PSYC 520 Fundamentals of Psychological Measurement
Units: 4
Term–Day–Time: Spring 2023–Mon & Wed–4:00-5:50 pm
Location: CPA 151
Instructor: Hok Chio (Mark) Lai
Office Hours: Mon 12:00–1:00 pm, and by appointment.
Contact Info: (Email) hokchiol@usc.edu, (Slack) https://usc.enterprise.slack.com/.
Timeline for replying to emails: within 48 hours.
IT Help: ITS, Blackboard
Contact Info:
ITS (Email, Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.) consult@usc.edu, (Phone, 24/7/365) 213-740-5555, (Online) ServiceNow Portal
Blackboard (Email, 24/7/365) blackboard@usc.edu, (Online Help) Blackboard Help for Students
Course Description
This is a graduate-level class covering topics in test theory for psychological measurement. Topics covered included factor analysis; latent variable; scaling; test construction; classical true score reliability model; generalizability theory; validity; decision-theoretic approaches to selection; item analysis; item response theory.
Learning Objectives
After the successful completion of this course, students will be able to . . .
- Describe the theoretical foundation of psychological measurement;
- Explain concepts pertaining to reliability and validity in psychological measurement;
- Summarize the standards for test development;
- Analyze item-level data using classical test theory, generalizability theory, and item response theory;
- Conduct a research project analyzing real data with scale items;
- Communicate research findings/products in an oral presentation and a written report.
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 501 (or a similar graduate-level introductory statistics class)
Co-Requisite(s): None
Concurrent Enrollment: None
Recommended Preparation: Experience with statistical software (preferably R)
Course Notes
Students are expected to have finished the reading assignments before class and actively participate in class discussions and activities. A typical class meeting will include lectures and small-group discussions/activities. This class also includes lab sessions for software demonstrations and for students to work on assignments. Lecture slides/notes will be available at https://marklhc.quarto.pub/psyc520-2023spring.
Please note that the lectures will not cover everything in the textbook, and is not a replacement for completing the reading assignments. Similarly, the lecture slides only serve to guide class discussions and cannot replace the assigned readings.
Students are expected to bring their own laptops to class to follow the software demonstration and work on assignments during lab sessions.
Communication
To promote independence and critical thinking, students are encouraged to work through the following process for obtaining answers to course-related questions before contacting the instructor:
- consult the course syllabus;
- consult a classmate;
- post your questions on the Q&A channel on Slack;
- meet with the instructor during office hours or Q&A sessions on Tuesdays;
- for personal questions, email the instructor at hokchiol@usc.edu
Technological Proficiency and Hardware/Software Required
- R and RStudio are needed to complete the course assignments. It is highly recommended that students update to the latest versions of both software (R 4.2.0, RStudio 2022.07, or above). We will discuss how to set up R and RStudio in Week 1.
- Students will also need Quarto for completing assignments. If you have used R Markdown before, everything in R Markdown is still compatible with Quarto.
USC Computing Center Laptop Loaner Program
If you need a laptop to successfully participate in this class, you may be eligible for the USC Computing Center Laptop Loaner Program.
USC Technology Support Links
Blackboard help for students
Slack information for students
Software available to USC Campus
Required Readings and Supplementary Materials
Bandalos, D. L. (2018). Measurement theory and applications for the social sciences. Guilford.
AERA, APA, and NCME (2014). The standards for educational and psychological testing. Author. [A free copy can be downloaded at https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html]
- Other required readings will be posted on Slack
Description and Assessment of Assignments
In-class exercises (10%). During the class meetings, students will participate in group exercises.
Mid-term examination (15%). The mid-term exam will assess students understanding of concepts covered in the class, up to Week 6 (e.g., test development, reliability, and validity). It is tentatively scheduled on February 22. More information about the exam will be announced in class.
Homework problems (40%). There will be 5-6 homework assignments for students to apply the concepts and techniques discussed in class.
You must submit your work electronically to Blackboard by the assigned due date. See policy on late work.Final project (35%). You will complete a research project analyzing some real data involving psychological measurement. Students can use either data they have collected or have access to, or publicly available data. Alternatively, the project can be a theoretical/methodological paper about certain aspects of psychological measurement. Students interested in other project ideas (e.g., software package development) should discuss their ideas with the instructor. Each student can choose to work on their own or with a partner. Each student/group will schedule an appointment with the instructor to talk about their project during Week 9 (before Spring recess).
