Standards for the development and review of instrumental studies: Considerations about test selection in psychological research

Résumé 0

"This paper discusses the criteria that should be considered when selectingpsychological assessment tests in a research context. Traditionally attention has focused– and still does – on the stages that must govern any process of test construction/adaptation. This work is guided by internationally accepted standards, whose scientificimportance is agreed by the scientific community. However, beyond any construction/adaptation process, the use of tests is a constant feature of psychological research, soit is of vital importance to select the tests adequately. For this reason, in this theoreticalstudy we provide a summary of the criteria that should guide test construction/adaptationas well as some general guidelines to consider when selecting tests for psychologicalresearch. The information presented is organized into six sections, each of whichcorresponds to a different stage in the process of test creation: a) conceptual definitionof the construct to assess; b) information about item construction and qualitativeassessment; c) results of the statistical analysis of the items; d) empirical evidence ofthe internal structure of the test; e) results of the reliability estimation; and f) externalevidence of score validity. The study ends with a reflection on the scope of the proposedguidelines and the importance of using clear criteria to select the tests used in research."