Module: 3 Introduction to Psychological tests

Objectives:
This module will enable students to:-
1. Understand the need for using Measurement & Evaluation Techniques
2. Understand meaning & characteristics of good test.

3. Analyze the formal techniques of Assessment & its classification.

Content:
1. Purpose of Measurement & Evaluation

2. Meaning & characteristics of a good.

3. Classification of tests.

4. Types of psychological tests

• Cognitive test
• Developmental test
• Personality test
• Projective techniques

Purpose of Measurement & Evaluation

Psychological testing and evaluation consists of a series of tests that help determine the cause of mental
health symptoms and disorders, to determine the correct diagnosis and follow up with the appropriate course
of treatment. Often the symptoms of a problem are apparent, such as when a child experiences academic and
social problems at school, or an adult struggles to maintain personal and professional relationships, but the
cause of the problem is not always clear. In such cases, psychological testing may be warranted. Aptitude
tests, personality tests and screenings for cognitive impairment are common types of evaluation.

When the quality and the quantity of anything is measured by using standard equipment or device, it is called
Measurement. In the words of Chaplin (1975) - “Measurement means quantifications of variables.” It is an
important part of life, which can be divided into two types:

1. Physical Measurement: It is a technique of measuring physical bodies using standard. For example,
measurement of the length of a desk or measurement of the volume of a glass of water, etc.

2. Psychological Measurement: It is a technique of measuring attributes, attitudes, personality

characteristics and abilities of living beings. It is of two types

a. Psychological tests.

b. Scales.

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In many ways, psychological testing and assessment are similar to medical tests. If a patient has physical
symptoms, a primary care provider may order X-rays or blood tests to understand what’s causing those
symptoms. The results of the tests will help inform develop a treatment plan.

Psychological evaluations serve the same purpose. Psychologists use tests and other assessment tools to
measure and observe a patient’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment.

Psychologists administer tests and assessments for a wide variety of reasons. Children who are experiencing
difficulty in school, for example, may undergo aptitude testing or tests for learning disabilities. Tests for
skills such as dexterity, reaction time, and memory can help a neuropsychologist diagnose conditions such
as brain injuries or dementia.

If a person is having problems at work or school, or in personal relationships, tests can help a psychologist
understand whether the person might have issues with anger management or interpersonal skills, or certain
personality traits that contribute to the problem. Other tests evaluate whether patients are experiencing
emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression.

Tests and assessments

Tests and assessments are two separate but related components of a psychological evaluation. Psychologists
use both types of tools to help them arrive at a diagnosis and a treatment plan.

Testing involves the use of formal tests such as questionnaires or checklists. These are often described as
“norm-referenced” tests. That simply means the tests have been standardized so that test-takers are evaluated
in a similar way, no matter where they live or who administers the test. A norm-referenced test of a child’s
reading abilities, for example, may rank that child’s ability compared to other children of similar age or grade
level. Norm-referenced tests have been developed and evaluated by researchers and proven to be effective
for measuring a particular trait or disorder.

A psychological assessment can include numerous components such as norm-referenced psychological tests,
informal tests and surveys, interview information, school or medical records, medical evaluation, and
observational data. A psychologist determines what information to use based on the specific questions being
asked. For example, assessments can be used to determine if a person has a learning disorder, is competent
to stand trial, or has a traumatic brain injury. They can also be used to determine if a person would be a good
manager or how well they may work with a team.

One common assessment technique, for instance, is a clinical interview. When a psychologist speaks to a
patient about his or her concerns and history, they’re able to observe how the patient thinks, reasons, and
interacts with others. Assessments may also include interviewing other people who are close to the patient,
such as teachers, coworkers, or family members. (Such interviews, however, would only be performed with
written consent from the patient.)

Together, testing and assessment allow a psychologist to see the full picture of a person’s strengths and
limitations.

Evaluation

A psychological evaluation, or psychological testing, is a thorough process of assessment and screening

administered by a psychologist. The methods used for the evaluation will depend on your or your loved one's
needs.

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The role of the psychologist doing the evaluation is similar to a detective looking for clues to solve a mystery.
The more clues that can be identified, the more information you'll have to understand what's going on and
decide what options are best suited to help them.

