unlocking the gre presentation to flc psychology club november 2003 beverly chew
Post on 21-Dec-2015
217 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Unlocking the GRE
Presentation to FLC Psychology Club
November 2003
Beverly Chew
Types of GRE Tests
General C.A.T. format Tests verbal,
quantitative, and analytical writing
Required by most graduate programs
Subject – Psychology Paper format Tests undergraduate
knowledge in experimental, social, and ‘other’ areas
Required by some graduate programs
General GRE Exam lasts between 2 hr. 45 min. & 3 hr. 15 min. Three sections:
- Verbal - Quantitative -Analytical Writing C.A.T. format; questions & answers differ for each
test taker Offered 1st 3 weeks of each month in major cities $115 cost; scores sent to 4 schools (about $15 per
additional school) Scores good for 5 years May cancel score but all test dates show on record;
may take multiple times
Scoring of General GRE
Hard questions count more than easy ones You may not skip a question; you can’t
return to previous questions Raw score Scaled score Percentile
score (percent of norm group receiving similar or lower scores)
Norm group is from last 3 years of test-takers
Scoring, continued
Verbal & Quantitative sections are scored from 200 – 800
Because of norm referencing and large numbers of high quantitative scores, a perfect 800 on this scale cannot be higher than the 96th percentile!
Writing is scored holistically from 0 – 6 in half point intervals
How to Prepare for General GRE Don’t avoid math and writing-intensive courses Constantly work on your vocabulary and word use Allow 4 to 6 months for GRE prep. Learn the GRE format/directions for standard questions Take a pre-test (strengths and weaknesses)
– http://www.gre.org – Use Kaplan (or other) review book ($35 approx.)– Focus first on weak areas then add stronger ones while
continuing to practice weak areas Leave at least 2 weeks for final reviewing including at
least two timed post-tests
Verbal – 30 min for 30 multiple choice questions Analogies
MAP : ATLAS :: word : dictionary Sentence completion
The winning argument was ____ but persuasive (cogent, flawed) Antonyms (opposite meanings) Reading comprehension (read a passage and answer
several questions about its ideas and plausible inferences)
On-line examples: http://www.gre.org/practice_test/index.html
Quantitative – 45 min. for 28 multiple choice questions Problem solving (includes algebra, geometry, central
tendency, probability)If a sweater sells for $48 after a 25% markdown, what was its original price? (5 options to choose from)
Quantitative comparisonsColumn A Column B
2x 3x4 options: Col A is greater; Col B is greater; the two are equal; cannot
determine relationship
Graph problems (several questions about one or a set of graphs)
On-line examples: http://www.gre.org/practice_test/index.html
Analytical Writing – Two essays: 45 min. for Issue; 30 min. for Argument Present your perspective on an issue
The drawbacks to the use of nuclear power mean that it is not a long term solution to the problem of meeting ever-increasing energy needs.
Assess the logic presented in an argumentThe problem of poorly trained teachers that has plagued the state public school system is bound to become a good deal less serious in the future. The state has initiated comprehensive guidelines that oblige state teachers to complete anumber of required credits in education and educational psychology at the graduate level before being certified.
Scored: Outstanding (6), Strong (5), Adequate (4), Limited (3), Weak (2), Fundamentally Deficient(1), Unscorable (0) [½ pt intervals]
GRE General: PsychometricsAnalytical Verbal Quantitative
Reliability .76(interrater = .94)
.92 .91
SEM .47 33 43
SE Diff .66 47 60
Range 0-6 200-800 200-800
50th p 4 ? 470 610
Psy applic.
Mean (SD)
470 (94)
(50th p)
534 (118)
(33rd p)
More Psychometrics…
Correlation between V & Q: r = 0.41 Fixed reference group scoring: 1952 group
set = 500, = 100 Recently, V mean = 469 (119),
Q mean = 591 (148) So, today a score of 500 is at the 58th p for
Verbal and the 27th p for Quantitative
GRE General Validity Studies
Correlations with Graduate 1st year GPA (all departments)Verbal = .30 Quant = .39 Analy = .28
Correlations with College GPA : 0.37 V & Q & A : 0.34 V & Q & A & College GPA : 0.46 Meta-analysis of 1,753 studies confirms this
– GRE also related to comprehensive exam scores, publication counts, faculty ratings but Subject tests tend to be better predictors than VQA tests
Questions about the General GRE?
