Psychological Assessment and Testing Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental concepts, tools, historical figures, and key terms from the lecture on psychological assessment and testing.

Psychological Assessment

Comprehensive process of collecting and integrating multiple sources of psychology-related data to answer a question, solve a problem, or make a decision about a person.

Psychological Testing

Administration of a standardized instrument that yields a numerical score for a specific variable such as IQ or a personality trait; one component of assessment.

Collaborative Psychological Assessment

Assessment model in which psychologist and client work together throughout the evaluation to understand the presenting issue.

Therapeutic Psychological Assessment

Approach that uses the assessment itself as a vehicle for client self-discovery and emotional insight, blending testing with therapy.

Dynamic Psychological Assessment

Evaluate-intervene-re-evaluate model that measures how a person learns or changes following an intervention.

Psychological Test

Any standardized device or procedure for quantitatively measuring a specific psychological construct (e.g., intelligence, aptitude, personality).

Reliability

Degree to which a test consistently measures whatever it measures; an element of psychometric soundness.

Validity

Extent to which a test actually measures what it purports to measure and supports intended interpretations.

Intelligence Test

Instrument designed to assess problem-solving ability, abstract reasoning, and overall cognitive capacity.

Personality Test

Measure that assesses habitual patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior; may be structured or projective.

Aptitude Test

Tool that estimates a person’s potential to learn or develop skills in the future.

Achievement Test

Instrument that evaluates what an individual has already learned in a specific domain.

Interview (Assessment Tool)

Direct, often face-to-face conversation used to gather verbal and non-verbal information about the client.

Portfolio

Collection of a person’s work samples assembled to demonstrate skills, achievements, or progress.

Case History

Compilation of records—medical, educational, family, etc.—that reveal how past events influence present functioning.

Behavioral Observation

Systematic watching and recording of actions in naturalistic or structured settings to draw inferences about behavior.

Role-Play Test

Assessment in which the examinee acts out a situation to reveal thoughts, emotions, and coping styles.

Computerized Assessment Tool

Software or online platform that automates test administration, scoring, and interpretation.

Test Developer

Individual or organization that designs, researches, and publishes a psychological test.

Test User

Professional (e.g., psychologist, counselor) who selects, administers, scores, and interprets a test.

Test Taker

Person who is being assessed by a psychological test or battery.

Psychological Autopsy

Post-mortem investigation using records and interviews to reconstruct a deceased individual’s mental state.

Accommodation (Testing)

Modification that makes a test accessible—such as Braille, large print, or extended time—without altering what is measured.

Alternate Assessment

Completely different method or instrument used when standard testing is inappropriate for the examinee’s needs.

Overt Behavior

Observable actions, such as gestures or speech, that can be recorded directly.

Covert Behavior

Internal thoughts, feelings, or motives that are not directly observable.

Human Ability Test

Umbrella term for achievement, aptitude, and intelligence tests measuring cognitive capacities.

Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale

1939 test by David Wechsler offering verbal, performance, and full-scale IQs for adults.

Army Alpha Test

Group intelligence test for literate World War I U.S. soldiers developed under Robert Yerkes.

Army Beta Test

Non-verbal intelligence test for illiterate or non-English-speaking WWI recruits.

General Intelligence ("g")

Charles Spearman’s construct of a single underlying mental ability responsible for performance across cognitive tasks.

Mental Age

Alfred Binet’s concept indicating the level of intellectual functioning typical of a given chronological age.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

Numeric index of intelligence introduced by Lewis Terman; originally IQ = (Mental Age / Chronological Age) × 100.

Four Humors Theory

Ancient Greek/Roman personality theory positing blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm as bases of temperament.

Sanguine

Humor-based temperament associated with blood; cheerful, sociable, and optimistic.

Choleric

Humor-based temperament linked to yellow bile; aggressive, passionate, and goal-oriented.

Melancholic

Humor-based temperament tied to black bile; reflective, sad, and analytical.

Phlegmatic

Humor-based temperament associated with phlegm; calm, quiet, and easygoing.

Ancient Chinese Civil Service Examination

2200 B.C.E. system of written and oral tests used to select government officials—early form of large-scale testing.

Christian von Wolff

18th-century thinker who predicted that thoughts and feelings could eventually be measured scientifically.

Charles Darwin

Biologist whose emphasis on individual differences and natural selection inspired psychological measurement.

Francis Galton

Pioneer of psychometrics who created a lab to quantify human traits and sparked interest in measuring intelligence.

Karl Pearson

Statistician who created the Pearson correlation coefficient, foundational for reliability, validity, and factor analysis.

Wilhelm Wundt

Founder of the first psychological laboratory (1879) focusing on experimental methods; teacher of Cattell.

James McKeen Cattell

Coined the term "mental test" and merged Wundt’s methods with Galton’s focus on individual differences.

Alfred Binet

Developed the 1905 Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale introducing mental age to identify children needing support.

Lewis Terman

Adapted Binet’s work into the Stanford-Binet, introduced IQ, and viewed intelligence as largely inherited.

Robert Yerkes

Psychologist who oversaw Army Alpha and Beta tests, pioneering group intelligence testing during WWI.

David Wechsler

Creator of multi-score adult intelligence tests, making assessment more comprehensive and inclusive.

Woodworth Personal Data Sheet

First structured personality inventory (True/False) used in WWI to screen for emotional instability.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

Projective technique using ambiguous inkblots to explore unconscious aspects of personality.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Projective test by Murray & Morgan where subjects create stories about pictures, revealing motives and conflicts.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Empirically derived, widely used structured personality test employing statistical item selection for clinical diagnosis.

Factor Analysis

Statistical method Spearman used to identify clusters of related test items and support the "g" concept.

Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r)

Statistic that quantifies the linear relationship between two variables; cornerstone of test reliability studies.

Psychometrics

Field concerned with the theory and techniques of psychological measurement, including test construction and evaluation.

Rapport

Positive, trusting relationship between assessor and examinee that can enhance test validity.

Group Testing

Simultaneous administration of a test to many examinees, first popularized with Army Alpha/Beta.

Projective Test

Assessment in which ambiguous stimuli elicit responses thought to reveal unconscious processes.

Structured Personality Test

Inventory with fixed response options (e.g., True/False, Likert) scored objectively to assess personality traits.