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

This paper discusses the criteria that should be considered when selecting psychological 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 scientific importance is agreed by the scientific community. However, beyond any construction/ adaptation process, the use of tests is a constant feature of psychological research, so it is of vital importance to select the tests adequately. For this reason, in this theoretical study we provide a summary of the criteria that should guide test construction/adaptation as well as some general guidelines to consider when selecting tests for psychological research. The information presented is organized into six sections, each of which corresponds to a different stage in the process of test creation: a) conceptual definition of the construct to assess; b) information about item construction and qualitative assessment; c) results of the statistical analysis of the items; d) empirical evidence of the internal structure of the test; e) results of the reliability estimation; and f) external evidence of score validity. The study ends with a reflection on the scope of the proposed guidelines and the importance of using clear criteria to select the tests used in research.