standard error of measurement

(symbol: SEM) an index of the reliability of an assessment instrument, representing the variation of an individual’s scores across multiple administrations of the same test. The larger the standard error of measurement, the greater the score variation across administrations. In essence, the standard error of measurement provides an indication of how confident one may be that an individual’s obtained score on any given measurement opportunity represents his or her true score.

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Psychology term of the day

January 31st 2025

automatic speech

1. speech that erupts involuntarily, or without conscious control. It sometimes occurs as a consequence of dementia, Tourette’s syndrome, or highly emotional states. Automatic speech is not to be confused with synthesized or synthetic speech.

2. speech that is uttered with little or no conscious consideration of the spoken material, such as the days of the week, numbers, the alphabet, and other well-learned material.