1 | Practicum in Psychology 1

UNIT 1: TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

 

1.0 Learning Outcomes

At the end of accomplishing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Differentiate testing and assessment
2. Identify the different psychological tests used in school, industrial and clinical
settings.
3. Rate the importance of testing in the practice of Psychology
4. Create a testing booklet indicating psychological tests used in a specific setting
 
1.1. Introduction

Psychological testing and assessment may sound intimidating, but it's designed to
help you. Psychometrician and other psychology practitioners use tests and other
assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and
guide treatment.
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 client's behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and
guide treatment.

Psychometrician and other licensed psychology practitioners administer tests and

assessments for a wide variety of reasons. Tests and assessments are two separate but
related components of a psychological evaluation.

You are expected to accomplish each activity embedded in this topic and work-out
Activity No. 1 for at the end of this learning packet. Deadline of submission will be on or
before Aug. 28, 2020.

1.2. Psychological Testing in School Setting

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

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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.

1.2.2 Psychological Assessment

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. (these components, however, would only
be performed/collected with written consent
from the client.)

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.

Psychological testing in schools

allows for Curriculum-Based
Measurement, or CBM, in which a
student’s academic progress is
monitored from elementary school
through high school.

Test outcomes are used to monitor the

learning abilities and decision-making
abilities of students in both general
and special education.

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1.2.1. Common Psychological Tests Used in School

The most common tests administered in

schools are norm-referenced, group-
administered achievement tests. These have
been very widely used for many decades. The
results are used to evaluate the achievement of
children the skills they need to learn and the
effectiveness of schools is in teaching these
skills.

Test results are also useful in helping

teachers and parents learn what kinds of
strengths and weaknesses a child may have in
different subject areas. Below is the type of
tests which measure ability and personality.

I. Ability tests: Measure skills in terms of speed, accuracy, or both.

A. Achievement: Measures previous learning.

B. Aptitude: Measures potential for acquiring a specific skill.
C. Intelligence: Measures potential to solve problems, adapt to changing circumstances, and
profit from experience.

II. Personality tests: Measure typical behavior—traits, temperaments, and dispositions.

A. Structured (objective): Provides a self-report statement to which the person responds

“True” or “False,”“Yes” or “No.”
B. Projective: Provides an ambiguous test stimulus; response requirements are unclear.

1.2.1.1 Cognitive Tests

A cognitive test will give a profile of an individual’s strengths and difficulties in
relation to their learning, as it can provide a snapshot of how they are doing at that time in
a controlled way. Cognitive abilities tend to remain stable throughout an individual’s
childhood and adult life meaning that it is possible to use it as a predictor of an
individual’s academic potential.
The most common tests administered in schools are norm-referenced, group-
administered achievement tests. These have been very widely used for many decades. The
results are used to evaluate the achievement of children the skills they need to learn and the
effectiveness of schools is in teaching these skills.

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Beery-
Buktenica

Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Fifth Edition

2004 The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), Fifth

Edition, is a developmental sequence of geometric forms to be copied on paper with
pencil. The purposes of the VMI are to help identify, through early screening,
children who may need special assistance, to obtain needed services, to test the
effectiveness of educational and other interventions, and to advance research. The
short form has 21 items and is for children 2-7 years of age. The full form has 30-items
and can be either group or individually administered in 10-15 minutes for ages 2-18.
The 2004 edition has two supplemental tests, VMI Visual Perception and VMI Motor
Coordination.

Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test - Second Edition

2003 The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, Second Edition (Bender-Gestalt II) was
designed to measure visual-motor integration skills in children and adults from 4 to
85 + years of age. It may be used as an aid in diagnosing the difficulties of
emotionally disturbed and brain damage. it requires the copying of designs. The
second edition has seven new designs to increase the ability range. A recall phase and
two supplementary tests (the Motor Test and the Perception Test) have been added.

Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test For Children

1962 Provides an index of structural and functional aspects of perceptual motor
development. Uses the same BVMGT figures. Used as an aid in diagnosing the
difficulties of emotionally disturbed children and identifying organic brain damage.
Requires copying of nine designs. These nine figures were adapted from the original
Wertheimer (1921) version which required only a verbal description of the figures.
The figures were simplified and adapted to accentuate particular Gestalt figures.

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Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale - Fifth Edition

2003 The SBS may be used to diagnose development disabilities, to research clinical and
neuropsychological assessment, abilities, early childhood, special education
placements, adult social security and worker's compensation evaluations. It provides
information for interventions such as individual family plans, individual educational
plans, career assessment, work transition, career change, employee selection and
adult neuropsychological treatment. It may be useful in a variety of forensic contexts.
It has been used to diagnose mental retardation, learning disabilities, developmental
cognitive delays in young children, as well as placement of students in school
programs for the intellectually gifted. The examiner must be professionally trained
and certified.

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition, Nonverbal Short Form

1986 This revision of the 1972 edition is individually administered to children from below
age 2 through superior adults. Tests cover four major areas: verbal reasoning,
quantitative reasoning, abstract/visual reasoning, and short-term memory. Scores
include raw scores and scaled scores for each of the 15 subtests, scaled scores and
percentile ranks for a composite of the four area scores, a composite of any
combination of the four area scores and a profile of all 15 subtests, based on scaled
scores.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third Edition

1997 The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition is an individually administered
clinical instrument designed to assess the intellectual ability of adults ages 16 through
89. WAIS-III consists of various subtests, each measuring a different facet of
intelligence. The test yields the three traditional composite IQ scores - verbal,
performance, and full scale - and four index scores - verbal comprehension,
perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed. WAIS-III contains
14 subtests: picture completion, vocabulary, digit symbol-coding, similarities, block
design, arithmetic, matrix reasoning, digit-span, information, picture arrangement,
comprehension, symbol search, letter-number sequencing, and object assembly. The
WAIS-III can be used as a psychoeducational test for secondary and postsecondary
school planning and placement and also for differential diagnosis of neurological and
psychiatric disorders that affect mental functioning.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition

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2003 The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) is an

individually administered, comprehensive clinical instrument for assessing the
intelligence of children from 6-16. It provides composite scores that represent
intellectual functioning in verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working
memory and processing speed as well as a composite score that represents a child's
general intellectual ability. Subtests include: block design, similarities, digit span,
picture concepts, coding, vocabulary, letter-number sequencing, matrix reasoning,
and comprehension and symbol search. Supplemental subtests include: picture
completion, cancellation, information, arithmetic, and word reasoning. It differs from
WISC-III in that three subtests were dropped: picture arrangement, object assembly
and mazes.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition

1991 A clinical instrument for assessing the intellectual ability of children ages 6 through
16 years. Comprised of 12 subtests retained from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale For
Children - Revised (WISC-R), with a new subtest, Symbol Search. Subtests are
organized into two groups: the verbal and the perceptual-motor, or performance.
Developed to retain most of the features of the WISC-R but also contains
improvements. These improvements include: full-color artwork, the Stimulus Booklet
containing the Block Design, Arithmetic, and Picture Completion Subtests.

Wechsler Memory Scale, Third Edition

1997 The Wechsler Memory Scale, Third Edition (WMS-III) is an individually administered
battery of learning, memory, and working memory measures. WMS-III is designed
for use with older adolescents and adults ranging in age from 16 to 89 years. The test
consists of 11 subtest, with 6 primary subtests and 5 optional subtests. The primary
subtests are: logical memory, verbal paired associates, letter-number sequencing,
faces, family pictures, and spatial span. The primary subtests can be administered in
approximately 30-35 minutes. The optional subtests are: information and orientation,
word lists, mental control, digit span, and visual reproduction. WMS-II was designed
to provide relevant information for general clinical and neuropsychological
evaluations and for rehabilitation evaluations. (MH)

1.2.2 Personality Tests

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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 | Short Forms

1989 MMPI-2 assesses major psychological characteristics that reflect an individual's social
and personal maladjustment, including disabling psychological dysfunction. MMPI-2
test booklet is revised. National norms have been restandardized and are more
representative of the present U.S. population. Scores from the restandardization
subjects on eight of the Basic Clinical Scales are uniform T scores.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Form R

1966 Designed for use with adolescents and adults who have psychological or psychiatric
difficulties. Provides clinical psychologist with information regarding treatment
decisions and treatment evaluation. Identifies psychiatric symptomatology and
personality dynamics. Form R consists of 566 true-false items which may be
administered in approximately ninety minutes to an adolescent or adult with a
minimum sixth-grade reading level.

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory - III

1994 The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) was designed to provide
information to clinicians (psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, Etc. ) who must
make assessment and treatment decisions about individuals with emotional and
interpersonal difficulties. Changes in version III include: the addition of one Clinical
Personality Patterns scale, Depressive; the addition of a Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder scale; 95 new items were introduced to replace 95 items in MCMI-II; the
item weighting system was changed . The assessment has 175 items, written at the
eighth-grade reading level. Most patients can complete the assessment in 20 to 30

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minutes. It is normed entirely on clinical samples and norms are applicable only to
individuals who evidence psychological problems or who are engaged in a program
of professional psychotherapy or psychodiagnostic evaluation. (JW)

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory - II

1987 A revision of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (TC 005 805) which provides
information to clinicians who must make assessments and treatment decisions about
persons with emotional and interpersonal difficulties. Meant to be used for diagnostic
screening or clinical assessment in a wide variety of settings; and is therefore simple
to administer, with rapid computer scoring and interpretation. Special population
norms have been developed, including those for black and Hispanic patients.
Translations available for many foreign languages. Changes from the original include
adding two new personality disorder scales, the addition of three "modifier" scales,
replacing 45 items, introducing an item-weighting system, and modifying
interpretation texts to reflect changes in the instrument's theory and advances in
knowledge.

Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory

1993 The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) is a replacement for the Millon
Adolescent Personality Inventory. It is a 160-item 31-scale, self-report inventory
designed specifically for assessing adolescent personality characteristics and clinical
syndromes. It was developed for clinical, residential, and correctional settings for the
evaluation of troubled adolescents, and may be used for developing diagnoses and
treatment plans as an outcomes measure. Four new Personality Patterns scales have
been added: doleful, forceful, self-demeaning; and borderline tendency. In the
Expressed Concerns Area the academic confidence scale was deleted and childhood
abuse scale was added. In the Clinical Syndromes area these new scales were added:
eating dysfunctions, substance-abuse proneness, anxious feelings, depressive affect,
and suicidal tendency. Procedures were added for correcting distortion effects. Only
49 items were retained from the Million Adolescent Inventory (MAI)

Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory.

1982 Designed for use by school counselors, guidance personnel and other mental health
professionals as an aid in identifying, predicting, and understanding a wide range of
psychological attributes characteristic of adolescents. May be used upon entrance into
school or as one component of a testing program for vocational and academic
counseling, as well as in mental health service agencies for adolescent clinical
assessment. Answer sheets are machine scored and provide a profile report and an
interpretive report on respondents. The subtest sections fall into three main areas:

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personality styles (eight personality patterns); expressed concerns (eight scales); and
behavioral correlates (four scales). For qualifications necessary to use the inventory,
consult the manual. Two forms are available.

1.2.3 Tests of Adaptive Functioning

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition

2005 The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition is a measure of personal and
social skills of people ranging in age from birth to age 90. It is used with special needs
populations, such as individuals with mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder,
ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, and developmental delays. The test is organized in a
three domain structure: communication (receptive, expressive, written); daily living
skills (personal, domestic, community); and socialization (interpersonal relationships,
play and leisure time, coping skills). There is also a motor skills domain and an
optional maladaptive behavior index. The test is available in four formats: survey
interview form, parent/caregiver rating form, expanded interview form, and teacher
rating form.

Many local and international companies in both the private and public sector use
pre-employment tests, as well as tests within their workforce as well, often a psychological
test for employment, such as aptitude and personality tests, says the Institute of
Psychometric Coaching. According to the Institute:

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"These tests are as the most effective method to measure (a candidate's) ‘fit’, or match, for a position
(they) apply for. These tests tell employers what they need to know, not just what (the job applicant)
wants to share with them."

Let’s do this. Accomplish what is asked for you to do in the following items.
Write your answers in a one whole yellow paper.

1. Differentiate testing and assessment in your own words.

2. Create a table showcasing the different psychological tests used in school setting.
3. Enumerate the uses of psychological tests in school.

1.3. Psychological Testing in Industrial-Organizational Setting

A psychological test for employment can help determine whether a job applicant
will make a good addition to the company. Character assessments reveal a person’s inherent
traits. Since these qualities influence job performance, personality profiles aid employers
with staff selection. The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology — better
known as SIOP — says that there are hundreds of psychological tests available to help
employers in making decisions. But there are, essentially, just three different types of
psychological tests used in the workplace.

Many local and international companies in both the private and public sector use
pre-employment tests, as well as tests within their workforce as well, often a psychological
test for employment, such as aptitude and personality tests, says the Institute of
Psychometric Coaching. According to the Institute:

"These tests are as the most effective method to measure (a candidate's) ‘fit’, or match, for
a position (they) apply for. These tests tell employers what they need to know, not just
what (the job applicant) wants to share with them."

1.3.1 Different Types of Psychological Tests for the Workplace

Often called a pre-employment test, a psychological test for employment is a type of
psychological assessment. According to SIOP, all types of psychological tests or all types of
psychological tests for an industrial setting boil down to three areas:

 Biographical data instruments, which often seek information on a candidate's

leadership and teamwork skills, interpersonal skills, extraversion, and creativity

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through the use of questions about education, training, work experience, and interests
to predict success on the job. 
 Cognitive ability tests, also called aptitude tests, which typically use questions or
problems to measure a candidate's ability to learn quickly, and use logic, reasoning,
reading comprehension and other mental abilities that are important for success in
many different jobs.  These tests assess a person's aptitude or potential to solve job-
related problems by providing information about their mental abilities.
 Personality tests try to measure a person's extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to
new experiences, optimism, agreeableness, service orientation, stress tolerance,
emotional stability, and initiative or proactivity. Personality tests typically measure
traits related to behavior at work, interpersonal interactions, and satisfaction with
different aspects of work.

