DRM Webinar: Reflections on a decade of research in test construction
Join the PsySSA DRM and Prof Erica Munnik as she reflects on her career trajectory from a psychometrist in primary health, to clinical psychologist, to academic and researcher and how her experiences lead her to understand how important research in test development is in educational and clinical spaces.
Reflections on a decade of research in test construction
Date: 19 June 2025
Time: 12h00 to 13h00
MS Teams Link: Click to join (no registration required)
About the webinar
The development and adaptation of psychological measures are still a focus of many discussions and are receiving ongoing attention in studies in South Africa. Most clinicians and researchers agree that a renewed focus on measure development and adaptation is needed to ensure accurate, culturally relevant, and ethically sound measures for use in applied contexts such as industry, education and clinical practice. South Africa’s multi-linguistic and cultural contexts often impacts the development of measures significantly but an ongoing focus and engagement is vital as assessment needs to promote fairness, assist in decision making, and need to advance psychology as a science within the South African context. It is with this in mind that I will reflect on my career trajectory from a psychometrist in primary health, to clinical psychologist, to academic and researcher and how my experiences lead me to understand how important research in test development is in educational and clinical spaces. It is hoped that this presentation will motivate research psychologists and students to engage in the field of test development and adaptation, to understand the vital importance of research in this area to complement assessment practises and ultimately guide psychological interventions in these applied settings.
Can’t join us live? Watch all recordings of the PsySSA DRM Webinars and Research Podcast episodes on the PsySSA DRM YouTube Channel
Prof Erica Munnik
Prof Erica Munnik is a clinical psychologist and holds an Associate Professor rung at University of the Western Cape (UWC). She is a senior staff member in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences teaching on undergraduate as well as post graduate level. Sy does clinical as well as research supervision. Erica is considered to be a mid-career researcher. She is currently busy with her second post-doctoral project focused on translation and adaptation. She is actively publishing in peer reviewed journals (h-index-8, i-10 index-7 with 165 citations since 2019). Her research has continuously been supported by NRF funding. Her research dovetails her expertise in psychological assessment. Erica developed innovative products such as the Emotional Social Screening Tool for School readiness (E3SR-R), English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa versions and co-developed The Quality of Translation and Linguistic Equivalence Checklist (QTLC-revised). She continues to do presentations nationally and internationally to introduce her work to the academic community. Erica is also translating her research and clinical experience into community work. She does consultative work at preschools focused on equipping educators with the necessary skills to develop and assess young learners emotional and social skills. She firmly believes in translating knowledge to practise.