PSY 550 MIDTERM EXAM 2026 ACTUAL TEST
PAPER QUESTIONS SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
COMPLETE STUDY PACKAGE
◉ Why are so many people uncomfortable with the use of
psychological tests, especially when they are used to make
important decisions?
Answer:
◉ Why are both lawmakers and professional organizations
concerned about regulating test use?
Answer: Concerned with the results of testing - adverse impact
against minority test-takers is viewed as discrimination...
... unless the test user can show that the test is valid and appropriate
(and that there are no better alternatives).
◉ What does federal law say about testing in each of the following
areas? (not in your book!)
Discrimination
Disability
Education
Test-Taker's Rights
,Answer:
◉ Discrimination:
Who is protected? Why is this relevant to testing?
Answer: Civil Rights Act, 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the
basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and gender.
Applies to a wide variety of decisions - employment, education,
housing, etc.
Created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - among
other things, sets guidelines for fair and appropriate employment
testing
◉ Discrimination:
How are the consequences or results of the test considered in
deciding whether discrimination is occurring?
Answer: If minority and majority group members get different
scores, is the problem with the test?
Or is there a real difference with another cause?
◉ Discrimination:
Can a test show differences between majority and minority group
members and yet not be considered discriminatory? If so, when?
Answer:
,◉ Disability: How should persons with disabilities be tested? When
must schools and other organizations make accommodations for a
person whose disability might impair their performance on a test?
Answer: Education for All Handicapped Children, 1975 - requires
appropriate, professional testing of children suspected to have a
disability.
-Goal is to determine child's educational needs and meet them.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , 1997 - requires
appropriate testing to establish disability status and educational
progress.
-Educational progress tests must accommodate students with
disabilities as far as is reasonably possible.
Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990 - prohibits discrimination on
the basis of disabilities.
◉ Education: How are tests used in the No Child Left Behind Act?
Answer: No Child Left Behind, 2001 - holds schools accountable for
student improvement by assessing progress on standardized tests.
◉ Test-Takers' Rights: What rights are given to test-takers under
federal law?
, Answer: Test-Takers' Rights
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 1974 - parents and
students have the right to access school records, including tests.
-May request a hearing to challenge test scores.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 1996 -
individuals have the right to know (and control) who has access to
their medical information, including psychological test results.
◉ What is case law? How is it different from legislated laws and
statutes?
Answer: Legislation is necessarily broad.
Details of how to implement the law are often worked out over time.
When there is dispute about how to implement a law, it often ends
up in court.
A judge's ruling sets precedent that other cases must follow unless
the ruling is overturned.
Within the same court level - state, appeals, supreme.
This means that the judge's ruling essentially tells us what will be
considered legal or illegal in the future.
◉ Why do test users need to be aware of case law?
Answer:
PAPER QUESTIONS SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
COMPLETE STUDY PACKAGE
◉ Why are so many people uncomfortable with the use of
psychological tests, especially when they are used to make
important decisions?
Answer:
◉ Why are both lawmakers and professional organizations
concerned about regulating test use?
Answer: Concerned with the results of testing - adverse impact
against minority test-takers is viewed as discrimination...
... unless the test user can show that the test is valid and appropriate
(and that there are no better alternatives).
◉ What does federal law say about testing in each of the following
areas? (not in your book!)
Discrimination
Disability
Education
Test-Taker's Rights
,Answer:
◉ Discrimination:
Who is protected? Why is this relevant to testing?
Answer: Civil Rights Act, 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the
basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and gender.
Applies to a wide variety of decisions - employment, education,
housing, etc.
Created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - among
other things, sets guidelines for fair and appropriate employment
testing
◉ Discrimination:
How are the consequences or results of the test considered in
deciding whether discrimination is occurring?
Answer: If minority and majority group members get different
scores, is the problem with the test?
Or is there a real difference with another cause?
◉ Discrimination:
Can a test show differences between majority and minority group
members and yet not be considered discriminatory? If so, when?
Answer:
,◉ Disability: How should persons with disabilities be tested? When
must schools and other organizations make accommodations for a
person whose disability might impair their performance on a test?
Answer: Education for All Handicapped Children, 1975 - requires
appropriate, professional testing of children suspected to have a
disability.
-Goal is to determine child's educational needs and meet them.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , 1997 - requires
appropriate testing to establish disability status and educational
progress.
-Educational progress tests must accommodate students with
disabilities as far as is reasonably possible.
Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990 - prohibits discrimination on
the basis of disabilities.
◉ Education: How are tests used in the No Child Left Behind Act?
Answer: No Child Left Behind, 2001 - holds schools accountable for
student improvement by assessing progress on standardized tests.
◉ Test-Takers' Rights: What rights are given to test-takers under
federal law?
, Answer: Test-Takers' Rights
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 1974 - parents and
students have the right to access school records, including tests.
-May request a hearing to challenge test scores.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 1996 -
individuals have the right to know (and control) who has access to
their medical information, including psychological test results.
◉ What is case law? How is it different from legislated laws and
statutes?
Answer: Legislation is necessarily broad.
Details of how to implement the law are often worked out over time.
When there is dispute about how to implement a law, it often ends
up in court.
A judge's ruling sets precedent that other cases must follow unless
the ruling is overturned.
Within the same court level - state, appeals, supreme.
This means that the judge's ruling essentially tells us what will be
considered legal or illegal in the future.
◉ Why do test users need to be aware of case law?
Answer:
