PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

AND ASSESSMENT

By
ASSOC. PROF.
DR. OTHMAN MD. JOHAN

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 1

 Psychological testing
Psychological testing means the use of one or more standardized
measurement instruments, devices, or procedures including the use of
computerized psychological tests, to observe or record human
behavior,

Psychological testing requires the application of appropriate

normative data for interpretation or classification

It is used for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment of mental and

emotional disorders and disabilities, the evaluation or assessment of
cognitive and intellectual abilities, personality and emotional states and
traits, and neuropsychological functioning.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 2

 Psychological assessment
Psychological assessment is a complex, detailed,
in-depth process that involves the integration of
information from multiple sources, such as
psychological tests, and other information like
personal and medical history, description of
current symptoms and problems by either self or
others, and collateral information (interviews with
other persons about the person being assessed).

Thus a psychological test is one of the sources of

data used within the process of assessment

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 3

 Measurement

Measurement refers to the process by which

the attributes or dimensions of some physical
object are determined.

Standard instruments are used to determine

the attributes and dimensions and these
instruments must be reliable and valid.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 4

 Evaluation

Evaluation is a systematic process of gathering and

analyzing information about some aspect of a person
in order to make a decision.

This process involves testing, assessment, and

measurement.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 5

 Types of Psychological Tests
 Norm-referenced

 IQ/achievement tests

 Personality tests

 Neuropsychological tests

 Direct observation tests

 Psychological evaluations using data mining

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 6

 Norm-referenced Test
Norm-referenced test / NRT is a type of test,
assessment, or evaluation which yields an estimate
of the position of the tested individual in a predefined
population, with respect to the trait being measured.

This type of test determines a student's placement on

a normal distribution curve.

The term "normative assessment" refers to the

process of comparing one test-taker to his or her
peers.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 7

 Criterion-Referenced Test
• A test in which an individual's score or performance
is compared with some previously established
criterion rather than with the performance of others.

• A testing instrument in which the test-taker's

performance (i.e., score) is interpreted by comparing
it with a pre-specified standard or specific content
and/or skills.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 8

 IQ/achievement tests
• IQ (or cognitive) tests and achievement tests are the most
common norm-referenced tests.

• For both tests, a series of tasks is presented to the person being

evaluated, and the person's responses are graded according to
carefully prescribed guidelines.

• The results can be compiled and compared to the responses of a

norm group, usually comprised of people at the same age or
grade level as the person being evaluated.

• Graduate Record Examination (Achievement test) eight broad

fields, mainly in the sciences, but also in mathematics and
English.

• IQ tests (e.g., WAIS-III, WISC-IV, Cattell Culture Fair IIII.)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 9

 Personality tests
• A personality test aims to describe aspects of a
person's character that remain stable throughout that
person's lifetime, the individual's character pattern of
behavior, thoughts, and feelings.

• Personality tests are often described as either

objective tests or projective tests

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 10

 Objective Personality Tests
(Rating scale)
• Objective personality tests have a restricted
response format, such as allowing for true or false
answers or rating using an ordinal scale.

• Examples: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality

Inventory, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III
(Millon, 1994), Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach
& Rescorla, 2001), and the Beck Depression Inventory
(Beck & Steer, 1996).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 11

 Projective Personality Tests (Free
response measures)

• Projective tests allow for a much freer type of

response.

• An example :
Rorschach test, in which a person states what
each of ten ink blots might be.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 12

 Neuropsychological tests

• Consist of specifically designed tasks used to

measure a psychological function known to
be linked to a particular brain structure or
pathway.

• Typically used to assess impairment after an

injury or illness known to affect
neurocognitive functioning.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 13

 Direct observation tests
• Psychological assessment may also involve the
observation of people as they complete activities.

• Usually conducted with families in a laboratory, home or

with children in a classroom.

• The purpose may be clinical, such as to establish a pre-

intervention baseline of a child's hyperactive or
aggressive behaviors or to observe the nature of human
interaction in order to understand a relational disorder.

• Example: The Parent-Child Interaction Assessment-II

(PCIA; Holigrocki, Kaminski & Frieswyk, 1999)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 14

 Psychological evaluations
using data mining

• Draw inferences from existing records, texts, and

datasets about the person.

• Example: The Abika Test. - involves gathering data

on the individual from public records, behavior
history records, consumer activities, shopping
histories, memberships in various organizations,
court records, etc.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Othman Md. Johan 15