Psychological Assessment in South Africa

This book provides an overview of the research related to psychological assessment across South Africa. The thirty-six chapters provide a combination of psychometric theory and practical assessment applications in order to combine the currently disparate research that has been conducted locally in this field. Existing South African texts on psychological assessment are predominantly academic textbooks that explain psychometric theory and provide brief descriptions of a few testing instruments. Psychological Assessment in South Africa provides in-depth coverage of a range of areas within the broad field of psychological assessment, including research conducted with various psychological instruments. The chapters critically interrogate the current Eurocentric and Western cultural hegemonic practices that dominate the field of psychological assessment. The book therefore has the potential to function both as an academic text for graduate students, as well as a specialist resource for professionals, including psychologists, psychometrists, remedial teachers and human resource practitioners

Digital divide and its impact on the performance of students taking high-stake computer-based university entrance examination in Nigeria

Using computers for assessment has various advantages for both educators and test takers. However, the literature has no consensus on the impact of ICT individual differences on CBT performance and experience. As a result, additional evidence is required, particularly for students from digitally divided regions. In Nigeria, the Unified tertiary matriculation Examination (UTME), a large-scale university admission examination, was fully computerised in 2015. However, the learning mode in most high schools does not align with the computer-based assessment method adopted for the high-stakes examination, resulting in a potential disadvantage for some applicants. This study investigated ICT-related individual differences (computer familiarity and computer-based tests anxiety and attitudes) among secondary school students taking large-scale high-stake CBT university entrance examinations in Nigeria and its effects on their performance on the test. In order to achieve this aim, we conducted a review of relevant literature, conducted two quantitative surveys and a qualitative enquiry. The quantitative study’s findings revealed significant variations in the access and use of computers among students taking UTME, especially when comparing students in publicly owned and privately owned schools. Furthermore, computer familiarity positively correlates with students’ performance in UTME. However, computer attitude and anxiety before and after UTME were moderate and had no significant relationship with test performance. The qualitative study explores the students’ experiences in more depth and gains more insights into the factors contributing to their attitudes and anxiety. This thesis thoroughly describes the procedure above and its results. This study underlines the necessity of addressing the digital gap in education in Nigeria by demonstrating inequalities in access to technology and infrastructure among students taking high-stake computerised examinations in Nigeria and its impact on their performance.Using computers for assessment has various advantages for both educators and test takers. However, the literature has no consensus on the impact of ICT individual differences on CBT performance and experience. As a result, additional evidence is required, particularly for students from digitally divided regions. In Nigeria, the Unified tertiary matriculation Examination (UTME), a large-scale university admission examination, was fully computerised in 2015. However, the learning mode in most high schools does not align with the computer-based assessment method adopted for the high-stakes examination, resulting in a potential disadvantage for some applicants. This study investigated ICT-related individual differences (computer familiarity and computer-based tests anxiety and attitudes) among secondary school students taking large-scale high-stake CBT university entrance examinations in Nigeria and its effects on their performance on the test. In order to achieve this aim, we conducted a review of relevant literature, conducted two quantitative surveys and a qualitative enquiry. The quantitative study’s findings revealed significant variations in the access and use of computers among students taking UTME, especially when comparing students in publicly owned and privately owned schools. Furthermore, computer familiarity positively correlates with students’ performance in UTME. However, computer attitude and anxiety before and after UTME were moderate and had no significant relationship with test performance. The qualitative study explores the students’ experiences in more depth and gains more insights into the factors contributing to their attitudes and anxiety. This thesis thoroughly describes the procedure above and its results. This study underlines the necessity of addressing the digital gap in education in Nigeria by demonstrating inequalities in access to technology and infrastructure among students taking high-stake computerised examinations in Nigeria and its impact on their performance

The Transition to Computer-Based Assessment - New Approaches to Skills Assessment and Implications for Large-scale Testing

In September 2008 the Joint Research Centre (JRC, IPSC) of the European Commission, together with the Iceland Educational Testing Institute, carried out an expert workshop on ¿The Transition to Computer-Based Assessment - Lessons learned from the PISA 2006 Computer Based Assessment of Science (CBAS) and implications for large scale testing¿. This report is based on input made and conclusions drawn from the discussions held on computer-based skills assessment in comparative surveys, such as the international PISA survey which is going to be fully computer-based in the near future. Specific emphasis is given to the comparison between paper-pencil tests and computer based assessment, electronic tests and gender differences, and adaptive vs. linear computer-based assessment. The volume is complemented by further articles in areas which have not been covered by workshop presentations. It therefore provides a comprehensive overview of issues and challenges to take into account when moving from traditional testing approaches to computer-based assessments at a national and international level.JRC.G.9-Econometrics and applied statistic

