Psychometrics for HR Professionals
Psychometrics is a field of study concerned with the theory and technique of psychological measurement. As defined by the US National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), psychometrics refers to psychological measurement. Generally, it refers to the field in psychology and education that is devoted to testing, measurement, assessment, and related activities. This course mainly covers the underlying principles on testing and measurement of psychological constructs and helps to apply psychological testing in real-life settings, for example, recruitment and staff development in an organization. Attention will be given to issues of measurement, the significance of basic testing concepts such as reliability, validity, standardization and norms, the fundamentals of testing etiquette, including how to identify and select test instruments, and conduct the assessment process in an ethical and professional manner.
Course Objectives
On successful completion of the course, participants should be able to:
- Comprehend the basics of psychometrics
- Understand the emergence of psychological tests
- Know about commonly used tests from a variety of psychological subfields
- Get knowledge of measurement theory which includes reliability and validity
- Comprehend how to develop, administer, and interpret certain test
- Understand the need for ethical and professional standards
| Course Units and Contents |
| 1. What, Why, and How of Psychometrics
1.1 What is Psychometrics? 1.2 Why Psychological Testing Matters 1.3 Observable Behavior and Unobservable Psychological Attributes 1.4 Psychological Tests 1.4.1 Assumptions in Psychological Testing and Assessment 1.4.2 Definition and Types of Tests 1.4.3 Principles of Psychological Tests 1.4.4 Applications of Psychological Tests 1.5 Psychometrics as a Career 1.6 How a psychometric tool is constructed? |
| 2. Measurement Fundamentals
2.1 Steven’s Contribution in Measurement 2.2 Definition of Measurement 2.3 Properties of Number and Levels of Measurement 2.4 Why Level of Measurement Matters? 2.5 Errors in Measurement 2.6 Theories of Measurement 2.7 Models of Measurement and Reliability |
| 3. Historical Perspective
3.1 Early Antecedents 3.2 Charles Darwin and Individual Differences 3.3 Experimental Psychology and Psychophysical Measurement 3.4 The Evolution of Intelligence and Standardized Achievement Tests 3.5 Personality Tests 3.6 The Emergence of New Approaches to Personality Testing 3.7 The Period of Rapid Changes in the Status of Testing 3.8 The Current Environment |
| 4. Psychometric Statistics
4.1 Measures of Centrality 4.2 Measures of Variability 4.3 Variance, Covariance, Correlation, Regression 4.4 Measures of Shape: Skewness and Kurtosis 4.5 Probability and Normality |
| 5. Item Analysis: Classical Approach
5.1 Definition and Purposes of Item Analysis 5.2 Qualitative versus Quantitative Item Analysis 5.3 Quantitative Approaches: CTT versus IRT 5.4 Item Analysis for Cognitive and Affective Tests 5.4.1 Item Difficulty/Facility/Endorsement 5.4.2 Item Discrimination 5.4.3 Item Reliability 5.4.4 Item Validity 5.4.5 Distracter Functionality Analysis 5.4.6 Evaluation of Items |
| 6. Estimating Reliability
6.1 Conceptualizing Reliability 6.2 Estimates of Reliability 6.2.1 Test-Retest Reliability 6.2.2 Alternate/Equivalent/Parallel Forms Reliability 6.2.3 Internal Consistency Reliability 6.2.4 Inter-Rater Reliability 6.2.5 Reliability of Composite Scores 6.2.6 Reliability of Change/Difference Scores 6.3 Interpreting a Coefficient of Reliability |
| 7. Assessing Validity
7.1 Conceptualizing Validity 7.2 Aspects of Validity 7.2.1 Face Validity 7.2.2 Content-Related Evidence for Validity 7.2.3 Criterion-Related Evidence for Validity 7.2.4 Construct-Related Evidence for Validity 7.3 Relationship Between Reliability and Validity 7.4 Interpreting Validity Coefficients |
| 8. Constructing Psychometric Tools
8.1 Designing and Writing Items 8.2 Designing and Scoring Responses 8.3 Collecting Data: Sampling and Screening 8.4 Analyzing Items 8.5 Assessing Reliability 8.6 Assessing Validity 8.7 Replicating |
| 9. Interpreting Scores
9.1 Criterion Referenced Interpretation 9.2 Raw, Weighted, and Normative Scores 9.3 Normative Scores 9.3.1 Percentile Rank 9.3.2 Linear z Score 9.3.3 Normalized (Non-Linear) z Score 9.3.4 Converted/Derived/Standardized/ Transformed z Scores – T, DIQ, CEEB, NCE 9.3.5 Stanines, Stens 9.3.6 Scaled Scores 9.3.7 Grade and Age Equivalents |
| 10. Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Testing
10.1 Ethical Issues in Testing 10.1.1 Choosing Appropriate Assessment Instruments 10.1.2 Competence in the Use of Tests 10.1.3 Confidentiality 10.1.4 Cross-Cultural Sensitivity 10.1.5 Informed Consent 10.1.6 Invasion of Privacy 10.1.7 Proper Diagnosis 10.1.8 Release of Test Data 10.1.9 Test Administration 10.1.10 Test Security 10.1.11 Test Scoring and Interpretation 10.1.12 Standards for Responsible Testing Practices 10.1.13 Making Ethical Decisions 10.2 Legal Issues in Testing 10.3 Professional Issues in Testing |
Instructional Strategies
Lecture, Discussion, Assignment, Interactive Sessions, Problem Solving with Data
Course Information
- Reg. Ends 14 April, 2026
- Start Date 15 April, 2026
- End Date 27 April, 2026
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Class Schedule
Starts from April 15
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Total Hours 18
- Venue Title Online
