Testing in Contrast to Assessment

TESTING AND ASSESSMENT HISTORY

 In contrast to the process of administering, scoring, and
- In 1905, Alfred Binet and a colleague published a test designed interpreting psychological tests. Psychological assessment
to help place Paris schoolchildren in appropriate classes. may be conceived as a problem-solving process that can take
- Within a decade an English-language version of Binet’s test was many different forms.
prepared for use in schools in the United States.  A psychological assessment proceeds depends on many
- In 1917, United States declared war on Germany and entered factors, not the least of which is the reason for assessing.
World War I. Different tools of evaluation—psychological tests among
- Military needed a way to screen large numbers of recruits them— might be marshaled in the process of assessment,
quickly for intellectual and emotional problems. Psychological depending on the particular objectives, people, and
testing provided this methodology.
circumstances involved as well as on other variables unique
- During World War II, the military would depend even more on to the particular situation.
psychological tests to screen recruits for service.

- Following the war, more and more tests purporting to measure

an ever-widening array of psychological variables were Process of Assessment:
developed and used.
1) Referral for Assessment.
- Types of test: 2) Referral question/s are put to the assessor about the
assessee.
Intelligence Test, Personality Test, Brain functioning Test, 3) Assessor meets assesses or others before the formal
Performance at work, and many other aspects of assessment.
psychological and social functioning test. 4) Follow institutional guidelines.
5) Formal assessment begins.
6) After the assessment, the assessor writes a report of the
findings that is designed to answer the referral
question.
 TESTING VS. ASSESSMENT
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING & ASSESSMENT DEFINED
OBJECTIVE
- Testing was the term used to refer to everything from the Testing Assessment
administration of a test, to the interpretation of a test score.  Obtain some numerical  Answer referral question, solve
gauge of ability or attribute a problem, or arrive at a
- During World War I, testing aptly described the group screening
decision through evaluation
of thousands of military recruits. tools
PROCESS
- By World War II, semantic distinction between testing and a
more inclusive term, “assessment,” began to emerge.  Can be individual or group  Individualized

- Assessment of Men: U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) used a  After test administration,  Typically focuses on HOW an
variety of procedures and measurement tools (psychological tester adds up number of individual process rather than
correct answers or number simply the results of the
tests) among them in selecting military personnel for highly
of certain types of responses processing
specialized positions (espionage, intelligence gathering, etc). with little regard for the how
or mechanics of such
- Psychological assessment - gathering and integration of
contents
psychology-related data for the purpose of making a ROLE OF EVALUATOR
psychological evaluation that is accomplished through the use of
 Tester is not key to the  Assessor is key to process of
tools such as:
process selecting tests and/or other
 Tests, Interviews, Case studies, Behavioral tools of evaluation and in
 One tester may be drawing conclusions from the
observation, and specially designed apparatuses and
substituted for another entire evaluation
measurement procedures. tester without appreciably
affecting the evaluation
- Psychological testing - process of measuring psychology-related
SKILL OF EVALUATOR
variables by means of devices or procedures designed to
obtain a sample of behavior.  Typically requires  Typically requires an educated
technician-like skills in selection of tools of evaluation,
terms of administering and skill in evaluation, and
scoring a test as well as in thoughtful organization and
interpreting a test result integration of data.
 The Tools of Psychological Assessment
- Tests differ with respect to their psychometric soundness
and utility:
Test
 Psychometric soundness or technical quality – is one of
- Defined as a measuring device or procedure designed to measure the important elements in testing. This refers to how
variables related to modifier. In psychology, (such as intelligence, consistently and accurately a psychological test measures
personality, aptitude, interests, attitudes, or values). what it purports to measure.
Difference between psychological tests and other o Psychometrics – this refers to the science of
assessment tools varies in different ways, such as: psychological measurement.
- Content - refers to the subject matter. Two psychological tests  Utility – this refers to the usefulness or practical value that a
purporting to measure the same thing, e.g. personality —may test of assessment technique has for a particular purpose.
differ widely in item content.

- Format - pertains to the form, plan, structure, arrangement,

layout of test items, and time limits.

