PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

OUTCOME
INTRODUCTION
Testing
THE BASICS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
AND ASSESSMENT - typically yields a test score or series of test
scores.
Psychological Testing
Assessment
- process of measuring psychology-related
variables by means of devices or procedures - typically, entails a logical problem-solving
designed to obtain a sample of behavior. approach that brings to bear many sources of data
designed to shed light on a referral question.
Psychological Assessment
VARIETIES OF ASSESSMENT
- gathering and integration of psychology-related
data for the purpose of making a psychological Educational Assessment
evaluation through tools such as tests,
- refers to the use of tests and other tools to
interviews, case studies, behavioral
evaluate abilities and skills relevant to success
observation, and specially designed
or failure in a school or pre-school context.
apparatuses and measurement procedures.
Retrospective Assessment
OBJECTIVE
- refers to the use of evaluative tools to draw
Testing
conclusions about psychological aspects of a
- typically to obtain some gauge, usually person as they existed at some point in time prior
numerical in nature, with regard to an ability or to the assessment.
attribute.
Remote Assessment
Assessment
- refers to the use of tools of psychological
- typically to answer a referral question, solve a evaluation to gather data and draw
problem, or arrive at a decision through the tools conclusions about a subject who is not in
of evaluation physical proximity to the person or people
conducting the evaluation.
PROCESS
Ecological Momentary Assessment (E M A)
Testing
- refers to the "in the moment" evaluation of
- may be individual or group in nature.
specific problems and related cognitive and
Assessment behavioral variables at the exact time and place
- individualized that they occur.

EVALUATOR PROCESS OF ASSESSMENT

Testing Collaborative Psychological Assessment

- tester is not key to the process - the assessor and assessee work as partners.
- typically requires technician-like skills in Therapeutic Psychological Assessment
terms of administering and scoring a test as
- an element of therapy is part of the process.
well as in interpreting a test result
Dynamic Assessment
Assessment
- refers to an interactive approach to
- assessor is key to the process
psychological assessment that usually follows a
- typically requires an educated selection of tools
model of evaluation, intervention of some sort,
of evaluation, skill in evaluation, and
and evaluation.
thoughtful organization and integration of
data.

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TOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
THE TEST
- A test may be defined simply as a measuring
device or procedure used to quantify behavior
or aid in the understanding and prediction of
behavior.
Item
- an item is a specific stimulus to which a person
responds overtly - this response can be scored or
evaluated.
Psychological Test
- a device or procedure designed to measure
variables related to psychology.
- a set of items that are designed to measure
characteristics of human beings that pertain to
behavior.
Overt Behavior
- observable activity
- Examples of Physical Actions:
➢ shaking a hand with a friend,
slapping a person, dancing,
walking, and more.
- Example of Verbal Behaviors:
➢ anything we speak and facial or
bodily gestures.
Covert Behavior
- not directly observable
- Examples:
➢ imaginations, daydreams,
dreams, and other thoughts.
CONTENT
- the subject matter of a test varies with the focus
of the particular test and based on the
theoretical orientation of different test
developers
FORMAT
even require the involvement of test
administrators.
SCORING AND INTERPRETATION
- some may be simple, such as summing
responses to items.
- some may require more elaborate procedures.
- some tests results can be interpreted easily or
interpreted by computer, whereas other tests
require scoring by trained examiners.
Cut Score
- a reference point, usually numerical,
derived by judgment and used to divide
data into two or more classifications.
Score
- as a code or summary statement
Scoring
- process of assigning such evaluative
codes or statements to performance on
tests, tasks, interviews, or other
behavior samples.
TECHNICAL QUALITY
Psychometric Soundness
- how consistently and how accurately
psychological test measures what it purports to
measure.
Psychometric Utility
- usefulness or practical value that a test or
assessment technique has for a particular
purpose.
Psychometrics
- the science of psychological measurement.
Psychometrists Or Psychometricians
- professionals who use, analyze, and interpret
psychological test data.

- The form, plan, structure, layout of test TYPES OF TEST

items, and other considerations.
ADMINISTRATION
- tests may either involve demonstration of
certain tasks demanded of the assessee and
trained observation of performance or may not
Individual Tests
- one-on-one administration / one person at a time
Group Tests
- can be administered to more than one person at
a time by a single examiner

