Test Evaluations 2: Please Note This Is A Sample Paper Meant

Test Evaluations 2 Please Note: This is a sample paper meant to illustrate the

Evaluate three psychological tests not covered in class or the textbook, focusing on their psychometric properties, purpose, design, and relevance to your academic or career plans. Use the Mental Measurement Yearbook through the LibertyOnline Library to inform your evaluation. Each review should be approximately two pages long, follow APA format, and include details such as the test's purpose, type, norms, reliability, validity, and justification for selection. Incorporate credible sources and provide full references for the tests and reviewers. Ensure your writing is clear, well-structured, and free of grammatical errors.

Paper For Above instruction

Psychological testing plays a pivotal role in clinical, educational, and research settings, providing structured insights into individual characteristics, capabilities, and disorders. Selecting appropriate assessments requires careful evaluation of their psychometric properties, purpose, design, and applicability to specific populations or issues. This paper reviews three different psychological tests—each serving distinct functions and targeted populations—focusing on their psychometric strengths, limitations, and relevance to current or future professional endeavors.

1. The AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, School Edition (ABS-SE)

The AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, School Edition (ABS-SE) was developed by Elliott (1981) under the auspices of the American Association on Mental Deficiency (AAMD). Designed primarily for evaluating personal independence and social skills in children between ages 3 and 17, the test provides a comprehensive measure of adaptive functioning across 21 domains. This instrument serves multiple purposes, including identifying children with developmental disabilities, planning educational placements, and monitoring progress over time.

The test comprises 95 items formatted in various ways, ranging from behavioral and objective to subjective and personalized items. The assessment can be administered either through direct observation, parent interviews, or third-party reports, thereby offering flexibility in diverse settings. Although the manual reports high internal consistency with coefficient alpha values from .71 to .97, explicit validity data are limited. The validity evidence includes correlations with intelligence assessments and the capacity to distinguish between typically developing children and those with disabilities. Norms are stratified by gender and ethnicity, enhancing the specificity of interpretation.

However, the test's psychometric limitations, such as limited external validity evidence and potential cultural biases in some items, should be considered. Despite these shortcomings, the ABS-SE remains valuable for broad-based developmental assessment, especially when complemented with other measures and clinical judgment. Its relevance is underscored for educational and clinical professionals working with diverse populations, including children with behavioral disorders or developmental delays.

2. The Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener (PADDS)

The Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener (PADDS), developed by Pedigo et al. (2008), is aimed at identifying Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6 to 12 years. This computerized screening tool incorporates multiple measures, including diagnostic interviews, behavioral observations, and computer-administered tasks, designed to facilitate efficient and accurate ADHD diagnosis. The typical administration takes approximately 35-40 minutes, with automated scoring providing immediate results in terms of T-scores, Z-scores, and percentile ranks.

Psychometrically, PADDS exhibits robust properties. Its internal consistency coefficient is reported at .86, with test-retest reliability of .85 over intervals of 1 to 2 years. Validity evidence encompasses concurrent, convergent, discriminant, and construct validity, supported by correlations with other established ADHD measures. Notably, the test's design emphasizes behavioral observation and performance-based tasks, aligning well with theories underpinning ADHD assessment, which target both cognitive and behavioral dimensions.

A limitation of PADDS involves the need for specialized equipment and training, which may limit accessibility in some settings. Nevertheless, its well-documented reliability and validity, combined with its objective measures, make it a valuable tool for early identification and intervention planning in clinical and educational contexts. For future professionals, especially those aspiring to work in pediatric neuropsychology or school psychology, familiarity with PADDS offers a strategic advantage in holistic assessment practices.

3. The Personality Assessment Inventory - Adolescent (PAI-A)

The Personality Assessment Inventory for Adolescents (PAI-A), authored by Morey (2007), is a self-report measure designed for examining personality features, emotional functioning, and psychopathology in adolescents aged 12 to 18. It contains 264 items answered on a 4-point Likert scale, with a typical completion time of 30 to 45 minutes. The demographic and normative data are based on a sample of 707 adolescents, with scoring producing various scales, including clinical, treatment consideration, and interpersonal functioning indices.

The PAI-A demonstrates excellent psychometric properties, with internal consistency coefficients generally exceeding .78 and test-retest reliability averaging .78 after approximately 18 days. Its validity evidence covers multiple aspects, including criterion-related validity—supported by correlations with other adolescent personality and mental health measures—and construct validity, established through factor analysis and theoretical foundations.

The instrument's strengths lie in its comprehensive scope and clinical utility. It enables mental health professionals to identify risk factors, symptoms, and personality patterns critical for treatment planning, especially for adolescents with complex behavioral issues or comorbid conditions. Its ease of administration and interpretability also make it accessible to a broad range of practitioners, enhancing its relevance in both clinical and educational settings.

My choice of these assessments reflects their diverse applications—ranging from developmental and adaptive functioning (ABS-SE), behavioral and cognitive screening (PADDS), to personality and emotional assessment (PAI-A). Such a selection aligns with my interest in working with children and adolescents facing behavioral, emotional, or developmental challenges. Their psychometric strengths, relevance to clinical work, and the ability to inform targeted interventions make them invaluable tools for my future practice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selecting appropriate psychological assessments hinges on a thorough understanding of their psychometric properties and their relevance to specific populations and issues. The ABS-SE, PADDS, and PAI-A exemplify instruments with strong reliability, validity, and utility across different contexts. As future practitioners, critical evaluation of these tools ensures informed decision-making and enhances the quality of assessments, ultimately benefiting client outcomes. Continuous review of psychometric research and development is essential to stay current with advances in psychological measurement.

References

• Elliott, S. N. (1981). Test review of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, School Edition (ABS-SE). In J. V. Mitchell, Jr. (Ed.), The ninth mental measurement yearbook. Retrieved from the Buros University Mental Measurements Yearbook online database.
• Morey, L. C. (2007). The Personality Assessment Inventory-Adolescent. In J. V. Mitchell, Jr. (Ed.), The ninth mental measurement yearbook. Retrieved from the Buros University Mental Measurement Yearbook online database.
• Pedigo, T. K., Pedigo, K. L., Scott, V. B. Jr., Swanson, J. M., Nolan, W., & Pelham, W. E. (2008). Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener. Okeechobee, FL: Targeted Testing Inc.
• Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. (2007). Personality Assessment Inventory- Adolescent. Lutz, FL.
• Kade, H. D., & Sandoval, J. (2007). Test review of the Personality Assessment Inventory-Adolescent. In J. V. Mitchell, Jr. (Ed.), The ninth mental measurement yearbook. Retrieved from the Buros Institute's Mental Measurements Yearbook online database.
• Additional references sourced from the Mental Measurement Yearbook or peer-reviewed journal articles pertinent to each assessment's psychometric evaluation.