A Short Test for the Assessment of Basic Knowledge in Psychology

Abstract

This paper reports the development of a fixed-choice test for the assessment of basic knowledge in psychology, for use with undergraduate as well as graduate students. Test content is selected based on a core concepts approach and includes a sample of concepts which are indexed most frequently in common introductory psychology textbooks. In a pilot study ( n = 67 psychology students), a 21 item-version of the test was developed. Empirical results from two additional studies using psychology students ( n = 173 and n = 112) show that the test can differentiate between students with varying progress in their studies and show a significant correlation of test scores with academic achievement in psychology.