical Testing

• Diagnostic Testing
• Clinical Tests
• Clinical Judgment
• Neuropsychological Assessment
• Health-related assessment

9. Cross-cultural Testing

• Test adaptation methodology
• Item bias
• Using tests in cross-cultural and multicultural settings
  • Testing in other cultures and languages
  • Cross-cultural testing

10. Testing and Society

• Social Implications and Ethics of Testing
• Critical discussion: alternatives to psychological tests
• Tests, policy making and politics
• Geriatric assessment, assessment of aging
• Forensic and psycholegal testing
• Future perspectives