Psych Measurement Assessment

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This elective course is designed for junior and senior undergraduates, as well as graduate students, who are interested in understanding how psychological assessments are developed and how quantitative methods are used to measure latent psychological traits and skills. The course introduces the foundations of psychological measurement and guides students in designing assessment tools that accurately and adaptively capture group and individual differences in ways that are valid, reliable, and fair. Students will engage with core concepts in measurement theory, including reliability, validity, classical test theory, item response theory, item bank construction, computerized adaptive testing, test equating, and differential item functioning. The course emphasizes how mathematical and statistical techniques provide data evidence for high‐quality measurement and assessment. Throughout the semester, students will learn the statistical logic underlying psychological and educational tests, gain experience developing assessments and surveys, and analyze scaled data from fields such as psychology, education, psychiatry, mental health, and the social sciences. The course integrates lectures with seminar‐style discussions to deepen conceptual understanding, apply measurement theories to real examples, and cultivate critical thinking. In addition, this course may invite experts from assessment industry to share the fresh ideas and latest products in measurement to the class.