Norms

Norms maybe defined as the average performance on a particular test made by

standardization sample. There are four types of norms- age norms, guide norms,
percentile norms and standard scale norms. Depending upon the purpose and
needs, norms help in the interpretation of the scores. In the absence of norms, no
meaning can be added to the score obtained on the test.
The subtypes of norms are: -
PERCENTILE NORMS-
Percentile norms are expressed in terms of the percentage of persons in the
standardization sample who fall below a given raw score E.g.- If 28% of people
obtain fewer than 15 problems correct on an arithmetic reasoning test, then a
raw score of 15 corresponds to the 28th percentile. A percentile indicates a
person’s relative position in the standardization sample. Percentile can also be
represented as ranks in a group of 100, in which the ranking starts from the
bottom. So, the lower the percentile, the poorer the individual standing.
AGE NORMS-
It depicts the level of test performance for each separate age group in the
normative sample. The purpose of age norms is to facilitate same aged
comparisons with age norms. The performance of an examinee is interpreted in
relation to standardization subjects of the same age.
LOCAL NORMS-
Local norms are often developed by the test users themselves within a particular
setting. The groups employed in deriving such norms are even more narrowly
defined than the sub-groups. E.g. a college office may develop norms on its own
student population. These local norms are useful for many test purposes such as
the prediction of student job performances or college achievement in different
subjects or the measurement of an individual’s progress over time.
GRADE NORMS-
Grade norms are conceptually similar to age norms. A grade norm depicts the
level of test performance for each separate grade in the normative sample. These
are easily used in ability tests. However, these are especially useful in school
setting when reporting the achievement level of school children.
SUB-GROUP NORMS-
These are more on narrowly defined population and are chosen as to suit the
specific purpose of each test. The sub-group may be formed with respect to age,
grade, type of curriculum, sex, socio economic levels, etc. These are used to
determine the type of differentiation that is most relevant as well as whether
general or specific norms are made appropriate.
NATIONAL NORMS-
These norms refer to the standardized test when the results are reported as
percentile ranks. It is not the test that is norm referred, but the interpretation of
the scores. It is difficult to obtain a sample that truly represents the national
performance of test. A large ‘anchor test study’ comparing the norm for
achievement tests demonstrated that there were substantial differences among
the norms reported for some tests.
NATIONAL ANCHOR NORMS-
One solution for lack of compatibility of norms is to use anchor test to work out
equivalency tables for scores on different tests. Such tables are designed to show
what score in test A is equivalent to each score in test B. This can be done by the
equipercentile method, individual scores are considered equivalent when they
have equal percentile given in a group. E.g. if 80th percentile in the same group
corresponds to an IQ of 115 on test A, and to an IQ of 120 on test B, Then test A
IQ of 115 is considered equivalent to test B IQ of 120.
For many purposes it is useful to have comparable scores from different tests that
are expressed on an uniform scale of measurement and referred to single
normative sample.

A.K.Singh (1996)
USES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

CLASSIFICATION-
Psychological tests are popularly used in making classification of persons, that is,
for assigning the persons to one category rather than to one another. There are
different types of classifications, each one giving emphasis upon a particular
purpose in assigning persons to categories. Important types of categories are
placement, screening, certification and selection.
Screening: It refers to the procedures of identification of persons with the help of
psychological tests, psychometricians often screen persons into creativity and
persons having exceptional talent in abstract reasoning.
Placement: It refers to sorting of persons into appropriate programmes according
to their needs or skills.
Certification and selection: These are done using psychological tests. Certification
implies that an individual has at least minimum proficiency in a discipline or
activity. Selection is very much similar to certification because it also confers
some privileges on the part of the persons who have been selected. These talks
are well accomplished with the help of psychological tests.

DIAGNOSIS AND PLANNING TREATMENT-

Diagnosis means determining the nature of a person’s abnormal behavior and
classifying the behavior patterns in an accepted system. A proper diagnostic
program not only provides assignments of labels, but also the choice of
treatments.

IN EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS-
Psychological tests are often used in evaluation of various types of educational
social programs. In schools and colleges different types of programmes for the
betterment of academic achievement are carried out and the persons want to
know about its impacts. Such impacts are easily studied with the help of various
types of achievement and intelligence tests.

SELF-KNOWLEDGE-
These are also useful in providing self-knowledge to the test takers to the extent
that such knowledge tends to change their career path. Every administration of a
psychological test gives a feedback to the test takers regarding the level of
trait/ability being assessed.

THEORETICAL AND APPLIED BRANCHES OF BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH-

These tests are very useful in research. They are frequently used in theoretical
and applied researches. With the help of such tests, psychologists frequently
investigate theoretical matters that have no immediate or obvious practical
application.

A.K.Singh (1996)

Devshree Dantale
Batch-2
1910103