- In administration procedures - this could designed to be In psychological assessment, Different types of scores exist.
individual, may require active and knowledgeable test
- Some scores result from the simple summing of responses
administrator.
(such as the summing of correct/incorrect or
- In Scoring and Interpretation procedures. agree/disagree responses), and some scores are derived
from more elaborate procedures.
o Score refer to a code or summary statement, usually but not
necessarily numerical in nature that reflects evaluation of - Some tests are self-scored by the test takers themselves,
performance on a test, task, interview or some other sample of others are scored by computer, and others require scoring
behavior. by trained examiners.

o Scoring, this is a process of assigning such evaluative codes or - Most tests of intelligence come with test manuals that are
statements to performance on tests, tasks, interviews, or other explicit not only about scoring criteria but also about the
behavior samples. nature of the interpretations that can be made from the
scores.
 Cut Score or Cutoff Score – refers to a reference point, usually Interviews differ with regard to many variables, such as
numerical, derived by judgment and used to divide a set of data into their purpose, length, and nature.
two or more classifications. (e.g., pass/fail, bad to super ideal)
- Panel interview (also referred to as a board interview) has
more than one interviewer participates in the assessment.
Advantage of this personnel assessment technique is that any
idiosyncratic biases of a lone interviewer will be minimized.
Interview However, its disadvantage relates to its utility; the cost of
using multiple interviewers may not be justified.
- As a method of gathering information through direct
- Motivational interviewing defined as a therapeutic dialogue
communication involving reciprocal exchange.
that combines person-centered listening skills such as
openness and empathy, with the use of cognition-altering
There are different ways to conduct an interview:
techniques designed to positively affect motivation and effect
therapeutic change.
- Face-to-face contact - interviewer is taking note of not only the
content of what is said but also the way it is being said. More Interviewers differ in many ways:
specifically, the interviewer is taking note of both verbal and
- Their pacing of interviews, their rapport with interviewees,
nonverbal behavior. Also, the interviewer may take note of the
and their ability to convey genuineness, empathy, and humor.
way the interviewee is dressed.
- Electronic - through online interviews, e-mail interviews, and
interviews conducted by means of text messaging.
- Telephone - the interviewer must be sensitive to variables such Portfolio
as changes in the interviewee’s voice pitch or the extent to which
- Consist of work products, samples of one’s ability and
particular questions precipitate long pauses or signs of emotion accomplishment, whether retained on paper, canvas, film,
in response. video, audio, or some other medium. A portfolio may be
used as a tool of evaluation. For example, in hiring a
commercial artist, hiring decisions will be based, in part, on
the impressiveness of an applicant’s portfolio of sample
drawings.
 Case History Data
Behavioral Observation
- Case history data are useful when it sheds light on an
- Defined as monitoring the actions of others or oneself by
visual or electronic means while recording quantitative individual’s past and current events, circumstances that may
and/or qualitative information regarding those actions. have contributed to any changes in adjustment. Also in
- This kind of assessment tool is good when you want to
neuropsychological evaluations such as the person’s functioning
know how someone behaves in a particular situation,
observe his/her behavior in that situation. prior to the occurrence of a trauma or other event that causes
- Usually used in different diagnostic aid settings, such as deficits.
in inpatient facilities, behavioral research laboratories, - It refers to records, transcripts, and other accounts in written,
classrooms, corporate setting, and behaviors of humans
in natural settings. pictorial, or other form that preserve archival information,
official and informal accounts, and other data and items
relevant to an assessee. This include:

