Psychological

Assessment
SEPTEMBER 3, 2021
Lesson Proper
Part 1 –Nature of Assessment
 TEST – a measurement device or technique
used to quantify behavior or aid in the
understanding and prediction of behavior.

INSTRUMENTS– checklists, scales, surveys,

and inventories to provide information
Basic Concepts

ITEM – specific stimulus to which a person

responds overtly; this response can be
scored or evaluated. Items are specific
questions or problems that make up a test.
What is Assessment?
Assessment is the systematic basis for making
inferences about the learning and development
of students. It is the process of defining,
selecting, designing, collecting, analyzing,
interpreting, and using information to increase
students' learning and development.
What is Psychological Test?
Psychological Test – set of items that are designed
to measure characteristics of human beings that
pertain to behavior (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013)
Psychological testing as the process of measuring
psychology-related variables by means of devices or
procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior.
What is Psychological Assessment?
Psychological Assessment is the gathering and
integration of psychology-related data for the
purpose of making psychological evaluation that is
accomplished through the use of tools such as tests,
interviews, case studies, behavioral observation, and
especially designed apparatuses and measurement
procedures. (Cohen, Swerdlik, & Sturman 2013)
Psych Assessment vs.
Psych Testing
Philosophies of
Assessment
PSYCHOMETRIC APPROACH
◦American in origin
◦Gives numerical estimates of single aspects of
performance.
◦It rests on E. Thorndike’s belief “if a thing exists in some
amount, and if it exists in some amount, it can be
measured”.
◦Definite and structured
IMPRESSIONISTIC APPROACH
◦ German in origin
◦ Leads to a comprehensive, descriptive picture of the individual.
◦ It looks for significant cues to understanding an individual’s dynamics
by all available means and integrates them into a total picture
◦ Gives minimal consideration to “how much” of some characteristic is
present
◦ It seeks “wholeness” or unity and relies on observation, descriptive data
and self-report.
Assumptions about
Psychological
Testing and
Assessment
Assumption #1
1. Psychological traits and states exist
Trait –any distinguishable, relatively enduring way in which
one individual varies from another (Guilford, 1959,p.6)

States –also distinguish one person from another but are

relatively less enduring (Chaplin et al. 1988)
Assumption #2
2. Psychological traits and states can be
quantified and measured
Many test developers and researchers,
much like all other people, have different ways
of looking and defining the same phenomenon
 Assumption #3
3. Test-related behavior predicts non-test-related
behaviors
Some test are used not to predict, but rather postdict
a given behavior
(Prediction is involved with the encoding of incoming signals, whereas postdiction is related to a re-
interpretation of already encoded signals.)
Assumption #4
4. Tests and other measurement techniques have
strengths and weaknesses

Psychological tests are prone to confounding variables

Assumption #5
5. Various sources of error are part of the
assessment process

Error refers to a long standing assumption that factors other than

what a test attempts to measure will influence performance on the
test
Assumption #6
6. Testing and assessment can be conducted in a fair
and unbiased manner
Some of the test fairness related problem are
more political than psychometric
(ex. Who designed?)
Assumption #7
7. Testing and assessment benefit society
Example: Board Examinations
Types of
Assessment
Formal vs. Informal Assessment
Formal assessments
are preplanned, systematic attempts by the teacher to ascertain
what students have learned. The majority of assessments in
educational settings are formal. Typically, formal assessments are
used in combination with goals and objectives set forth at the
beginning of a lesson or the school year. Formal assessments are
also different from informal assessments in that test takers can
prepare ahead of time for them.
Formal vs. Informal Assessment
Informal assessments
are those assessments that result from spontaneous day-to-day
observations of how an individual behave and perform a particular task.
When informal assessments are conducted, they don't necessarily have a
specific agenda in mind, but are more likely to learn different things about
the person as they proceed through daily activities naturally. These types
of assessments offer important insight into a person‘s misconceptions and
abilities (or inabilities) that might not be represented accurately through
other formal assessments.
Paper-Pencil vs. Performance-Based
Assessment
These types of assessment procedures are sub-divided into
the following:
• Verbal vs. nonverbal. Verbal tests are not necessarily spoken but
may be written and non-verbal is involves the ability to
understand and analyses visual information.
Paper-Pencil vs. Performance-Based
Assessment
• Speed vs. Power. Only speed of response is measured by the
speed test while power test is designed to measure the
knowledge of the test taker, regardless of his or her speed of
performance.
Paper-Pencil vs. Performance-Based
Assessment
• Individual vs. Group. A test can be said individual test in
the sense that they can be administered to only one
person at a time while group test involves many people.
Paper-Pencil vs. Performance-Based
Assessment
• Objective vs. Subjective. Objective tests are psychological
tests that measure an individual's characteristics in a way
that is independent of rater bias or the individual's own
beliefs. Objective tests tend to be more reliable and valid
than subjective tests which are evaluated by giving an
opinion. Subjective tests are more challenging and
expensive to prepare, administer and evaluate correctly
Paper-Pencil vs. Performance-Based
Assessment
• Cognitive vs. Affective. Cognitive tests attempt to
measure mental ability while affective tests are designed
to assess interests, attitudes, and personal values of an
individual.
PURPOSES PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
(Erford, 2013)

Screening
◦ quick survey to located individuals who may need or be
eligible for special treatment

Diagnosis
◦ A detailed analysis of an individuals strength and weaknesses
with the general goal of arriving at a classification decision
PURPOSES PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
(Erford, 2013)

Treatment Planning and Goal identification

◦ Determines what specific concern/problem afflicts a person
to properly define a specific plan of action and to identify
specific objectives that are needed to be achieved

Progress / Outcome Evaluation

◦ Ensuring that a given treatment plan is helpful to a client