Question

Testing is defined as a systematic procedure of observing and sampling behaviors. Explain why testing is a sampling process

Answer 1

We begin with few definitons of testing which are in accordance with its relation to being a sampling process :

1. Kleinmuntz (1967) : A psychological test is a standardized instrument or systematic procedure designed to obtain an objective measure of a sample of behaviour.
2. Anastasi & Urbina (1997) : They defined test as an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behaviour.
3. Cronbach (1990) : Test is a systematic procedure for observing behaviour and describing it with the aid of numerical scales or fixed categories.

It is evident that the above mentioned defitions revolve around the same concept of a test and has certain keywords common among them too.

Standardization can be interpreted as collecting sample in accordance to a norm or it may be referred to as admisnistration of a measure according to a pre-defined set of rules.

Tests mention about taking a sample of behaviour form which is then further generalized.

All of the above definitions are concerned with taking a measure indicating a quantity.

Next keyword is that of measurement, tests and assesments are used to measure some aspect of the project for which the test was conducted, be it pschologocal or quantitative.

Now one a popular definition of Sampling can be quoted as " Taking a representative portion of a material or product to test (e.g. by physical measurements, chemical analysis, microbiological examination), typically for the purposes of identification, quality control, or regulatory assessment. " Here sampling is defined along the lines of testing by explaning how we take a representative sample and used to to identify or in regulatory assignments similar to what was previously defined in testing too.

Sampling process and Testing both procedures are used to analyse whether a particular product/trait are complaint with a defined set of specifications. Sampling mostly focuses on traits while testing procedures are mainly used for products.

To conform the validity of sampling and testing they are both based upon scientific principles and generalized further to get concluding results.

Testing involves the preparation of sample ann application of methods of analysis to yield knowledge of the characteristis of the sample. Sampling process defined in layman terms is exactly the same referring to as using a set of methods to obtain a sample mostly in a random way so as to eliminate bias and then using that sample to get inferences regarding the population.

The steps common to both testing and sampling process can be defined below as :

• Understanding the specific need of the experiment : Identifying the sample to be studied, applying appropriate techniques for selection
• Using designed experiments to carry out analysis : Use of experiments to improve efficiency and reduce the costs involved

Hence taking into consideration the above mentioned points it is apt to say that Testing is a sampling process.