EPPP Assessment Exam Questions and
Answers
Psychological Assessment ANSWERS -Process of using psychological tests,
clinical interviews, behavioral observations, and other assessment tools to gather data
on an individual's cognitive, social, and behavioral functioning for the purpose of
description, classification, prediction, and intervention
Examiner Qualifications ANSWERS -Level A: may be administered and
interpreted by a non-psychologist
-Level B: require some technical knowledge of test construction and use, as well as
completion of supporting educational and psychological subjects
-Level C: should be administered only by individuals with at least an MA in psychology
and at least one year of supervised experience under a psychologist
Reliability vs Validity ANSWERS -Reliability: degree to which test scores are free
from the effects of measurement error
Validity: degree to which a test measures what it was designed to measure
Standardization ANSWERS -The examinee's responses, the apparatus, and the
scoring have been fixed so the scores collected at different times and places are fully
comparable; any deviations from standardized administration and scoring may result in
invalid conclusions
-The test has been administered under standard conditions to a representative sample
for the purpose of establishing norms; the greater the discrepancy between the
examinee and the norm group, the less likely the test results will be valid
Types of Scoring ANSWERS -Norm-Referenced: comparison between an
examinee's scores and the scores of the norm group; percentile ranks, standard scores
-Criterion-Referenced: domain or content referenced; scores based on what the
examinee can do or knows with regard to clearly defined content; percent correct
-Self-Referenced: ipsative; intra-individual comparison of scores; relative strengths or
weaknesses
Behavioral Assessment ANSWERS -Focuses on overt and covert behaviors that
occur in specific circumstances
-May utilize behavioral interviews, observation, cognitive assessment, or
psychophysiological measures
-Functional behavioral assessment (FBA): determines the purpose of a behavior by
identifying antecedents and consequences
,Dynamic Assessment ANSWERS -Interactive approach and deliberate deviation
from standardized procedures to obtain additional information about the examinee
-Associated with educational assessment
-Testing the limits: involves providing examinees with additional cues, suggestions, or
feedback; ordinarily done after standardized administration
-Graduated prompting: giving the examinee a series of verbal prompts that are
graduated in terms of difficulty level
-Test-teach-retest: following the initial assessment with an intervention designed to
modify the examinee's performance, then re-assessing
Computer-Assisted Assessment ANSWERS -Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT):
computer tailors the test to an individual examinee by choosing subsequent items based
on previous answers
-Increases precision and efficacy, as all examinees are tested with the same degree of
reliability and reduced testing time
-Computer-based interpretations should not be used to replaced clinical judgement
Actuarial vs Clinical Predictions ANSWERS -Actuarial: statistical; based on
empirically validated relationship between test results and specific criteria
-Clinical: based on the decision-maker's intuition, experience, and knowledge; clinical
judgement
-Research has found that actuarial method alone is more accurate than clinical
judgement alone
Assessing Children ANSWERS -Interviews can be used to obtain reliable and
valid data from children as young as 6
-Goals include establishing rapport and maintaining the child's cooperation, and can be
accomplished by using descriptive statements, reflections, and open-ended questions;
providing labeled praise; and avoiding critical statements and leading questions
Assessing Members of Culturally Diverse Populations ANSWERS -Considerations
include acculturation, identity, language proficiency, availability of appropriate norms,
cultural equivalence of content measured by the test, and availability of more culturally
appropriate alternatives
-There are no truly culture-fair or culture-free tests
-Research has found no consistent effect of match or mismatch between examiner and
examinee in terms of race, ethnicity, or culture
Self-Report ANSWERS -One of the most common data collection methods
-Advantages include quick production and scoring, and low cost
-Disadvantages can include weaker reliability and validity
Multi-Informant Report ANSWERS -Advantages include increased information
about the client
-Disadvantages can include inconsistency in reports across various informants
, Psychophysiological Measures ANSWERS -Used to observe physiological
functions which can often describe the emotional state of an individual
-Advantages include ability to analyze momentary experiences without intervening in
the interaction while it occurs
-Disadvantages can include monetary expense and that not every momentary
experience may be important
Direct Observation ANSWERS -Observational study; method of collecting
evaluative information in which the evaluator watches the participant in their usual
environment to evaluate ongoing behavior processes; can be overt or covert
-Structured: most appropriate when standardized information needs to be gathered and
results in quantitative data
-Unstructured: provides qualitative data
-Disadvantages can include participant and observer bias
Structured vs Unstructured Interview ANSWERS -Structured: fixed set of close
questions; easier to replicate and test for reliability; not as flexible and answers may
lack detail
-Unstructured: more flexible; questions can be adapted as needed; generate a lot of
qualitative data; time consuming; interviewers need more training
Spearman's Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence ANSWERS -Proposed a general
intellectual factor (g)
-Argued that performance on any cognitive task depends on g plus one or more specific
factors (s) unique to the task
Horn and Cattell's Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence ANSWERS Crystallized (Gc):
acquired knowledge and skills; affected by educational and cultural experiences;
includes reading, numerical skill, and factual knowledge
Fluid (Gf): enables individuals to solve novel problems and perceive relations and
similarities; does not depend on specific instruction; relatively culture-free
-Crystalized intelligence increases until ~age 60, while fluid intelligence peaks in late
adolescence and then declines (related to declines in working memory and processing
speed)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ANSWERS -All disabled people
from infancy to 21 years must be evaluated by a team of specialists to determine their
specific needs
-An IEP must be developed for each disabled child enrolled in public education that
provides education in the "least restrictive environment" and that has been approved by
the child's parents
-While reliable, valid, and nondiscriminatory psychological and educational tests may be
used, assignment to special education classes cannot be made on the basis of IQ test
