Research Methods and Techniques I: psychometrics

6 ECTS credits
150 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1007297ANW for working students in the 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

NOTE: registration for this course is only possible for working students. Day students can register for courses whose code ends with an R. At Inschrijven / studentenadministratie@vub.be you must be registered at the VUB as a working student for the current academic year.

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

Department

Experimental and Applied Psychology

Educational team

Eva Staels
Safâa Achnak (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
16 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
40 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course provides an introduction to psychometrics. We focus on one of the basic instruments of psychologists: psychological tests. In particular, we examine what psychological tests are, how they are used, and how one can evaluate the psychometric properties of a psychological test. The following topics are covered in the course:

Defining psychological tests
History of psychological tests
Types of psychological tests
Statistical concepts commonly used in psychometrics (e.g., descriptive statistics, lambda coefficient, correlation coefficient, ... )
Normal distribution
Transforming scores (e.g., z-scores, t-scores, norms, ...)
Classical test theory
Reliability
Validity
Item analysis
Item respons theory
Sensitivity and specificity of tests

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Slides and additional study material (digital learning platform), Canvas
Course text (Required) : Onderzoeksmethoden en- technieken 1, Psychometrie, Vantilborgh, T., VUB, 2220170009087, 2022

Additional info

Syllabus: Vantilborgh, T. Onderzoeksmethoden en -technieken 1. VUB uitgaven (updated yearly)

Slides via Canvas

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

The student knows the characteristics and history of psychological tests
The student can distinguish different types of psychological tests
The student can apply statistical concepts (e.g., descriptive statistics, correlation, ...) to psychological tests
The student can analyse a normal distribution
The student understands the use of and is able to apply transformation scores
The student understands classical test theory and item respons theory and is able to discuss the differences and similarities between both theories
The student understands and is able to estimate the reliability of psychological tests
The student understands and is able to estimate the validity of psychological tests
The student is able to perform item analysis
The student can interpret item characteristic curves
The student understands and is able to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of psychological tests
The student understands how psychological tests can be used for psychological experiments

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 70% of the final mark.
PRAC Paper determines 20% of the final mark.
Other determines 10% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written exam multiple choice with a relative weight of 70 which comprises 70% of the final mark.

Within the PRAC Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Task with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Within the Other category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Participation experiments with a relative weight of 10 which comprises 10% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Evaluation:

Written exam with multiple choice questions (70% of grade)
Online tasks (20% of grade)
Participation in experiments (10% of grade): students who participate in two psychological experiments of the PE faculty--organised during the semester in which the course takes place--receive credits for the exam

Remarks:

In case of failing the course, students can transfer their grades from subparts on which they were evaluated (written exam, online task, participation experiments) and on which they passed to the next evaluation period. In case that students do not want to transfer these grades, they need to contact the teacher of the course.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context