Psychology Tests
(Photo Credit: Corey Bordelon) Testing and the whole notion of individual difference is something that psychology has embraced, investigated and continued to develop throughout its history. Its legacy is clear to see when you consider the point made by The British Psychological Society that: "Psychological tests are used in all walks of life to assess ability, personality and behaviour. A test can be used as part of the selection process for job interviews, to assess children in schools, or offenders in prisons." Broadly speaking psychological testing can be defined as the use of one or more standardized measurement instruments, devices, or procedures including the use of computerized psychological tests, to observe or record human behaviour. This is a useful definition insofar as it highlights the main purpose of psychology tests i.e. to observe or record human behaviour, but what it doesn’t do is differentiate between the two main types of testing, namely projective testing and psychometric testing. Two very different types of testing that you need to be aware of. Projective Tests
The best-known projective test is the Rorschach inkblot test and it dates back to 1921. It’s named after the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach. Hermann Rorschach had a great interest in psychoanalysis and in 1918 he began experimenting with inkblots with his own patients. Encouraged by what he found, he published his findings in 1921. Rorschach always cautioned that his findings were preliminary and stressed the importance of much more experimentation; sadly he couldn’t do much of this himself as he died the following year in 1922. Initially Rorschach’s work received little attention but in time his inkblot test became a popular method of psychological evaluation. During the assessment patients are shown a series of inkblots and are asked to to say the first thing that comes to mind. Because the stimulus is ambiguous, it is claimed that the patient must impose his or her own structure and in doing so they reveal their thoughts, feelings, and themes, some of which are unconscious and have been projected into the inkblot image, hence the term projective testing. Psychometric Tests
Photo Credit: Carina S The important thing to note about psychometric testing is that it’s governed by 3 key principles: To what extent does the individual being tested differ from other individuals in relation to the ability, trait or construct in question? To what extent does the same individual differ in relation to the ability, trait or construct in question when measured on different occasions? In order to make an informed judgement about an individual you must have a normative frame of reference in place in order to analyse the test result. Put simply you need a benchmark so that you can compare the test score you’re interested in with the scores obtained from a representative sample. If you’re serious about pursuing a career as a psychologist, there is a very good chance that you will have learn about and become comfortable with the statistical procedures associated with psychometric testing. This statement alone is enough to make most people consider an alternative career path but don’t be phased by the thought of statistics. The principles you need to come to terms (although extending beyond the confines of this discussion) are actually very straight forward. Honest! Psychologists have developed literally hundreds of psychometric tests for a variety of purposes. Achievement and aptitude tests are regularly employed in educational and employment settings, clinical tests assess levels of anxiety and depression, neuropsychological tests measure cognitive functioning e.g. ability to reason, think etc; and then there are the countless tests that attempt to measure every conceivable aspect of a person’s personality. Psychological Testing Resources
The British Psychological Society's Psychological Testing Centre provides online access to information about tests and testing. Whether you are a psychologist, a test user or simply somebody interested in learning more about psychology tests, the Psychological Testing Centre is an extremely useful resource. Click Here To Visit The Psychological Testing Centre. Recommended Psychological Testing Reading
Book Description Easy-to-read and accessible, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING: PRINCIPLES, APPLICATIONS, AND ISSUES effectively communicates the excitement and dynamics of the field of psychological testing. Robert Kaplan and Dennis Saccuzzo provide students with a current analysis of the most widely used psychological tests in schools, professional training programs, business, industry, the military, and clinical settings. The authors offer a clear picture of how psychological tests are constructed, how they are used, and how an understanding of them can make a difference in their careers and everyday lives. Comprehensive and accurate, yet interesting and personally relevant, this book gets and keeps students' attention through the use of informal discussions and real-life examples. See following link for more details: Psychological Testing: Principles, Applications, and Issues Read Classic Psychology Studies on Kindle
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