Uses

A psychological evaluation, which is always performed by a licensed psychologist, can be used to diagnose
a variety of mental health conditions or illnesses that impact memory, thought processes, and behaviors,
including:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Anxiety
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Dementia
• Head trauma
• Intellectual disability
• Neurocognitive disorder
• Personality disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Stroke
• Substance use disorder

A psychological evaluation can help determine the following:

• The severity of symptoms of depression or anxiety

• The presence of a learning disability
• Academic strengths and weaknesses
• Root causes of emotional problems
• Positive and negative coping styles
• Reasons for aggressive behavior
• Information about how you view the world
• Issues or conflicts you may be struggling with
• Insight into your personality style

Types

There are four primary types of psychological evaluation, including:

• Assessment of Intellectual Functioning (IQ): An assessment of intellectual functioning, or IQ

test, measures a person’s cognitive abilities and provides a score that is intended to serve as a measure
of an individual's intellectual abilities and potential. There are two primary measures to test a person’s
IQ: intelligent tests and neuropsychological assessment.
• Behavioral Assessment: A behavioral assessment is used to assess a wide variety of behaviors and
emotions. It's particularly useful when it is unclear what might be causing problematic behaviors or
symptoms.
• Clinical Interview: A clinical interview is a tool that helps psychologists make an accurate
diagnosis of a variety of mental illnesses. There are two common types: structured clinical interviews
and clinical diagnostic interviews.2

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 • Personality Assessment: A personality assessment will allow your psychologist to learn about the
genetic, environmental, and social components of your personality so they can figure out the best
way to treat you.

In addition, psychological testing may be part of assessments of aptitude or achievement in school, career or
work counseling, development of management skills, and career planning.

How It Works

A psychological evaluation may consist of a series of formal or structured psychological or

neuropsychological tests as well as clinical interviews designed to identify and describe emotional,
behavioral, or learning problems.

Psychological assessments may be written or given orally, or administered via a computer. They may involve
a series of questions to determine how often you or a loved one experience certain symptoms, or you may be
prompted to choose statements that best describe how you think, feel, and behave. Depending on the test, the
process can take several hours to a full day, and may be completed during several different sessions.

Meaning

Definition:- A Psychological test is a standardized measure of a sample of a person’s behaviour that is used
to measure the individual differences that exist among people. A psychological test is an objective and
standardized measure of an individual’s mental and/or behavioural characteristics. A Psychological test is a
systematic procedure or observing person’s behaviour or performing, describing it with the aid of a numerical
scale or category system. Mostly tests are used as a way of measuring differences between people or
differences in the same person over time. Psychological tests are written, visual, or verbal evaluations
administered to assess the cognitive and emotional functioning of children and adults.

According to F. S. Freeman (1965) - “A psychological test is a standardized instrument designed to measure

objectivity one or more aspects of a total personality by means of samples of verbal and non-verbal responses,
or by means of other behaviours.”

According to Lee. J. Cronbach (1949) - “A test is a systematic procedure for observing a person’s
behaviour and describing with the aid of a numerical scale or category system.”

As Reber and Reber (2001) said, “A psychological test refers to all the test of psychological nature.”

Need for psychological test: -

ü Identifies weaknesses and strength.

ü Supports individualized lesson plans.
ü Enables placement decisions.
ü Monitors progress 5. Identifying disabilities.
ü Helping the administrative and academic works.
ü Vocational ability.

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Main Characteristics of a Good Psychological Test

Five main characteristics of a good psychological test are as follows:

1. Objectivity
2. Reliability
3. Validity
4. Norms
5. Practicability!

1). Objectivity: The test should be free from subjective—judgement regarding the ability, skill, knowledge,
trait or potentiality to be measured and evaluated.

2). Reliability: This refers to the extent to which they obtained results are consistent or reliable. When the
test is administered on the same sample for more than once with a reasonable gap of time, a reliable test will
yield same scores. It means the test is trustworthy. There are many methods of testing reliability of a test.

3). Validity: It refers to extent to which the test measures what it intends to measure. For example, when an
intelligent test is developed to assess the level of intelligence, it should assess the intelligence of the person,
not other factors. Validity explains us whether the test fulfils the objective of its development. There are
many methods to assess validity of a test.

4). Norms: Norms refer to the average performance of a representative sample on a given test. It gives a
picture of average standard of a particular sample in a particular aspect. Norms are the standard scores,
developed by the person who develops test. The future users of the test can compare their scores with norms
to know the level of their sample.

5). Practicability: The test must be practicable in- time required for completion, the length, number of items
or questions, scoring, etc. The test should not be too lengthy and difficult to answer as well as scoring.

Classification of tests

According to Anastasi, there are three criteria of classification of the psychological tests:

1. On the basis of Contents: On this basis, Psychological tests can be divided into two types-
i. Cognitive test: Cognitive tests are those tests which are used to measure different abilities and
capacities. It is also called Ability test. Some of its examples are as follows-
a) Test of general intelligence: these tests are designed to measure general intelligence of people. For
example, an adult’s ability to cope with general intellectual problems.
b) Test of creative intelligence: these tests are designed to measure creative capacity.
c) Test of aptitude: Aptitude usually refers to the ability to learn a particular kind of skill required in a
specific situation. Test of aptitude is designed to measure it, such as, musical aptitude test,
mechanical aptitude test, clerical aptitude test, etc.
d) Test of achievement: these tests are designed to measure the capacity or ability to achieve the goal.
These tests help in the prediction of the people’s achievement in their field.