Role-Play Test
- Role play may be defined as acting an improvised or o Files or excerpts from files maintained at institutions and
partially improvised part in a simulated situation. agencies such as schools, hospitals, employers, religious
- A tool of assessment wherein assessees are directed to institutions, and criminal justice agencies.
act as if they were in a particular situation. Assessees
o Photos and family albums, home videos, audiotapes, work
may then be evaluated with regard to their expressed
thoughts, behaviors, abilities, and other variables. samples, artwork, and accounts and pictures pertaining to
- Role play can be use in different settings such as in interests and hobbies. Postings on social media such as
corporate, industrial, organizational, military, or in Facebook or Twitter may also serve as case history data.
clinical context as interventions with substance abusers.
 Computers as Tools
Computer Assisted Psychological Assessment
Computers nowadays play in contemporary assessment in
(CAPA)
the context of generating simulations.
- This assessment tool provides assistance to the test user not
- Local Processing – this refers to the scoring but done
the taker. It opened a world of possibilities for test developers,
on-site.
enabling them to develop psychometrically sound tests using
- Central Processing – this refers to the processing that
mathematical procedures and calculations so complicated that
occurs at a central location.
they may have taken weeks or months to use in a bygone era.
- Teleprocessing – the scores or data are sent to or
- The CAPA is also known as Computer Adaptive Testing. The
from central facility by phone lines.
term Adaptive is a reference to the computer’s ability to
tailor the test to the testaker’s ability or testtaking pattern.
o For example, on a computerized test of academic abilities,
the computer might be programmed to switch from testing
math skills to English skills after three consecutive failures
Other tools for psychological assessment are; on math items.
- Videos – this assessment is used to determine how an
individual would respond to a situation at the
workplace.
- Biofeedback Equipment – this tool measures bodily
reaction
- Penile Plethysmograph – this tool is for the
measurement of male sexual arousal.
 The Assessment Enterprise - Who are the Parties? Testtaker – this refers to anyone who is the subject of an
In What types of settings are assessments conducted? Why is assessment or an evaluation can be a testtaker or an assessee.
assessment conducted? How are assessments conducted? This means that even a deceased individual can be considered
Where does one go for authoritative information about tests? an assesse, through psychological autopsy.

o Psychological Autopsy – this may be defined as

reconstruction of a deceased individual’s psychological
profile on the basis of archival records, artifacts,
interviews previously conducted with the deceased
Who are the parties? assessee, and interviews with people who knew him/her.
For example, using psychological autopsies, we can
- Test Developer – they were the creator or developer of a
explored the question of whether suicide terrorists were
test or other methods of assessment. Approximately, indeed suicidal from a classical psychological
there are 20,000 psychological tests published each year. perspective.

o Standards for Educational and Psychological

Testing - this covers issues related to test construction
and evaluation, test administration and use, and special - Society at Large – as society evolved and as the need to
measure different psychological variables emerges, test
applications of tests such as linguistic minorities. It was
developers respond by devising new tests such as through
published in 1954 but revisions were published in court decisions, where society at large exerts its influence on
1966, 1974, 1985, and 1999, 2014 various aspects of the testing and assessment enterprise.
- Other parties - include organizations, companies, and/or
- The test user - they were a wide range of professionals
governmental agencies.
which includes such as clinicians, counselors, school
psychologists, human resources personnel, consumer
psychologists, experimental psychologists, and social
psychologists.
 Clinical Settings – assessment tools in clinical settings can be
observed in public, private and military hospitals, inpatient and
outpatient clinics, pri vate practice consulting rooms, and

Types of settings that assessment are schools and other institutions.

conducted; o Private Psychotherapy – where a client wishes to be

evaluated to see if the assessment can provide any nonobvious
Educational Settings – as mandated by law, tests are
clues regarding his or her maladjustment.
administered early in school life to help identify children
o School Psychologist – where she or he clinically evaluates a
who may have special needs.
child experiencing learning difficulties to determine what
 School Ability Test – an assessment in identifying factors are primarily responsible for it.
children with needs o Psychologist – a consultant retained by an insurance company
 Achievement Test – another type of test use in school is called on to give an opinion as to the reality of a client’s
which evaluates accomplishment or degree of learning psychological problems such as malingering or experiencing
that has taken place. problems.
 Diagnostic Test – a tool of assessment used to help o There are many types of tests used in clinical settings, such as
narrow down and identify areas of deficit to be targeted Intelligence tests, personality tests, neurological tests,
for intervention such as in reading, mathematics, or other other specialized instruments and others depending on
academic subjects. problem area.
 Informal Evaluation – this tool is typically o Testing in clinical settings can be conducted on one individual
nonsystematic assessment that leads to the formation of at a time or it could be used for group testing as part of
an opinion or attitude. screening. The term screening refers to identifying individuals
who require further diagnostic evaluation.
 Geriatric Settings – where older people might require

