History of Psychology Assessment

Alfred Binet

____________ and a colleague developed the first test to help place Paris schoolchildren in appropriate classes

World War 1; 1917

the U.S. military needed a quick way to screen large numbers of recruits for _____ in _______

Intellectual; Emotional

During World War I (1917), the U.S. military needed a quick way to screen large numbers of recruits for. _______ and _____ fitness

1905

Year __________ - Alfred Binet Test: Placed Paris schoolchildren in classes

1917

Year __________- WWI Military Tests: Screened recruits for intellectual/emotional fitness

Psychological assessment

involves gathering and integrating psychology-related data to make a psychological evaluation. This is done through tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, behavioral observations, and specially designed apparatuses and measurement procedures.

Psychological Testing

focuses on measuring specific psychology-related variables using devices or procedures that capture a sample of behavior

Psychological Assessment

Comprehensive evaluation using multiple tools and methods

Psychological Testing

Measurement of variables through standardized tools

Francis Galton

became fascinated by the differences among people and believed that physical and mental characteristics could be inherited

Francis Galton

hypothesized that certain traits (e.g. sensory motor responses) —such as reaction time and grip strength—might be linked to superior intellectual ability.

Reaction Time and Grip Strength; Superior Intellectual Ability

Francis Galton hypothesized that certain traits—such as _________ and ___________ be linked to ______________

Correlation Coefficient

Francis Galton inspired the development of the ________

Francis Galton

Inspired the development of the correlation coefficient

Jean Esquirol

studied how language ability in individuals with intellectual disabilities related to overall intelligence.

Language; Intellectual Disabilities

Jean Esquirol (1772–1840) studied how ____ in individuals with _______________ related to overall intelligence.

Jean Esquirol

He used language as a key indicator, becoming a forerunner of what is now known as verbal IQ

Verbal IQ

Jean Esquirol used language as a key indicator, becoming a forerunner of what is now known as _______

Jean Esquirol

● Linked language ability to intelligence

● Early foundation for the concept of verbal IQ

● Studied individuals with intellectual disabilities in mental asylums

Edouard Seguin

observed that intellectual deficits in children were often more severe when accompanied by physiological problems. He advised physicians to watch for signs such as a swinging walk, restless hands, saliva dripping, a vacant expression, and limited or repetitive speech.

Physiological Problems

Edouard Seguin observed that intellectual deficits in children were often more severe when accompanied by __________

Edouard Seguin

later developed the form board, designed to improve motor control and sensory discrimination in his patients. This tool also allowed comparisons between children with severe intellectual deficits and average children of different ages.

Form Board

Edouard Seguin later developed the _______, designed to improve motor control and sensory discrimination in his patients. This tool also allowed comparisons between children with severe intellectual deficits and average children of different ages.

Motor Control; Sensory Discrimination

Edouard Seguin designed the form board to improve ________________ and__________ in his patients. This tool also allowed comparisons between children with severe intellectual deficits and average children of different ages.

Form Board

Considered a forerunner of performance IQ measures

Edouard Seguin’’

● Linked physiological signs to intellectual prognosis

● Created the form board for motor and sensory training

● Early influence on performance IQ testing’’

G. Stanley Hall

worked with/student of Wilhelm Wundt

G. Stanley Hall

who had worked with Wilhelm Wundt, went on to establish his own experimental psychology laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.

G. Stanley Hall

He became a mentor to many leading American psychologists and, in 1892, founded the American Psychological Association (APA), serving as its first president.

Alfred Binet

was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Education in Paris to create a test that could help integrate children with learning difficulties into schools.

Ministry of Public Education in Paris

In 1904, Alfred Binet (1857–1911) was commissioned by the ____________ to create a test that could help integrate children with learning difficulties into schools.

Theodore Simon

Binet and his colleague __________ developed a one-on-one scale to measure higher mental processes through varied tasks—such as tracking a light or distinguishing between different types of words.

one-on-one scale

Binet and his colleague Theodore Simon developed a ______ to measure higher mental processes through varied tasks—such as tracking a light or distinguishing between different types of words.

