CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO

Psychology Department

Psychology 120

Sample Test

________________________

Name

MULTIPLE CHOICE (2 points each)

1. In constructing his scale of mental ability, which of these functions would Binet consider most important? (A) Sensory acuities. (B) Judgment and reasoning. (C) Simple specialized abilities. (D) Perceptual processes.

2. Of the following, what made it possible for intelligence tests to be administered to groups? (A) An agreement by the American Psychological Association regarding ethical principles of testing. (B) The development of "objective" test items. (C) Federal monies to education which encouraged more efficient decision-making. (D) An increased literacy rate so that the population could read and thus respond the test questions.

3. Which of the following was not one of Galton’s significant contributions to psychological testing? (A) The application of statistical techniques for studying relationships among human characteristics. (B) Work on questionnaires and other measurement techniques. (C) A concept of intelligence as a general reasoning ability. (D)Development of methods for collecting data on a large scale.

4. The proper use of tests seems best assured through (A) detailed instructions for test administration. (B) well-trained and experienced professionals. (C) regular spot-checking of test results. (D) a high ratio of proctors to test takers.

5. In general, psychological tests measure (A) capacity. (B) mental states. (C) present behavior. (D) predicted behavior.

6. Scoring at the norm on a self-report personality test implies (A) freedom from detrimental abnormality. (B) the individual has responded honestly. (C) the individual has provided typical responses. (D) the presence of some kind of malfunction, depending on the nature of the scale.

7. An individual finds a self-scoring personality test in a magazine, fills it out, scores it, and concludes that he/she has serious personality problems. (A) the test is unreliable and probably invalid. (B) the items are of no value to the reader since they have been disclosed in the magazine. (C) the norms of the test are inappropriate for individuals who score the test themselves. (D) the magazine should not have printed the test.

(Key: 1-B, 2-B, 3-C, 4-B, 5-C, 6-C, 7-D)