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 ii. Non- Cognitive test: Non-cognitive tests are those tests which are used to measure different aspects
of personality. It is also called Personality test. Some of it’s examples are as follows-
a) Test of personality: these tests are designed to reveal an individual’s personality which includes
characteristics patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.
b) Test of traits and temperaments: these tests are the deep study of the traits and temperaments of a
person, i.e. the way a person responds emotionally and cognitively to another person, thing and/or
situation.
c) Test of values and interests: these tests focused on the personality attributes of interests and values.
For example, vocational interest.

2. On the basis of Purpose: on this basis, psychological tests can be divided into two types:
i. Descriptive test: these are those tests in which the mode of the answer will be descriptive, i.e. the
testee has to give his response in a descriptive manner. Descriptive test may be (a) Cognitive test or
(b) Non-Cognitive test or the mixture of both the types.
ii. Selection test: in selection test the testee has to choose or select the right choice from the multiple
choice questions. Selection test may also be (a) Cognitive test or (b) Non-Cognitive test.

3. On the basis of Form: on this basis, psychological tests can be divided into five types-
A. Oral test: the mode of this type of test is oral, i.e. spoken. There is a lack of written work.
B. Paper-pencil test: in this type of test, a test booklet and an answer sheet is provided to the testee and
he perform written work using paper, pencil, etc.
C. Speed test: in this type the questions of the test booklet are arranged in such a manner that it can’t be
completely solved within that time limit. There is a lot of questions in the test booklet and the testee
has to solve it in a short timelimit. The scoring is done on the basis of speed, i.e. number of the solved
questions.
D. Power test: In this type of test, a test booklet and an answer sheet is provided to the testee and there
is also the time limitation but the scoring is done on the basis of correctness, i.e. accuracy of the
answers.
E. Performance test: performance tests are those tests in which the language is either used to direct or
may not be used when pantomime and gesture is used for the direction but in the items the language
is never used. There are few objects kept physically in front of the testee and they are asked to
manipulate and/or disentangle. These tests are both, individual as well as group. One of the
performance test which is widely used for the measurement of intelligence is Alexander’s Battery of
Performance test.

Types of psychological tests

Cognitive test
Cognitive testing checks for problems with cognition. Cognition is a combination of processes in your brain
that's involved in almost every aspect of your life. It includes thinking, memory, language, judgment, and
the ability to learn new things. A problem with cognition is called cognitive impairment. The condition ranges
from mild to severe.
There are different types of cognitive tests. Each involves answering a series of questions and/or performing
simple tasks. They are designed to help measure mental functions, such as memory, language, and the ability
to recognize objects. The most common types of tests are:

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 • Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. A 10-15 minute test that includes memorizing a short
list of words, identifying a picture of an animal, and copying a drawing of a shape or object.
• Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). A 7-10 minute test that includes naming the current date,
counting backward, and identifying everyday objects like a pencil or watch.
• Mini-Cog. A 3-5 minute test that includes recalling a three-word list of objects and drawing a clock.

Developmental test
Development tests are tools that are used to help measure a child's developmental progress from infancy
through adolescence.
Every child develops at an individual pace. However, development tests may help to discriminate between
normal variations in development among children and early signs of a developmental problem.
Development tests have different purposes depending on the age of the child and may be administered under
a variety of circumstances. They are designed according to the expected skills of children at a specific age.
The tests range from the passive evaluation of an infant to the complex testing of adolescents.
Developmental assessments usually combine standardized tests and observations to cover all aspects of a
child's development, including the following:

• motor skills
• language development
• mental development
• social/emotional development
• self-help skills, including dressing and toileting

Development test types

Types of development tests include the following:

• infant development scales

• sensory-motor tests
• speech and hearing tests
• neuropsychological tests that measure neurological functioning
• preschool psychoeducational batteries
• early screeners
• developmental surveys or profiles
• early learning profiles
• kindergarten or school readiness tests
• tests of play behavior
• social skills and social acceptance tests

Personality test
Psychological measures of personality are often described as either objective tests or projective tests. The
terms “objective test” and “projective test” have recently come under criticism in the Journal of Personality
Assessment. The more descriptive “rating scale or self-report measures” and “free response measures” are
suggested, rather than the terms “objective tests” and “projective tests,” respectively.