Learning potential and academic literacy tests as predictors of academic performance for engineering students

The aim of this study was to evaluate a battery of tests to be used as part of the process of selecting bursary students for engineering at tertiary institutions. Due to the problems in the schooling system it is not conclusive that all students who have obtained their senior certificates are prepared and able to meet the demands and challenges of tertiary education. The purpose of this study was to determine the criterion related validity of a mathematic proficiency test, Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT) and English Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA) as predictors of academic performance. A quantitative approach was used for the purpose of this study. More specifically the Ex post facto analyses/design is used in this study. The relationships between the dependent and independent variables were determined. Correlation analyses, Kruskal-Wallis test and regression analysis were used for the purpose of this study. The results indicated that the Mathematical proficiency test was the best predictor of academic success, followed by LPCAT and ELSA. The results of this study indicates that the use of academic literacy and learning potential contribute in selecting the best students. Companies and Universities have long been looking for a predictor or predictors of success for students as they enter tertiary studies. This information has the potential to save companies and universities millions of Rands annually by helping them make better investment decisions.Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010.Human Resource ManagementUnrestricte

The concurrent validity of learning potential and psychomotor performance compared to safe working behavior of machine operators in a platinum mine

The researcher selected a quantitative cross-sectional design to test the concurrent validity of learning potential and psychomotor ability by evaluating the relationships between mining machine operators’ learning potential and psychomotor ability as well as their work safety behaviour. Work safety behaviour was considered indicative of their capability to operate a moving machine. The utilization of measuring instruments capable of measuring their learning potential and psychomotor ability and measuring safety behaviour by means of their safety score cards provided the required measurement data. The study involved a quantitative investigation into the relationship between learning potential and psychomotor ability as independent variables and safety behaviour as dependent variable. De Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2002, p.79) defined quantitative research as “based on positivism, which takes scientific explanation to be nomothetic. Its main aims are to measure the social world objectively, to test hypotheses and to predict and explain human behaviour. A quantitative study may therefore be defined as an inquiry into social or human problems based on testing a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers and analysed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the predictive generalization of the theory holds true.” The aim of the study was to determine the learning potential and psychomotor ability of mining machine operators as well as compare the following sub-groups (based on the biographical variables): age, years’ experience, educational level and gender. The respondents’ work safety behaviour was measured and the relationship between the two measures of the independent variables (learning potential and psychomotor ability) and work safety behaviour determined.Industrial and Organisational PsychologyM.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Theoretical and Practical Advances in Computer-based Educational Measurement

This open access book presents a large number of innovations in the world of operational testing. It brings together different but related areas and provides insight in their possibilities, their advantages and drawbacks. The book not only addresses improvements in the quality of educational measurement, innovations in (inter)national large scale assessments, but also several advances in psychometrics and improvements in computerized adaptive testing, and it also offers examples on the impact of new technology in assessment. Due to its nature, the book will appeal to a broad audience within the educational measurement community. It contributes to both theoretical knowledge and also pays attention to practical implementation of innovations in testing technology

The effect of mode of test administration on computerised assessment results using proctored and unproctored test administration procedures

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect that mode of test administration could have on computerised assessment results involving proctored and unproctored test conditions. Two South African test instruments, the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT) and the Career Preference Computerised Adaptive Test (CPCAT) were used in the study. A quantitative, quasi-experimental design was used, and a convenience sample for LPCAT (N=82) and CPCAT (N=81) consisted of employees in the hospitality industry. Using a within-participants design, the dependent t-test was used for statistical analysis. For the total group the LPCAT results yielded no statistically significant differences between the mean scores for the two different modes of administration. For the total group the CPCAT results yielded statistically significant differences in the mean scores per mode of administration for five out of 34 dimensions, however, for the majority of the CPCAT sub-dimensions, the mode of administration did not impact on results. It was concluded that mode of administration did not impact on the cognitive test scores and only to a very limited degree on the non-cognitive test scores. Based on the results the null hypotheses for the effect of mode of administration were not rejected.Industrial and Organisational PsychologyM.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Distributed adaptive e-assessment in a higher education environment

