Observations of Test Behavior, Quantitative Scores, and Teacher Ratings

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Observations of a child's behavior while he or she is performing on a psychological test often provide information not available from actual test scores. This aspect of test performance, however, has received little empirical attention even though clinicians often rely heavily upon such information. This study presents data on the relationships among objective scores from a behavior-based measure of attention, examiner ratings of test behavior, and a teacher's assessment of classroom behavior. The results indicate that examiner observations correlate with quantitative test scores and teacher assessments of behavior. Consensus among the three realms increases when the extent of agreement on a child's status as normal or abnormal is considered. Furthermore, meaningful clinical information may emerge when sources disagree about a child's status.