Introduction to Psychological Assessment

Psychological Testing

refers to all possible uses, applications, and underlying concepts of psychological tests

Psychological Test

a device for measuring characteristics of human beings that pertain to overt (observable) and covert (intraindividual) behavior

Psychometrics

branch of psychology dealing with the development and application of statistical and other mathematical procedures to psychology

Test

a measurement device that quantifies behavior

Test Administration

Test Administrator

a person giving a test

Intelligence Test or Mental Ability Test

measured objectives of intelligence tests (general ability tests) are designed to provide an estimation of a person’s probable intellectual behavior; his innate potentials

Verbal Test

question and answer

Nonverbal Test

choose to fit the pattern

Intelligence Test or Mental Ability Test

an example of this include mental age, IQ, EQ

Achievement Test

designed to measure the outcome of the instructional program

Aptitude Test

attempt to measure an individual’s potentialities for future development and learning among individuals along certain lines or specific areas

Personality Test

measures used to account for behavioral phenomena by identifying the number of consistent patterns of traits

Personality Test

an example of this include MBTI, OCEAN

Interest Inventories

measure of a person’s preferences, his likes and dislikes at a given time, which may be influenced by his environment, his experience and perhaps his innate tendencies

Performance Test

a test in which the examinee is required to manipulate objects or perform a task

Pencil-and-Paper Test

a test which represents questions or items to which a person responds by writing or marking answers

Objective Test

require the person scoring the test to exercise little, or if any, judgment

Subjective Test

require the scorer to use considerable judgment and training in evaluating the examinee’s responses

Standardized Test

administered and scored according to specific instructions for uniformity

Norms

available for standard interpretation of scores

Teacher-Made Test

constructed by the teacher for the purpose of an informal evaluation of her classroom teaching

Speed Test

required the examinee to complete as many test items or complete some tasks as possible in a specified time limit

Power Test

require the examinee to demonstrate the extent of his knowledge or depth of his understanding with the time factor eliminated as much as possible

Individual Test

tests designed to be administered to one person at a time

Group Test

tests designed to be administered to a group of examinee’s at a time