The rapid growth of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has promoted the development of paperless assessment. Most of the e-Assessment systems available nowadays, whether as an independent system or as a built-in module of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), are fixed-form e-Assessment systems based on the Classical Test Theory (CTT). In the meantime, the development of psychometrics has also proven the potential for e-Assessment systems to benefit from adaptive assessment theories. This research focuses on the applicability of adaptive e-Assessment in daily teaching and attempts to create an extensible web-based framework to accommodate different adaptive assessment strategies for future research. Real-data simulation and Monte Carlo simulation were adopted in the study to examine the performance of adaptive e-Assessment in a real environment and an ideal environment respectively. The proposed framework employs a management service as the core module which manages the connection from distributed test services to coordinate the assessment. The results of this study indicate that adaptive e-Assessment can reduce test length compared to fixed-form e-Assessment, while maintaining the consistency of the psychometric properties of the test. However, for a precise ability measurement, even a simple adaptive assessment model would demand a sizable question bank with ideally over 200 questions on a single latent trait. The requirements of the two categories of stakeholders (pedagogical researchers and educational application developers), as well as the variety and complexity of adaptive models, call for a framework with good accessibility for users, considerable extensibility and flexibility for implementing different assessment models, and the ability to deliver excessive computational power in extreme cases. The designed framework employs a distributed architecture with cross-language support based on the Apache Thrift framework to allow flexible collaboration of users with different programming language skills. The framework also allows different functional components to be deployed distributedly and to collaborate over a networ

The utility and accuracy of post-conviction polygraph testing with sex offenders

The aims of the present research were two-fold: firstly, to investigate the utility of post-conviction polygraphy with community-based sex offenders; and secondly, to examine the accuracy of the polygraph in this context. The initial study examined whether periodic polygraph testing acted as a deterrent for engaging in risk behaviour. Fifty adult male sex offenders taking part in community treatment programs were allocated into 2 groups: "Polygraph Aware" subjects were told they would receive a polygraph examination in 3 months regarding their high-risk behaviours, while "Polygraph Unaware" subjects were told their behaviour would be reviewed in 3 months. Relevant behaviours for each subject were established at baseline interviews, following which both groups were polygraphed at 3 months. All subjects were polygraphed again at 6 months. Thirty-two subjects (64%) attended the first polygraph examination, with 31 (97%) disclosing an average of 2.45 high-risk behaviours each previously unknown to supervising probation officers. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Twenty-one subjects (42%) completed the second polygraph test, with 71% disclosing an average of 1.57 behaviours, a significant decrease compared with the first test. Disclosures to treatment providers and probation officers also increased. Polygraph testing resulted in offenders engaging in less high-risk behaviour, although the possibility that offenders fabricated reports of high-risk behaviours to satisfy examiners is also considered; similarly offenders seemed to be more honest with their supervisors, but this only occurred after the experience of the test itself. The second study examined the accuracy of the polygraph as used in a postconviction context with sex offenders. One hundred and seventy-six sex offenders engaged in treatment and required to complete biannual polygraph tests focussed upon offending and other risk behaviours. The participant's regular polygraph maintenance test was used for the study, however, in addition to the regular issues covered in this test the examiner included `drug use' over the preceding three months as a relevant question. Immediately after the polygraph test a hair specimen was collected and subsequently analysed for drugs. The polygraph was reasonably accurate with identifying truth telling (79%), while 21% were wrongly accused of drug use. Only a small number of offenders (n = 5) were found to be taking drugs and lying about having done so. The blind scorers correctly identified all of these individuals (100%). The Area under the curve index was . 88. The inter-rater reliability between the blind scorers and the original examiners was poor. The original examiners were less accurate than the blind scorers (Area under the curve index = . 68) and only correctly identified two of the five liars (40%). False positives were associated with lower intelligence and having experienced a sanction due to a polygraph result. False negatives were not associated with demographic characteristics, personality variables or intelligence. The majority of offenders found the polygraph to be helpful in both treatment and supervision. Nine per cent of offenders claimed to have made false disclosures; these individuals -had higher scores on ratings of Neuroticism and lower scores on ratings of Conscientiousness. The implications of these results are discussed. Overall, the findings support the view that the polygraph is both useful and accurate in the treatment and supervision of sex offenders.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Cognitive function in young people with chronic fatigue syndrome

The study was designed to investigate cognitive function in adolescents and young adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). CFS patients performed less well on measures of executive function, attention, and memory compared to participants without CFS. Processing speed was similar for both groups and CFS patients achieved higher academic scores