Student Assessment from a Psychological Perspective

Psychological theory and research have contributed significantly to learning and teaching but have been less frequently applied to student assessment. This article reviews some of the ways in which psychology can be applied to the behaviours involved in assessment, from the formulation of assessment criteria to the reduction of biases and errors in marking. It is argued that one of the most important ways that psychology can contribute to assessment is by providing theory and methods to make implicit influences more explicit. The point is illustrated with examples of how personal construct theory has been used to develop grade descriptors and how judgement analysis has been used to investigate markers' decisions about students' work.