Modern Intelligence Test

The insights from Binet' and Simon’s work led to the creation of the first __________, shaping the future of cognitive assessment

Binet-Simon Scale

Designed for children with learning challenges

● One-on-one administration to assess higher mental processes

● Foundation for modern-day intelligence testing

Lewis Terman

Not long after Binet and Simon’s work, _______ (1877–1956) of Stanford University began refining their scale.

normative data; Stanford–Binet Intelligence Test.

He systematically gathered extensive __________ from hundreds of children and enhanced the test, resulting in the ____________

Lewis Terman

● Adapted and expanded the Binet-Simon scale

● Created the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Test

● Introduced the term IQ (mental age ÷ chronological age)

standardized procedures; Psychometricians

Early test developers, including Lewis Terman, recognized the need for __________ and trained examiners—now known as __________—to ensure accurate results in individual testing.

World War I; cognitive ability; group-administered tests

During ______, these limitations became critical. The military needed a way to quickly assess _____ for large groups of recruits, leading to the development of _______ that could be given efficiently and at scale

Standardized Procedures; slowly and costly; group cognitive testing

● ____________ introduced for testing accuracy

● Individual testing: precise but _______

● WWI drove the shift to __________ for rapid placement

Robert Yerkes

In response to the military’s need during World War I, ______________, president of the American Psychological Association, led a special committee to design a screening test for new recruits.

Lewis Terman; 4 months

Robert Yerkes, working with prominent psychologists—including _______—the team produced a draft in just ______

Army Alpha; 1.7 million recruits

_______ a groundbreaking group-administered test that marked a major step toward the mass use of psychological testing in decision-making. Within two years, it was administered to over __________

Robert Yerkes; Army Alpha; 1.7 million recruits; 2 years

● _______: Led APA’s special committee on military testing

● _______: First large-scale group intelligence test

● Over _______ tested in less than _______

Foreign-Born Recruits; Army Beta

To address the needs of _______ and individuals who could not read, the military developed a nonverbal alternative to the Army Alpha called the _______

Form Boards and Mazes; Pantomime

Army Beta used _____and _____, with all instructions delivered through ______ so the test could be completed without reading.

Army Beta; Form Boards and Mazes; Pantomime

● ________: Language-free group intelligence test

● Used _________ and ______ instead of written tasks

● ____ instructions ensured accessibility for non-readers

Edward Thorndike; educational; psychological assessment

As scientific approaches to testing gained momentum, ________—a pioneer in _________ and ______—and his colleagues saw the potential for more reliable testing formats.

1923; Stanford Achievement Test

Edward Thorndike’s movement toward standardized group testing reached a milestone in ____ with the creation of the ___________, designed to measure school-related skills on a large scale.

Stanford Achievement Test

designed to measure school-related skills on a large scale.

Edward Thorndike; 1923 – Stanford Achievement Test; scientific

●Who ______: Advanced reliable, standardized testing methods

● Year_____-What_______: Landmark in group educational testing

● Reflected the growing influence of ______ assessment in education

Vocational Counseling; Frank Parsons

Group testing also found a strong foothold in (field) __________. Led by _______, the field grew in importance at the turn of the 20th century as many people migrated to larger cities in search of work.

Self-knowledge; Knowledge of the world work; Finding a suitable match - true reasoning

Parsons viewed vocational counseling as a process involving:

1. _____________

2. _____________

3. ________ through what he called “__________”

With this approach, thousands sought guidance to discover jobs that aligned with their skills and interests.

Frank Parsons; True Reasoning

● ________: Pioneer of vocational counseling

● Popularized the “______” approach to career matching

● Helped urban job seekers find suitable employment through structured assessment

Intelligence; David Wechsler; Bellevue Hospital; Wechsler–Bellevue Intelligence Scale (WBIS); 1939

By the 1930s, thousands of psychological tests existed, and debates raged over how ______ should be defined. This led ______, chief psychologist at ______ in New York City, to create the __________ in ____.

David Wechsler; purposefully; logically; successfully

________ defined intelligence as the ability to act ______, think ______, and cope ______ with the environment

WBIS-II; 1946; 1955; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS); WAIS-R (1981); WAIS-III (1991); WAIS-IV (2008)

David Wechsler released the second _____ in _____, and in _____ revised and renamed it the___________. The WAIS has since undergone multiple updates—_______, ______, and _______—and remains one of the most widely used measures of adult intelligence today.

