The Umbrella That Is Too Wide and Yet Too Small: Why Dynamic Testing Has Still Not Delivered on the Promise That Was Never Made

Abstract

In this article, I reflect on potential reasons for the seemingly persistent impression that dynamic testing has not delivered on its promise. Potential reasons are embedded in a paradox. On the one hand, validity-related expectations toward dynamic tests seem too broad. This includes fuzziness in defining the diagnostic target constructs, simplistic quantitative focus on conventional validity indices, and overgeneralized expectations regarding incremental validity. At the same time, the focus on dynamic testing seems too narrow. By introducing three tests of cognitive flexibility, I exemplify that dynamic testing has potential which goes beyond the assessment of learning potential in specific subpopulations. My ambition is to help in addressing potential users’ misconceptions about dynamic testing productively.