UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Türkoğlu, Özgür Dicle
Dept./Program:
Psychology
Year:
2009
Degree:
PhD
Abstract:
Information gained by observing children's behaviors during testing is considered a routine component of psychological assessment of children. The Test Observation Form (TOF) is an empirically derived, normative measure for the standard assessment of children's behavior during cognitive and achievement testing. The purpose of this study was to estimate the reliability and cross-situational consistency of the TOF. The intrarater reliability of the TOF was assessed by comparing the original TOF scores of 35 children and their TOF scores when videotapes of the testing sessions were scored again by the original examiners. Inter-rater reliability of the TOF was also assessed by a) comparing the original TOF scores of 47 children and their TOF scores when the videotapes of their testing sessions are scored by different observers, and b) comparing two different observers' ratings for the videotaped sessions of 45 children.
Finally, the TOF, Child Behavior Check list (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF) scores of 457 children were compared to investigate the cross-informant agreement between the test session observations, parents and teachers. The results of this study indicate that the TOF has good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and can be used as a sound method of observing children during test sessions in a standardized, uniform manner that allows comparing children to others in their age group. The comparisons between the TOF, CBCL and TRF confirmed previous findings on the limited generalizibility of children's behaviors from any one context in general and from test sessions in particular. Low to moderate correlations between ratings of children's behaviors by different informants support the need to take a multi-informant approach whenever assessing children. Overall, the results of this investigation suggest that test scores and behavioral observations during testing can and should be important components of multi-informant, multi-method assessment of children.
Finally, the TOF, Child Behavior Check list (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF) scores of 457 children were compared to investigate the cross-informant agreement between the test session observations, parents and teachers. The results of this study indicate that the TOF has good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and can be used as a sound method of observing children during test sessions in a standardized, uniform manner that allows comparing children to others in their age group. The comparisons between the TOF, CBCL and TRF confirmed previous findings on the limited generalizibility of children's behaviors from any one context in general and from test sessions in particular. Low to moderate correlations between ratings of children's behaviors by different informants support the need to take a multi-informant approach whenever assessing children. Overall, the results of this investigation suggest that test scores and behavioral observations during testing can and should be important components of multi-informant, multi-method assessment of children.