Counseling Settings - assessment in this context may psychological assessment to evaluate their cognitive,

occur in environments as diverse as schools, prisons, psychological, adaptive, or other functioning.

government institutions, and privately owned institutions. o In this assessment, the Quality of Life of the person is
being evaluated in terms of perceived stress, loneliness,
 The ultimate objective of counseling is to see sources of satisfaction, personal values, quality of living
improvement of assessee in terms of adjustment, conditions, and quality of friendships and other social
productivity or some related variable. This could be support.
attained by measuring the assessee’s social and
academic skills, personality, interest, attitudes, and
values. Business and Military Settings – the assessment tools
 Referral questions sample can be “How can a child better or tests are used in terms of decision making about careers of
focus on tasks?” “For what career is the client best suited?” personnel. This settings may use variety of tests such as
or “What activities are recommended for retirement?” achievement, aptitude, interest, motivational test for hiring,
promotions, transfer, job satisfaction, and eligibility for further
training.

Governmental and organizational credentialing -

one of the many applications of measurement is in Other settings

governmental licensing, certification, or general credentialing

Court – they used assessment to determine if defendant is
of professionals. To have assurance and adhering the quality
competent to stand on a trial.
and its appropriate standards for certain field of works, they
Health Psychology – It assesses current state of affairs with
may undergo a board exams and assessment based on their
regard to some disease or condition, gauge treatment progress,
specialization. For instance, before they are legally entitled to
and evaluate outcome intervention. Health psychologists are
practice medicine, physicians must pass an examination.
involved in teaching, research, or direct-service activities
designed to promote good health.
 Whether processed locally or centrally, an account of a
testtaker’s performance can range from;

- Simple scoring report – this refers to a mere listing of a

score of scores.

- Extended scoring report – this includes more detailed

statistical analyses of the testtaker’s performance.

- Interpretative report – distinguished by its inclusion of

numerical or narrative interpretive statements in the
report.

- Consultative report – usually written in language

appropriate for communication between assessment
professionals, may provide expert opinion concerning
analysis of data.

- Integrative report - a computerized scoring report is

designed to integrate data from sources other than the test
itself into the interpretive report. This employ previously
collected data (such as medication records or behavioral
observation data) into the test report.
 How Assessments are Conducted: Ethical Assessment of people with disabilities - are the same for
people without disabilities, such as obtaining employment,
Guidelines
earning professional credential, and screen for psychopathology.
1) Before a test is administered, stored in a way that
reasonably ensures its specific contents will not be made
 Alternate Assessment – this assessment is accomplished
known in advance.
by means of some accommodation made to the assessee.
2) Ensure that a prepared and suitably trained person
The term accommodation refers to adaptation of a test,
administers test properly.
procedure, or situation, or the substitution of one test for
3) Familiar with test materials and procedures.
another, to make the assessment more suitable for an
4) Must have tests at the site and all materials needed to
assessee with exceptional needs.
properly administer the test.
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century