David Wechsler; 1939-WBIS; 1955-WAIS

● _______: Defined intelligence as purposeful action, logical thought, and effective coping

● ____-____: First adult intelligence scale

● ____-____ : Standard for adult intelligence testing, with major updates in 1981, 1991, and 2008

1912; Edward Thorndike; vocational assessment; elementary school - college

In ____, ________ conducted one of the earliest studies in ______________, tracking the interests of 100 students from _________ through ______. His work laid the groundwork for structured approaches to matching personal interests with career paths.

1922; J. B. Miner; interest inventories; interest banks; high school students

A decade later, in ______, ______ created one of the first formal _________—then called “________”—to help large groups of _________ choose suitable occupations.

1912 – Edward Thorndike; 1922 – J. B. Miner;

● _____-_____: Early research on student interests over time

● _____-_____: Developed first formal interest inventory for career guidance

● Marked the rise of structured vocational assessment

Edward Strong; Strong Vocational Interest Blank; 420

In the mid-1920s, ________ (1884–1963) collaborated with fellow researchers to create what became the most famous interest inventory of its time—the _____________. The original version contained _____ items, and Strong dedicated the rest of his career to refining it.

Career Assessment

Modern derivatives of this inventory are still used today, making Strong’s work a lasting influence in the field of ____________

Edward Strong; 420 items; career counseling/assessment

●Who _________: Developed the Strong Vocational Interest Blank

● Original inventory: _____ items

● Modern versions remain widely used in ________

1940s; vocational tests; Public Employment Services; Great Depression; school graduates

In the _______, the demand for ________ grew as a way to predict how successful an applicant might be in specific occupations. The ___________ sought such tools to address two major challenges: the large number of people left unemployed by the _________ and the influx of __________ seeking work

large-scale vocational aptitude programs;

In response to the GD, psychologists developed ______________ designed to forecast occupational success before a person entered a job.

1940s; post- Great Depression unemployment; occupational success

● ________: Rise in vocational aptitude testing

● Driven by ___________ and new workforce entrants

● Goal: Predict _________ prior to job placement

1880s; Emil Kraepelin; word association test; Robert Woodworth’s Personal Data Sheet

In the ______, ________ created a crude _________ to study schizophrenia, but it was ______________ that became the true ancestor of modern personality inventories.

World War I; 116 yes or no items

Developed during _______ to screen recruits for susceptibility to mental health problems, Woodworth’s test contained ____________ items designed to identify emotional or psychological difficulties before deployment.

Emil Kraepelin; Robert Woodworth; 116 yes/no items

● Who _________: Early word association test for schizophrenia

● Who _________: Created the Personal Data Sheet

● _________ items to detect mental health risks in WWI recruits

1904; Carl Jung; 156 stimulus words; association ; unusual; delayed

By _____, _______ (1875–1961) developed a list of ________ word for one of the earliest ______ tests. While examining his clients’ responses, Jung noticed that certain __________ or _________ reactions often clustered together, suggesting unresolved emotional issues.

Carl Jung; complex; neurotic areas

______ coined the term _______ to describe these patterns, which appeared to reveal problematic or ______ in a person’s life.

Carl Jung; 156-word association test; patterns; complex

● ________: Created a __________in 1904

● Identified ______ in unusual or delayed responses

● Introduced the concept of the _____ in personality theory

Hermann Rorschach; Carl Jung; Rorschach Inkblot Test

__________(1884–1922), a student of _________, created the most famous projective test—the __________. He selected ten inkblots, made by placing ink on paper, folding it, and spreading the ink between the halves.

unconscious life; Henry Murray’s Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Rorschach believed that how a person interpreted these abstract forms could reveal deep insights into their ___________. His work inspired other projective methods, such as _______________________, in which individuals view standard pictures and create stories that explain the scenes.

Hermann Rorschach; unconscious

● _________: Creator of the Inkblot Test

● Used abstract images to uncover the _______

● Influenced later tools like Murray’s TAT for storytelling-based analysis