Standardization
Putting LUXXprofile individual results in relation
By Svenja Klinkenberg, Member of the LUXXprofile R&D Team
The LUXXprofile is a standardized personality test. This sentence is part of the description of the LUXXprofile. But what does ‘standardized’ mean exactly? Standardization is a fixed part of scientific test development. Its ultimate goal is to enable scientists to compare single test results. In test development this means, that without standardization one will receive mere numbers, whereas with standardization one receives relevance.
A practical example: Let us assume one motive can have a maximum value of 50 and a minimum value of 0. If a test person tested a value of 30 it is unclear whether this is an average value or whether it already shows a tendency towards the high end. The standardization puts the individual result in relation and thus allows valid conclusions in regards to the individual stamping of the motive.
But how does standardization work exactly? First of all, scientists will draw a norm sample as a reference basis for the individual results. The extensive norm sample for the LUXXprofile consisted of 1,001 participants and was conducted in 2017. (For comparison, the sample for the Reiss Profile consisted of 341 participants and was conducted in 1998.) The norm sample must be representative. For the online-based LUXXprofile personality test the sample taken was representative in terms of age, education level, and gender for Internet users in Germany.
In the course of the standardization process, scientists determine how the results of the individual relate to the population, i.e. they examine the distribution/spreading of results of one motive dimension in the population, determine the mean value as well as the point of significant deviation from the average. In order to do this, the ‘raw’ data of a test is converted into the standardized values.
Another important fact: Standardization of the LUXXprofile was carried out in April 2017 according to DIN 33430, which means that it is up-to-date and future-oriented. Future-oriented, because a sample taken in accordance with DIN 33430 is valid for eight years until a new sample has to be drawn.
Conclusion: An up-to-date and valid standardization is indispensable, when working in the field of personality diagnostics. Both are true for the LUXXprofile.
Standardization is an essential quality criterion in test development. Further quality criteria, e.g. test reliability and validity, that also give important insights into the scientific foundation of the LUXXprofile, have already been described in our blog.