1. Test and testing programs first came into being in China 5. Middle Ages – during this era, one question has been
as early as 2200 B.C.E. significant to most people, and that was “Who is in league with
2. Testing was instituted as a means of selecting who, of the devil?”. With these, various measurements procedures were
many applicants, would obtain government jobs. devised.
3. What were the applicants tested on? 6. Renaissance Period – by 18th century, Christian von
o Proficiency in Music, Archery, Horsemanship, Wolff anticipated psychology as a science and psychological
Writing, Arithmetic, Agriculture, Geography, Revenue, measurement as a specialty within that science.
Civil Law, and Military Strategy. 7. Charles Darwin – in 1859, he published On Origin of
Species by Means of Natural Selection.
 Chance variation in species would be selected or rejected by
nature according to adaptivity and survival value.
4. Song Dynasty – during this era, emphasis placed on  History records that it was Darwin who spurred scientific
knowledge of classical literature. interest in individual differences.
8. Francis Galton – this person is Darwin’s half cousin. In his
 Testtakers who demonstrated their command of the efforts to explore and quantify individual differences in people,
classics were perceived as having acquired wisdom he became an extremely influential contributor to the field of
of the past and entitled to government positions. measurement.
 During some dynasties, testing was virtually suspended  Aspired to classify people according to their natural gifts and
and government positions were given to family members to ascertain their deviation from an average.
or friends, or simply sold.  Credited for developing tools of psychological assessment
 Imperial Examinations – for dynasties where these such as questionnaires, rating scales, and self-report
enforced, consequential privileges for succeeding varied: inventories.
Government Job, entitled to wear Special Garb, and  Anthropometric Laboratory - Urging educational
accorded with Special Courtesies by anyone they institutions to keep anthropometric records on students.
happened to meet. - measured variables such as height, arm span, weight,
 Greco-Roman Writings – refers to the indicative breathing capacity, strength of pull & squeeze, swiftness
attempts to categorize people in terms of personality of blow, keenness of sight, memory of form,
types. This is based on overabundance or deficiency of discrimination of color, and steadiness of hand.
some bodily fluid (such as blood or phlegm) as a factor
believed to influence personality
 9. Wilhelm Max Wundt - he established the first 11. Charles Spearman – he originated the concept of
experimental psychology laboratory in University of Leipzig, reliability. He built the mathematical framework from the
Germany. statistical technique of factor analysis.
 He tried to formulate a general description of human 12. Victor Henri – collaborated with Alfred Binet on
abilities with respect to variables such as reaction time, papers suggesting how mental tests could be used to
perception, and attention span. In contrast to Galton, measure higher mental processes.
Wundt focused on how people were similar, not
different. 13. Emil Kraepelin – he is the early experimenter with
 Other students of Wundt are Charles Spearman, Victor the Word Association technique as a formal test. Later on,
Henri, Emil Kraepelin, E.B. Titchener, G. Stanley Hall, and he became the Father of Diagnostic Psychology.
Lightner Witmer. 14. Lightner Withmer – he received Ph.D. from
10. James McKeen Cattell - He completed a doctoral university of Leipzig and succeeded Cattell as a director of
dissertation that dealt with individual differences— the psychology of laboratory at the University of
specifically, individual differences in reaction time. Pennsylvania.

