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Recent research trends in testing
1Research and Training Center in Mental Retardation, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|June 1, 1976
Summary
This study analyzed trends in psychological test research, finding a weak correlation between publication frequency and test usage. Future research may focus on behavioral assessment and minority adaptations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychometrics
- Educational Measurement
Background:
- Investigated trends in psychological test research using Buros' Mental Measurements Yearbooks.
- Identified the 24 most frequently published tests.
- Examined growth trends of five major psychological tests: Rorschach, MMPI, TAT, Stanford-Binet, and SVIB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze recent trends in psychological test research and publication.
- To determine the relationship between test publications and test usage.
- To speculate on future directions in psychometric research.
Main Methods:
- Bibliometric analysis of references in Buros' Mental Measurements Yearbooks.
- Identification of top 24 most published tests.
- Correlation analysis between test publications and usage data.
- Survey of psychologists' judgments on test quality.
Main Results:
- A list of the 24 most published tests was identified.
- Growth trends for five major tests were illustrated.
- The correlation between test publications and test usage was found to be .25.
- Psychologists' judgments indicated that strong psychometric properties do not guarantee a test's leadership.
Conclusions:
- Psychometric properties alone do not determine a test's prominence or success.
- Future research may increasingly focus on behavioral assessment.
- Test modifications for minority populations are a potential area for future research.