alone
Answers
Psychological Assessment ANSWERS -Process of using psychological tests,
clinical interviews, behavioral observations, and other assessment tools to gather data
on an individual's cognitive, social, and behavioral functioning for the purpose of
description, classification, prediction, and intervention
Examiner Qualifications ANSWERS -Level A: may be administered and
interpreted by a non-psychologist
-Level B: require some technical knowledge of test construction and use, as well as
completion of supporting educational and psychological subjects
-Level C: should be administered only by individuals with at least an MA in psychology
and at least one year of supervised experience under a psychologist
Reliability vs Validity ANSWERS -Reliability: degree to which test scores are free
from the effects of measurement error
Validity: degree to which a test measures what it was designed to measure
Standardization ANSWERS -The examinee's responses, the apparatus, and the
scoring have been fixed so the scores collected at different times and places are fully
comparable; any deviations from standardized administration and scoring may result in
invalid conclusions
-The test has been administered under standard conditions to a representative sample
for the purpose of establishing norms; the greater the discrepancy between the
examinee and the norm group, the less likely the test results will be valid
Types of Scoring ANSWERS -Norm-Referenced: comparison between an
examinee's scores and the scores of the norm group; percentile ranks, standard scores
-Criterion-Referenced: domain or content referenced; scores based on what the
examinee can do or knows with regard to clearly defined content; percent correct
-Self-Referenced: ipsative; intra-individual comparison of scores; relative strengths or
weaknesses
Behavioral Assessment ANSWERS -Focuses on overt and covert behaviors that
occur in specific circumstances
-May utilize behavioral interviews, observation, cognitive assessment, or
psychophysiological measures
-Functional behavioral assessment (FBA): determines the purpose of a behavior by
identifying antecedents and consequences
,Dynamic Assessment ANSWERS -Interactive approach and deliberate deviation
from standardized procedures to obtain additional information about the examinee
-Associated with educational assessment
-Testing the limits: involves providing examinees with additional cues, suggestions, or
feedback; ordinarily done after standardized administration
-Graduated prompting: giving the examinee a series of verbal prompts that are
graduated in terms of difficulty level
-Test-teach-retest: following the initial assessment with an intervention designed to
modify the examinee's performance, then re-assessing
Computer-Assisted Assessment ANSWERS -Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT):
computer tailors the test to an individual examinee by choosing subsequent items based
on previous answers
-Increases precision and efficacy, as all examinees are tested with the same degree of
reliability and reduced testing time
-Computer-based interpretations should not be used to replaced clinical judgement
Actuarial vs Clinical Predictions ANSWERS -Actuarial: statistical; based on
empirically validated relationship between test results and specific criteria
-Clinical: based on the decision-maker's intuition, experience, and knowledge; clinical
judgement
-Research has found that actuarial method alone is more accurate than clinical
judgement alone
Assessing Children ANSWERS -Interviews can be used to obtain reliable and
valid data from children as young as 6
-Goals include establishing rapport and maintaining the child's cooperation, and can be
accomplished by using descriptive statements, reflections, and open-ended questions;
providing labeled praise; and avoiding critical statements and leading questions
Assessing Members of Culturally Diverse Populations ANSWERS -Considerations
include acculturation, identity, language proficiency, availability of appropriate norms,
cultural equivalence of content measured by the test, and availability of more culturally
appropriate alternatives
-There are no truly culture-fair or culture-free tests
-Research has found no consistent effect of match or mismatch between examiner and
examinee in terms of race, ethnicity, or culture
Self-Report ANSWERS -One of the most common data collection methods
-Advantages include quick production and scoring, and low cost
-Disadvantages can include weaker reliability and validity
Multi-Informant Report ANSWERS -Advantages include increased information
about the client
-Disadvantages can include inconsistency in reports across various informants
, Psychophysiological Measures ANSWERS -Used to observe physiological
functions which can often describe the emotional state of an individual
-Advantages include ability to analyze momentary experiences without intervening in
the interaction while it occurs
-Disadvantages can include monetary expense and that not every momentary
experience may be important
Direct Observation ANSWERS -Observational study; method of collecting
evaluative information in which the evaluator watches the participant in their usual
environment to evaluate ongoing behavior processes; can be overt or covert
-Structured: most appropriate when standardized information needs to be gathered and
results in quantitative data
-Unstructured: provides qualitative data
-Disadvantages can include participant and observer bias
Structured vs Unstructured Interview ANSWERS -Structured: fixed set of close
questions; easier to replicate and test for reliability; not as flexible and answers may
lack detail
-Unstructured: more flexible; questions can be adapted as needed; generate a lot of
qualitative data; time consuming; interviewers need more training
Spearman's Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence ANSWERS -Proposed a general
intellectual factor (g)
-Argued that performance on any cognitive task depends on g plus one or more specific
factors (s) unique to the task
Horn and Cattell's Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence ANSWERS Crystallized (Gc):
acquired knowledge and skills; affected by educational and cultural experiences;
includes reading, numerical skill, and factual knowledge
Fluid (Gf): enables individuals to solve novel problems and perceive relations and
similarities; does not depend on specific instruction; relatively culture-free
-Crystalized intelligence increases until ~age 60, while fluid intelligence peaks in late
adolescence and then declines (related to declines in working memory and processing
speed)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ANSWERS -All disabled people
from infancy to 21 years must be evaluated by a team of specialists to determine their
specific needs
-An IEP must be developed for each disabled child enrolled in public education that
provides education in the "least restrictive environment" and that has been approved by
the child's parents
-While reliable, valid, and nondiscriminatory psychological and educational tests may be
used, assignment to special education classes cannot be made on the basis of IQ test
alone