 Cattell was a student of Wundt who moved back to the US  He is also known as the founder of Clinical Psychology
and went to Cambridge to teach, where he met Galton, and publisher of Clinical Psychology Journal.
whom he later described as “the greatest man I have
known”.
 He coined the term mental test in an 1890 publication.
 He trained many psychologists and founded a number of The Nineteenth Century Testing
publications such as Psychological Review Science and
American Men of Science. Testing was psychological in nature involved the
 In 1921, he founded Psychological Corporation and measurement of sensory abilities, reaction time, and the
named top 20 leading psychologists as its director. The like. Generally, the public was fascinated by such testing.
goal was the advancement of psychology and the However, there was no widespread belief that testing for
promotion of useful applications in psychology. variables such as reaction time had any applied value. But
 all of that would change in the early 1900s with the birth of
the first formal tests of intelligence.
 The Twentieth Century
- The birth of first formal tests of intelligence. Tests that
would be useful for reasons readily understandable to Measurement of Intelligence – as early as 1895 Alfred
anyone who had school-age children. Public Binet and Victor Henri argued for measurement of abilities such
receptivity to psychological testing shifted to as memory and social comprehension.
instruments that purportedly quantified mental
1) Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon - published a 30-item
ability.
“measuring scale of intelligence” designed to help identify
Paris schoolchildren with intellectual disability. Many
revisions and translations were made — and, in the process,
SELF-REPORT launch both the intelligence testing movement and the
Advantages Disadvantages clinical testing movement.
2) David Wechsler – clinical psychologist at Bellevue Hospital
1. Respondents are the best- 1. Poor insight into in New York City. He introduced a test designed to measure
qualified people to provide themselves. People might
adult intelligence. – he defined Intelligence as an aggregate or
answer about themselves. honestly believe some things
about themselves that in global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think
reality are not true. rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment.
 Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale – revised and
2. unwillingness to reveal named as Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). -
anything about themselves Revised many times since 1939.
that is very personal or that
 Versions of the test have been published to extend to the
could put them in a negative
light. age range of testtakers from young children through
senior adulthood.
3) Group Intelligence Test – a natural outgrowth of the test
devised by Binet. Then came into being in the United States as
a response to military’s need for an efficient method of
screening.
 Various methods were developed to provide
measures of personality that did not rely on self-report. One
such method or approach came to be described as
Measurement of Personality - By the late projective in nature.
1930s, approximately 4,000 different psychological tests
were in print. WWI had brought with it not only the need 2) Projective Test – a tool for individual who is assumed to
to screen the intellectual functioning of recruits but also project onto some unambiguous stimulus his/her own
the need to screen for recruits’ general adjustment. unique needs, fears, hopes, and motivation. – Ambiguous
stimulus might be an inkblot, a drawing, a photograph, or
1) Robert S. Woodworth – chaired Committee on something else.
Emotional Fitness.
 He was assigned the task of developing a measure  Rorschach Inkblot Test - a projective test developed
of adjustment and emotional stability that could be by Hermann Rorschach. This test is a series of inkblots
administered quickly and efficiently to groups of which are presented to the test taker.
recruits and he called it “Personal Data Sheets”  Thematic Apperception Test – a projective test
 Personal Data Sheets – test takers indicate yes or developed by Henry A. Murray and Christiana D. Morgan
no to a series of questions that probed for the at Harvard Psychological Clinic.
existence of various kinds of psychopathology. For - A series of pictures are presented and test taker
example, one of the test questions was “Are you tells a story about the picture.
troubled with the idea that people are watching - Stories told are then analyzed in terms of themes,
you on the street?” needs, motivations they are projecting onto the
 Woodworth Psychoneurotic Inventory – a pictures.
personality test for civilian use developed by 3) The academic and applied traditions – Two Traditions
Woodworth. This was the first widely used self-
report test of personality.  Galton, Wundt, and other scholars, researchers at
 Self-report refers to a process whereby assessees universities throughout the world use the tools of
themselves supply assessment-related information assessment to help advance knowledge and
by responding to questions, keeping a diary, or understanding of human and animal behavior.
self-monitoring thoughts or behaviors  Binet and Chinese – Administration of competitive civil
service examinations.
 These two traditions were applied in the present.
 Culture and Assessment
3. Some Issues Regarding Culture and Assessment
Culture – A socially transmitted behavior patterns,
beliefs, and products of work of a particular population,  Verbal Communication – language issues (linguistic
community, or a group of people. barriers).
 Nonverbal communication and behavior – messages
 Culture imparts much about what is to be valued or conveyed by body language may differ from culture to
prized as well as what is to be rejected or despised. culture.
Evolving Interest in Culture-Related Issues - Sigmund Freud – had a concepts in symbols that
has significance which is assigned to many
1. Henry H. Goddard – he raised questions about how nonverbal acts. Example is the Fidgeting with a
meaningful tests were when used with people from wedding ring is a sign of unstable marriage.
various cultural and language backgrounds.  Standards of evaluation – Tempering Test and
 He tested those selected immigrants who appeared to Assessment-related outcomes – also ask how
have intellectual disability to trained observers and appropriate norms are to make the evaluation.
later labelled them feebleminded.
 Findings were largely the result of using a translated 4. Tests and Group Membership – tests and other
Binet test that overestimated mental deficiency in evaluative measures administered in vocational, education,
native English-speaking populations and immigrant counseling, and other settings leave little doubt that people
populations differ from one another on an individual basis and also from
 Sparked nature versus nurture debate on intelligence. group to group on a collective basis.
2. Culture-Specific Tests – tests designed for use with  Test of job ability should be the basis of hiring. Not
people from one culture but not from another. physical attributes or group membership.
 Test developers recognized that some tests could not  Group differences in scores.
be used for certain populations.
o Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale – this
test is not for use for colored populations of the
United States.
