Verified Document

Understanding Scales And Reference Standards For Counselors Term Paper

Norm- Versus Criterion-Referenced Tests The difference between norm- and criterion-referenced tests is that the former compares test scores to a reference group, while the latter compares test scores to a performance standard. Norm-referenced tests are quite common. For example, student reading performance in primary schools may be compared to the mean score for all children of the same age. The norm comparison group would likely consist of all students within a school district, state, or nation who took the same test at the same age. Students who scored lower or higher than the mean for the norm reference group would be ranked as low or high achievers. Imagine, however, if someone wishing to qualify for a motor vehicle license was only required to achieve a score close to the mean score for all drivers? Using a norm-referenced driver test would likely be a bad public safety choice, especially if there are a lot of bad drivers on the road.

By comparison, public safety would be better served if all licensed drivers were required to understand 90% of road signs, be able to parallel park, and could navigate a complex and busy intersection without any problems. These represent standards of performance and therefore driver's tests are typically criterion-referenced tests. When using a criterion-referenced test it does not matter whether the majority of the population performs more poorly or better than the reference standard because the standard is not tied to population performance statistics. This is probably the most important difference between norm- and criterion-referenced tests, because the performance of the norm-referenced group may change over time, thereby altering the performance standards of the test. By comparison, the reference standards on a criterion-referenced test will not change, regardless of changes in the sampled population.

Question 2: Qualities of norming groups

There are no standards that can be...

Although selection of the norming group depends largely on who is conducting the testing, all norming groups should be adequately described to facilitate the performance testing being done and to provide enough information for other researchers interested in using the norming group for their own needs. Other considerations include a group size sufficient to create enough power for statistical comparisons. Norming groups are often minimally described using the demographic variables of age, gender, ethnicity, education, and income.
When children are administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) the scores obtained are compared to mean test scores of children at the same age (School Psychologist Files, n.d.). The means were obtained by having thousands of children take the test, which implies the intelligence measured by the WISC is in comparison to norming groups stratified by age. When Yang and colleagues (2013) administered the WISC, version IV, to Taiwanese school children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) they were comparing the scores to norming groups from China. Adequate norming groups for this study would have been Chinese children stratified by age; however, the authors expressed some concern about the validity of the comparison between WISC scores obtained by Taiwanese children and those obtained by children living in mainland China, due to cultural differences. This example does illustrate, however, how complex the qualities of a norming group can be and how important it is to select an appropriate norming group for a specific comparison.

Question 3: Scales

There are four basic scales that can be used in assessments: (1) nominal,…

Sources used in this document:
References

Ashworth, B., Dilks, L., Hutchinson, K., Hayes, S., Moore, M., Orozoco, A. et al., (2014). A-67A pilot study of age and education norms for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 29(6), 527-8.

School Psychologist Files. (n.d.). Understanding test scores. Retrieved from http://schoolpsychologistfiles.com/testscores/.

Yang, P., Cheng, C.P., Chang, C.L., Liu, T.L., Hsu, H.Y., & Yen, C.F. (2013). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th edition -- Chinese version index scores in Taiwanese children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 67(2), 83-91.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Understanding Business Ethics
Words: 839 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Business Ethics A corporate ethics officer is a relatively new position in terms of modern corporate structure. However, in an age of such ethical uncertainty, this position is becoming more necessary than ever thought of. Overall, the ethics officer has three major roles in the corporation: company security, counselor, and compliance officer. First and foremost, ethics officers are a major part of any corporation's security force. Essentially, "an ethics officer is

Understanding Ethnic Identity
Words: 2664 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Racism Psychology The diverse nature of the world we live in provides both a source of inspiration and challenge. The challenging aspects of diversity are heightened within a counseling environment where the crossroads of identity and culture meet and intersect. To be successful in any counseling attempt the psychic power of empathy must be employed in order to reach out and communicate to the one seeking help. The concept of the self

Ethical Standards in Research Has
Words: 3506 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

Moreover, the researcher who falsifies the data is prone to legal action as has been the case in the past when researchers have falsified research results (Normile C, 2006). Therefore, in order to deal with this grave issue, it is important to ensure that the data being incorporated in the research paper has been properly handled and it is being reported correct. Ensuring this would satisfy the ethical standards

Counseling School Counselors Play an
Words: 3837 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Attitudes toward the teacher-psychologist working relationship and the utility of advice on classroom management were most positive among promoted teachers, followed by psychologists, and then new and unpromoted staff. Student Involvement The attitudes of the students are clearly of importance to the school health counselor and must be taken into account in both the consultative and counseling roles. West, Kayser, Overton, and Saltmarsh (1991) note certain student perceptions that inhibit counseling.

Roles Counselors Play, Particularly School
Words: 1745 Length: 7 Document Type: Research Paper

In addition, Boggs (1998) suggests that family relationships and background issues should be discussed. Even though Sophia's family is supportive and encouraging her to go to college, they are also focusing on their own unfulfilled dreams. Sophia should be encouraged to determine her own dreams. The role of the counselor is critical here. As the United States has become a nation where those with college degrees typically earn significantly more

Emotional Intelligence and Adolescent Smoking
Words: 6326 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

These factors were used to develop the Emotional Intelligence portion of the study. The study encompassed all four of these skill areas, placing equal weight on all four factors. Assumptions and Limitations As with any survey-based study, there are several assumptions and limiting factors that may effect the results obtained. Self-reporting surveys can be criticized for their inability to measure the honesty of the test subject. It is assumed that the test

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now