0000000000807684
AUTHOR
José Muñiz
Test commission: Twenty-five years working on test quality
The objective of this paper is to present the activities and projects carried out by the Spanish Test Commission, established by the Spanish Psychological Association to improve the quality and use of tests. The most relevant projects of the commission during its twenty-five years of existence are reviewed, describing the work carried out: a) to understand the opinions and attitudes of psychologists towards the tests, b) to evaluate the quality of the tests published in Spain, and c) to develop standards, guidelines, and ethical and deontological codes to improve testing practices. The commission’s other activities of a formative nature are also highlighted, as well as its relationships wit…
Utility of the Mantel-Haenszel Procedure for Detecting Differential Item Functioning in Small Samples
Sample-size restrictions limit the contingency table approaches based on asymptotic distributions, such as the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) procedure, for detecting differential item functioning (DIF) in many practical applications. Within this framework, the present study investigated the power and Type I error performance of empirical and inferential criteria for DIF detection in small samples. Sample sizes (50/50, 100/50, 200/50, and 100/100 for the reference and focal groups, respectively), ability distributions (equal and unequal), and amount of DIF (moderate and high) were manipulated. The results show the advantages of employing theMHchi-square statistic using high levels of significance (•…
Test Item Taxonomy Based on Functional Criteria
There are many taxonomies that try to classify and apply some consistency to the very many item types currently in existence. They all have various limitations, however, such as ambiguous classification criteria, little discrimination between format types, and referring almost exclusively to pen-and-paper or screen-based items. This paper aims to overcome these limitations by proposing a new item format taxonomy based on functional criteria. Current classifications are reviewed, the criteria they are based on are examined and their limitations are identified. The proposed alternative classification identifies four essential components of items according to function: the structure of the included…
Liberal and Conservative Differential Item Functioning Detection Using Mantel-Haenszel and SIBTEST: Implications for Type I and Type II Error Rates
The aim of this work was to determine, in terms of Type I and Type II error rates, the risks of applying various statistical procedures for evaluating differential item functioning. To this end, the authors carried out a simulation study in which the Mantel-Haenszel and SIBTEST procedures were applied in conjunction. The variables manipulated were sample size and distribution of ability between groups. Results indicated that, although there was a high rate of agreement between the procedures, the joint Type I and Type II error rate may vary substantially from that obtained when each of the procedures was applied separately. Furthermore, the authors analyzed empirical data to obtain informat…
Diferencias de opinión sobre el uso de los test: su relación con la edad el género y el sector laboral
Tests are important tools that help psychologists to make decisions about people. In order to propose actions aimed at improving the use of tests, it is important to determine what factors relate to psychologists’ opinions about testing practices. In this study we assess the role of three factors: gender, age, and job sector (public vs. private). In addition, we compare practitioners’ opinions with those reported by professors of test-related subjects (psychometrics, and psychological and psycho- educational assessment). After analyzing a sample of 1,248 members of the Spanish Psychological Association and 95 professors from different universities, results show some differences in opinions …
Comisión de Test: veinticinco años velando por la calidad de los test
[ES]El objetivo del presente trabajo es mostrar las actividades y proyectos llevados a cabo por la Comisión de Test del Consejo General de Psicología de España para mejorar la calidad y el uso de los test. Se repasan los proyectos más relevantes de la comisión durante sus veinticinco años de existencia, describiendo los trabajos llevados a cabo para a) conocer las opiniones y actitudes de los psicólogos hacia los test, b) evaluar la calidad de los test editados en España, y c) desarrollar estándares, directrices y códigos éticos y deontológicos que mejoren la práctica de los test. También se resaltan otras actividades de la comisión de carácter formativo, así como sus relaciones con otras o…
Revisión del modelo para evaluar la calidad de los tests utilizados en España
Para usar adecuadamente los tests, es necesario que los profesionales cuenten con información rigurosa de su calidad. Es por ello que, desde hace unos años, se viene aplicando el modelo español de evaluación de la calidad de los tests (Prieto y Muñiz, 2000). El objetivo de este trabajo es actualizar y revisar dicho modelo, con el fin de incorporar las recomendaciones hechas en sus aplicaciones, y para incorporar los avances psicométricos y tecnológicos que se han producido durante los últimos años. El modelo original fue revisado en varias fases, y la revisión originalmente propuesta fue revisada por un conjunto de expertos, lo que dio lugar a la versión final que se describe en este trabaj…
TEST USE IN SPAIN: THE PSYCHOLOGISTS’ VIEWPOINT
Test Use in Spain: The psychologists’ viewpoint. Tests are the measuring instruments most used by psychologists to obtain data that help them make decisions about people. It is essential to understand the opinions of psychology professionals regarding the practical implementation of tests, in order to propose and organize actions aimed at improving their use. The objective of this research is to understand in detail what Spanish psychologists think about the use of tests in our country. A 30-item questionnaire on the different aspects of testing practices was administered. The questionnaire was answered by 1,248 members of the Spanish Psychological Association, 73.7% women, with an average …
NUEVAS DIRECTRICES SOBRE EL USO DE LOS TESTS: INVESTIGACIÓN, CONTROL DE CALIDAD Y SEGURIDAD
Antecedentes. Para llevar a cabo una evaluación psicológica rigurosa es necesario que los profesionales que la realizan tengan una preparación adecuada, que los tests utilizados muestren unas buenas propiedades psicométricas, y que se utilicen de forma correcta. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar las directrices recientes de la Comisión Internacional de Tests sobre el uso de los tests en tres ámbitos: investigación, control de calidad y seguridad en el manejo de las pruebas. Método. Se revisarán y comentarán los directrices recientes desarrolladas por la Comisión Internacional de Tests. Resultados. Las nuevas directrices sobre el uso de los tests ofrecen todo un conjunto de recomendac…
Nuevas directrices sobre el uso de los test: investigación, control de calidad y seguridad
Contiene versión en inglés