Subject GRE - Psychology Exam lasts 2 hr. 50 min. 215-220 multiple choice questions over
vocabulary, names, theories: breadth not depth is important
Paper / scantron format; no test aids allowed Offered 1 Sat. in April, Nov., Dec. at various sites $130 cost; scores sent to 4 schools ($13 per
additional school) Scores good for 5 years May cancel score; may take multiple times
Scoring of Psychology Subject Test
Raw score: # correct - ¼ (# wrong)
(unanswered questions don’t affect score) Scaled score: 200 – 900 Percentile rank score
(comparison to population of other test-takers) Subtests scores for experimental/natural
science and social/social sciences categories: 20 - 99
Scoring of Psychology Subject Test - Example
Correct = 155Incorrect = 20Omits = 40Raw score = 155 - ¼ (20) = 150Scale score = 670Percentile rank score = 84…you scored as well or better than 84% of
other test takers.
Content of Psychology Subject Test
Experimental or Natural Science
40%
Learning Memory Language
Thinking Sensation Perception
Physiological Ethology Comparative
Content of Psychology Subject Test
Social or Social Science
43%
Abnormal Social Clinical
Developmental Personality
Content of Psychology Subject Test
General
17%
History Applied Measurement
Research design Statistics
How to Prepare
T.A. for an Intro. Psychology class Take a pre-test (strengths and weaknesses)
– http://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/Psychology.pdf– Kaplan (or other) review book ($15 approx.)
Review all 8 content areas– Focus first on weak areas then add stronger
ones while continuing to practice weak areas Leave at least 2 weeks for final reviewing
including a timed post-test
Topics: Social
Attitudes Affiliation Prosocial Behavior Antisocial and
Aggressive Behavior Conformity and
Compliance
Self Perception Social Perception Groups Leadership Cooperation and
Competition
Topics: Developmental
Nature/Nurture Controversy
Heredity Growth and
Maturation Newborn
Characteristics Cognitive
Development
Language Development
Social / Emotional Development
Temperament Attachment Moral Development Parenting Research Methods
Topics: Personality & Abnormal
Theories– Psychodynamic
– Behaviorism
– Humanism
– Trait / Type
Understanding Mental Disorders– DSM IV major
categories
Diathesis-Stress Model
Primary Prevention Labeling
Topics: Physiological
Central and Peripheral Nervous System
Anatomy of the Brain Neurons and Glial
Cells Neural Transmission Neurotransmitters
Psychopharmacology Endocrine System Neuropsychology Sleep and Sleep
Disorders Perception of Emotion
Topics: Sensation and Perception
Psychophysics Sensory Information
Processing Vision Visual Perception and
Illusions
Auditory System Other Senses
– Taste
– Smell
– Touch
– Motion
Perception and Attention
Topics: Cognitive
Memory Problem Solving Decision Making Creativity
Language– Theories
– Language and Thought
– Gender Issues
Intelligence Metacognition
Topics: Research Design and Statistics Research Design
– Hypotheses
– Types of Variables
– Sampling
– Confounds
– Experimenter Bias
– External Validity
– Demand Characteristics
Statistics– Levels of measurement– Descriptive statistics– Inferential statistics– p-values– Type I & II errors
Tests & Measurement– Reliability– Validity– Types of tests
Psych Subject GRE: Psychometrics
Mean = 574 (100) on 300 – 800 scale Reliability = .95
– Experimental = .90– Social = .86
SEM = 21 (E = 2.9, S = 3.4) SE Diff = 30 (E = 4.1, S = 4.8) Validity correlations w/ 1st year GGPA
– Subject = .37– Subject & College GPA = .46– Subject & GRE General & College GPA = .50
Questions about the Psychology Subject Test?
top related