The psychological tests for the workplace may go by various names, and some tests
may combine elements from one or more of the above-listed types of tests, but most types of
psychological assessments or types of workplace assessments fall into these categories.
Some tests used in the industry are the following:

Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT) is a quick (12-minute) test of mental ability in adults.
It is a quick and stable paper-and-pencil intelligence test with extensive norms. Widely used
for employee-related decisions in industry, it has its greatest value when local validity data
are available (Saltzman, Strauss, Hunter, & Spellacy, 1998). In 2007, a new version of the
Wonderlic, known as the Wonderlic Personnel Test–Revised (WRT-R) was released. The
newer version updates the traditional Wonderlic and uses newer technologies for test
administration and scoring. For most test takers, the new version can be completed in about
12 minutes.
The Caliper assessment is a personality and cognitive exam given by employers to
potential employees. Caliper is used to screen candidates, allowing employers to evaluate
applicants and find the ones whose characteristics best fit the job. This test is very popular
these days and is used by many companies, such as Geico, Kohler, and Wellstar.

This Caliper test is multiple-choice that includes 180 questions and is not scored as a
pass/fail exam. It can be performed online or in a pen and paper format. While most
applicants spend between two to three hours taking the Caliper personality test, there is no
actual time limit.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most well-known tools for mapping
employee personalities is the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI identifies if an
employee's personality leans toward one of two tendencies in the following groupings:
“Extraversion vs. Introversion,” “Intuition vs. Sensing,” “Thinking vs. Feeling,” and
“Judging vs. Perceiving.” As a
result, an individual can fall into
one of 16 personality types.

The Myers-Brigg Type

Indicator is often used by

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employers to decide if a candidate would be a good cultural fit for a company and if he or
she could subsequently transition into working with the team nicely. The MBTI is
comprised of 93 questions. When answering each question, you are given two choices of
statements — either A or B — which determines which tendencies you lean toward.

The SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire, or OPQ32, is designed to give

companies a picture of how certain behaviors influence a candidate's work performance.
The test is made up of 104 questions that measure 32 different characteristics. Candidates
are evaluated in three main domains: “Relationship with People,” “Thinking Style and
Feelings,” and “Emotions.”
On the test, candidates are presented with four statements and they must choose
which statement best describes them and which statement least describes them. The OPQ32
was specifically developed to guarantee that its scales are relevant and suitable for the
workplace.

The DiSC Behavior Inventory (DiSC) measures a candidate's primary traits based
on four personality types. This four-style behavior model is the oldest style of personality
test; it has been around since the time of Hippocrates, around 400 B.C. The DiSC personality
profile comes in many versions, each of which includes a variation of the four basic DiSC
factors: “Dominant (D),” “Influential (I),” “Steady (S),” and “Compliant (C).”

Companies use the DiSC as a tool

to help understand an employee's
professional behavior style and his or her
ability to work as part of a team. The DiSC
is an extremely user-friendly test, and it is
significantly shorter than other tests,
ranging from 12 to 30 questions.
Candidates are provided with adjectives or
phrases and asked to choose which they
feel applies to them the most and the least.

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Cattel’s 16 Personality Factors Test is personality test consists of 164 statements

about yourself, for each indicate how accurate it is on the scale of (1) disagree (2) slightly
disagree (3) niether agree nor disagree (4) slightly agree (5) agree. It will take most people
around ten minutes to complete. The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) is a
personality test with 16 personality traits.

The 16PF is used for various kinds of testing, including pre-employment and

promotion testing. This test asks about specific, everyday situations in order to assess your
daily behavior, interests, and opinions. 16PF test questions identify and evaluate your
abilities for future employers.

Let’s try this!

Ask an HR Practitioner in an office or company you

know and ask them of the psychological tests they are using
in their pre-employment testing. List the test and give its brief
description
to know the different psychological tests in private and public
employee selection.

1.3 References

Ball, J. D.; Archer, Robert P.; Imhof, Eric A. (1994). Time Requirements of Psychological
Testing: A Survey of Practitioners. Journal of Personality Assessment, 63(2), 239-249.

Braden, J. P. (2013). Psychological assessment in school settings. In J. R. Graham, J. A. Naglieri,

& I. B. Weiner (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Assessment psychology (p. 291–314). John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kaplan, R.M., & Saccuzzo, D.P. (2011). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues
(7th ed.).Cengage Learning Asia Pte. Ltd.

Understanding psychological testing and assessment. (2013). American Psychological

Association.https://www.apa.org/topics/psychological-testing-
assessment#:~:text=Tests%20and%20assessments%20are%20two,%E2%80%9Cnorm
%2Dreferenced%E2%80%9D%20tests.

1.4 Acknowledgment
The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module were taken

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from the references cited above.

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