Personality Tests: - These tests measure the type and traits of the individual’s personality. These tests are
used for clinical purposes. Examples of some commonly known attitude tests are as follows,

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 • Rorschach or Inkblot test
• Thematic Apperception Test
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory or MMPI

Projective techniques
Projective techniques are methods used to study the human mind and behaviour. A projective technique is
used to study a person’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions by projecting them onto an object. The methods
use the physical properties of light, sound, and other stimuli to explore the subject’s inner world. It involves
projecting a set of images and ideas inside the mind, which the psychoanalyst then analyses. It is a bizarre
technique that requires a lot of patience and time.

History of Projective Techniques

Projective psychology techniques were first developed in the 1960s for clinical psychology. They are a form
of personality test in psychology that exposes subjects to a succession of ambiguous stimuli such as images
or phrases. The goal of projective tests is to elicit emotional reactions from participants so that their attitudes,
attributes, and behaviour may be studied. These tests are supposed to uncover an individual’s hidden wants
and fears.

According to psychologist Daniel Kahneman, the human brain makes millions of decisions every day. Small
decisions like what to dress, what to eat, which route to take to work, and so on, and more complicated ones
like buying a new automobile, relocating to a new city, or ending a relationship, are examples. If we
consciously processed these decisions, our brain would quickly become inundated with data. As a result, our
unconscious mind processes several decisions and the motives that drive them. It’s possible that people aren’t
always aware of their acts’ unconscious reasons.

Types of projective techniques in psychology

Association Test

Association Word Test is the test wherein random words are uttered before the subject, and in return, the
subject has to respond accordingly. In this test, generally abnormal people respond to an ambiguous word.
For instance, if this test is performed on a schizophrenia patient, he will respond ambiguously to any word
an experimenter is uttering. When a subject is asked to respond quickly to stimuli, they use association
techniques. In association methods, the timeliness of replies is highly valued.

The Rorschach Test is an association method in which participants are asked to reply to a sequence of inkblot
pictures. Colour, shadow, form, movement, and reflection are all factors in these photos that assist examiners
in figuring out why people respond the way they do. Their responses are then psychologically evaluated and
analysed. Another type of association exercise is the word association method (WAT), in which the
participant is given a succession of unrelated words.

Techniques of Construction

Construction approaches demand participants to do more than just respond to stimuli; they also need to create
something from them. These inventions may take the form of tales or visuals. The Thematic Apperception
Test (TAT) is a building approach, possibly one of the most often used projective procedures. The test
volunteers are handed cards with black-and-white images, and they are asked to make up a tale based on

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what they perceive/infer from the image. The plot and storyline are utilised to create conclusions about the
examinee’s deep-seated aspirations and demands.

Completion Task

Completion Techniques – Completion techniques provide its participants with any type of incomplete
product and allow them to fill in the blanks in any way they choose as long as their solutions match specific
logical requirements. The most common completion approach is the sentence completion test, which requires
examinees to finish incomplete sentences using the first words that spring to mind. Examiners then do a
subjective analysis to assess the examinees’ conflicts, attitudes, and motives.

Application of Projective Techniques

Projective psychology techniques present an examinee with a sequence of ambiguous stimuli (such as a
picture) and ask them to give their unique reactions to the stimuli. It is done to prevent the examinee from
having any prejudices. In contrast to other organised kinds of psychological testing, the ambiguity of the
stimuli gives the subject no cues as to what an appropriate answer to the inquiry is. Individuals may produce
more socially acceptable answers in interviews or self-reports, for example, and may modify their responses
based on how they respond to their answers. On the other hand, uncertain stimuli cause people to express
their genuine sentiments.

Advantages of Projective Techniques

Ø Unlike organised testing procedures such as questionnaires or formal interviews, projective tests
allow people to express their thoughts and ideas without fear of censure or societal restraints.
Ø Psychologists can research subconscious and unconscious systems that can help them comprehend
more personal or sensitive problems when people can express themselves more freely by responding
to ambiguous stimuli.
Ø The projective techniques of psychology are efficiently effective in accessing the unconscious part
of the human mind.

Disadvantages of Projective Techniques

Ø Because of the ambiguity of the stimuli and the unstructured character of this approach, projective
exams must be administered and determined by highly competent specialists and experts.
Ø To obtain findings using projective approaches, thorough interviews and analysis are necessary. This,
combined with the requirement for educated personnel, makes it a very costly operation.
Ø The use of projective methods carries the possibility of interpretation bias. This implies that those
reading and analysing the examinees’ replies may misunderstand the results, assuming, for example,
that a mild reaction is hostile.
Ø Inferring incorrect conclusions from projective examinations might be extremely harmful to the
examinee since it could reveal personality traits or inadequacies.
Ø Highly trained professionals are required for the best application of projective techniques of
psychology.

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