The final project will include three components. Details will be announced during class.
- Prospectus (5%)
A prospectus about your project should be submitted by Monday, March 6. The prospectus should contain a concise description of what you (or your group) plan to do for your project, including the data source and a preliminary plan for analysis. The prospectus should be limited to 1 single-spaced page (excluding tables, figures, references, and other supplemental materials). - Oral Presentation/Paper (15%)
On April 24 or 26, each group will give an 18-minute oral presentation (including Q&A) on their project. You will also need to submit your slides to Blackboard for grading on the day of your presentation, which should include a link to the reproducible codes for your analyses. A grading rubric on the research presentation will be posted on Blackboard.
- Final paper (15%)
The final paper is due Wednesday, May 3, at 6:00 am Pacific Time (the assigned final exam time for the class). There should also be a link to the reproducible codes for your analyses. The final paper should be 10-20 double-spaced pages of text (i.e., excluding the title page, abstract, references, tables, figures, and appendices).
- Prospectus (5%)
Participation
Participation accounts for 10% of the course grade. To earn full credit for participation, students should complete and turn in all in-class exercises.
Grading Breakdown
| Assignment | % of Grade |
|---|---|
| In-class exercises | 10 |
| Mid-term exam | 15 |
| Homework | 40 |
| Prospectus | 5 |
| Oral Presentation | 15 |
| Final paper | 15 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
Grading Scale
Course final grades will be determined using the following scale
| A | 93-100 |
| A- | 89-92 |
| B+ | 85-88 |
| B | 81-84 |
| B- | 77-80 |
| C+ | 73-76 |
| C | 70-72 |
| C- | Below 70 (failing) |
Course-specific Policies
Assignment Submission
The assignments should be submitted through Blackboard by Monday before noon.
Grading Timeline
Generally, all graded work will be returned no later than one week from the submission deadline.
Late work
Late work will be penalized by a 10% deduction in the assignment grade every 24 hours late unless due to an emergency excused by the instructor. Email the instructor as soon as possible to discuss alternate arrangements due to an emergency.
Technology in the classroom
Phones
Your phone should be turned off or in silent mode (not on vibrate), and should not be used in the classroom.
Tablets and Laptops
During lecture time in the classroom, students can use tablets and laptops only for purposes of viewing course materials and taking notes. During the in-class exercises, students should use their laptops to complete the assignments.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all Thursday class sessions on time. If they miss a session, they should complete the class exercises and turn in their work within the timeframe specified in Description and Assessment of Assignments.
Classroom Norms
From USC’s Face Covering Policy reviewed and revised on October 6, 2022,
All faculty, staff, students, and other persons are permitted and encouraged to wear face coverings in all other campus locations. This includes classes, libraries, recreational facilities, dining facilities, and athletic facilities.
The following applies to both in-person and online communications (e.g., Slack discussions and email communications)
- Respect each other’s views.
- In written communication messages, make sure they are something you could say to someone to their face.
- Recognize and/or remember that we have different backgrounds.
- Criticize ideas, not individuals or groups.
- Either support statements with evidence, or speak from personal experience.
Course Evaluation
Student feedback is essential for the instructor and the Department to keep improving this course. Students are encouraged to share their feedback and suggestions in an early-term feedback survey around Weeks 4 to 5, and respond to the standard USC course evaluation survey at the end of the semester.
(Tentative) Course Schedule: A Weekly Breakdown
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| Week 3 Jan 23 & 25 |
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| Week 4 Jan 30 & Feb 1 |
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| Week 5 Feb 6 & 8 |
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| Week 6 Feb 13 & 15 |
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| Week 8 Feb 27 & Mar 1 |
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| Week 9 Mar 6 & 8 |
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| Spring Recess | |||
| Week 10 Mar 20 & 22 |
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| Week 11 Mar 27 & 29 |
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| Week 12 Apr 3 & 5 |
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| Week 13 Apr 10 & 12 |
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| Week 14 Apr 17 & 19 |
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| Week 15 Apr 24 & 26 |
Oral Presentation | ||
| FINAL | Final paper (due May 3, 6:00 pm) |
MT = Bandalos (2018, Measurement Theory). Standards = AERA, APA, and NCME (2014, Standards).
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Academic Conduct:
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on Research and Scholarship Misconduct.
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