CNL-523 Topic 6: Short Answer Questions
Student name
Institution
Course name
Instructor’s name
Date
Part 1: Career Counseling Assessments
- What is a performance appraisal?
Performance appraisals refer to structured situations where people are presented with stimulus materials and are requested to engage in actions or provide information that is rated for quality based on specific pre-defined standards. Performance appraisals mostly use psychometric tools and are often implemented in organizations to assess employees or in schools to assess students’ knowledge. In schools, students are expected to complete standardized tasks and similar evaluation methods are used to analyze performance. Counselor educators also use standardized psychometric tools to determine their students’ competence in various areas (Tate et al., 2014).
- What are behavioral observation scales?
Behavioral observation scales are assessment techniques that involve watching specific research subjects or clients engage in specific activities and recording the observed outcomes. The scales are usually in form of pre-printed sheets where the observer focuses on the intensity or presence of specific behavior and fill the sheets by checking boxes or making descriptions using coded terms. Codes are usually preferred to writing narratives since data entry takes a shorter time. Researchers may select other people to be observers including friends and relatives and in some cases, self-observation may be used (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018).
- What is meta-analysis?
Meta-analysis refers to the techniques that involve a statistical combination of information obtained from various research studies to determine overall trends on specific topics (Pigott & Polanin, 2019). Meta-analyses help researchers to derive single data estimates called the effect size which is expressed in form of a correlation coefficient. Additionally, meta-analyses help to conclude various specific research questions. The main advantage of using meta-analysis is that more studies imply a larger participant population and the weighting process improves the accuracy of the obtained findings. Meta-analysis also encourages the use of the evidence-based practice in different career fields (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018).
Part 2: Career Counseling Intelligence Tests
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales:
The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales are standardized tests used for cognitive assessments. The scales were initially developed in 1916 and the first edition, despite its flaws, was the first intelligence test that provided clear scoring and administration instructions. Some items on the scale were adapted from the Binet-Simon scale which was initially published in French. Other revisions to the scales included the 2nd (1937), 3rd (1960), 4th (1986), and 5th edition (2003) editions. The 5th edition can be administered to individuals between ages 2 to 85 and yields several composite scores including fluid intelligence, crystallized knowledge, visual processing, quantitative knowledge, and short-term memory (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2018). Assessees are administered with ten subtests which are used to determine the Full Scale IQ score. The scale contains 10 subsets which are administered in approximately 5 minutes each. The scale is available in French, English, Dutch, Arabic, and Spanish among others and a test kit costs approximately $426 (Dale et al., 2014).
- Wechsler Tests of Intelligence:
The Wechsler tests are a series of intelligence tests used to evaluate the intellectual abilities of people from a young age (preschool level) to adulthood. The first three editions of the scale yielded scores on verbal IQ, Performance IQ, and a Full Scale IQ. However, the 4th edition of the test includes core subtests that provide composite scores and include visual puzzles, matrix reasoning, vocabulary, digit span, similarities, block design, coding, arithmetic, and information. The tests also include supplemental subtests which provide additional information and they include comprehension, figure weights, letter-number sequencing, picture completion, and cancellation. The Wechsler tests have good psychometric soundness due to satisfactory reliability and validity. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children was initially developed in 1949 and has several editions and the 4th edition is the most recent. The Wechsler tests of intelligence have been adapted or translated into many languages including Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, German, Dutch, Welsh, Japanese, Greek, Korean, Italian, and Indonesian. The cost of the test includes approximately $2.3 for test forms, $24.40 for support materials. An entire test kit costs $1,350 (Uno et al., 2014).
References
Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. (2018). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Dale, B., Finch, M., Mcintosh, D., Rothlisberg, B., & Finch, W. (2014). UTILITY OF THE STANFORD-BINET INTELLIGENCE SCALES, FIFTH EDITION, WITH ETHNICALLY DIVERSE PRESCHOOLERS. Psychology In The Schools, 51(6), 581-590. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21766
Pigott, T., & Polanin, J. (2019). Methodological Guidance Paper: High-Quality Meta-Analysis in a Systematic Review. Review Of Educational Research, 90(1), 24-46. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319877153
Tate, K., Bloom, M., Tassara, M., & Caperton, W. (2014). Counselor Competence, Performance Assessment, and Program Evaluation. Measurement And Evaluation In Counseling And Development, 47(4), 291-306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748175614538063
Uno, Y., Mizukami, H., Ando, M., Yukihiro, R., Iwasaki, Y., & Ozaki, N. (2014). Reliability and Validity of the New Tanaka B Intelligence Scale Scores: A Group Intelligence Test. Plos ONE, 9(6), e100262. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100262