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Achievement Decision Making
- previous learning - determine the bases upon which to select, place,
classify, diagnose or otherwise deal with
Aptitude
individuals, groups, organization, programs,
- potential for learning or acquiring a specific etc.
skill
Research
Intelligence
- provide well-organized methods of studying
- general potential to solve problems, adapt to the nature, development, and inter-relationships
changing circumstances, think abstractly and of cognitive, affective ad behavioral traits.
profit from experience.
Self Understanding & Personal Measurement
Speed Test
- provide clients with information to promote
- requires examinees to complete as many items self-understanding and positive growth in
as possible in a limited amount of time. counseling and psychotherapeutic settings.
Power Test THE INTERVIEW
- requires examinees to exhibit depth of their - is a method of gathering information through
understanding and skill in a particular area. direct communication involving reciprocal
Personality Tests exchange.
o interviews vary based on their purpose,
- related to overt and covert dispositions of the length, and nature. (panel interview,
individual; measure typical behavior. radio interview, etc).
Structured Personality Tests o ideally face-to-face (for observation of
nonverbal behavior) but other formats are
- usually of the “self-report” variety. possible.
Projective Personality Tests o the quality of information obtained in an
interview often depends on the skills of
- unstructured, either stimulus or response
the interviewer.
or both are ambiguous.
PORTFOLIO
USES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
- a file containing the products of one's work;
Selection
- it may serve as a sample of one's abilities and
- confers privileges or opportunities to gain accomplishments for the purpose of evaluation
employment, attend an institution etc.
CASE HISTORY DATA
Placement
- information preserved in records, transcripts,
- sorting / placing individuals into programs / and/or other forms that preserve archival
positions depending on their skills. information, official and informal accounts, and
Screening other data and items relevant to an assessee.

- quick method to identify people who have BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION

specific characteristics or needs or those who - monitoring the actions of people by visual or
are qualified. electronic means while recording quantitative
Certification and/or qualitative information regarding those
actions.
- determining individuals with minimum
proficiency in some activity. ROLE PLAY TESTS
- assessees are directed to act as if they were in
a particular situation; this is useful in evaluating
various skills.

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COMPUTERS AS TOOLS
- computers can assist in test administration,
scoring, and interpretation.
o Scoring may be done on-site (local
processing) or at a central location
(central processing).
o Reports may come in the form of a
simple scoring report, extended
scoring report, interpretive report,
consultative report, or integrative
report.
o Computer assisted psychological
assessment (CAPA) has allowed for
tailor-made tests with built-in scoring
and interpretive capabilities
Computer Assisted Psychological Assessment (CAPA)
- Assists test users, not test taker.
Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT)
- Adapts and tailors test to test taker’s ability or
pattern.
WHO, WHAT, WHY, HOW, AND WHERE?
WHO ARE THE PARTIES?
Test Developers and Publishers
- create tests or other methods of assessment.
- Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing covers issues related to test construction
and evaluation, test administration and use,
and special applications of tests, such as special
considerations when testing linguistic
minorities.
Test User
- Psychological tests and assessment
methodologies are used by a wide range of
professionals.
- The Standards and other published guidelines
have a say in who should administer
psychological tests and who should have access
to psychological tests and related tools of
psychological assessment.
➢ Many countries have no ethical
or legal guidelines for test use.
Test Taker
- Anyone who is the subject of an assessment or
evaluation.
- Test takers may differ on a number of variables at
the time of testing:
➢ test anxiety and how much it manifests
➢ extent to which they understand and agree
with the rationale for the assessment
➢ capacity and willingness to cooperate with
the examiner
➢ physical pain or emotional distress
➢ physical discomfort brought on not eating,
eating too much, or other conditions
➢ extent to which they are alert and wide
awake
➢ extent to which they are predisposed to
agreeing or disagreeing with stimulus
➢ extent to which they have received prior
coaching
➢ importance they may attribute to portraying
themselves in a good (or bad) light
➢ extent to which they are “lucky” and can
“beat the odds” on multiple-choice
Society at Large
- Test developers devise new tests to meet the
needs of an evolving society.
- Laws are enacted that may play a major role in
test development, administration, and
interpretation.
Other Parties
- Organizations, companies, and governmental
agencies sponsor the development of tests for
various reasons, such as to certify personnel.
Companies may offer test-scoring and
interpretation services. Academicians may
review tests and evaluate their psychometric
soundness.
WHAT TYPES OF SETTINGS?
Educational Setting
- students typically undergo school ability tests and
achievement tests.
- diagnostic tests may be used to identify areas of
educational intervention.
- educators may also make informal evaluations
of their students
Clinical Setting
- tests and many other tools of assessment are
widely used in clinical settings to help screen
for or diagnose behavior problems.
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Counseling Setting
- may occur in environments such as schools,
prisons, and governmental or privately owned
institutions.
- the goal of assessments in this setting is
improvements in adjustment, productivity, or
some related variable of the assessee.
Geriatric Setting
- assessments that primarily evaluate cognitive,
psychological, adaptive, or other functioning;
- it focuses on the quality of life.
Business And Military Setting
- decisions regarding careers of personnel are made
with a wide range of achievement, aptitude,
interest, motivational, and other tests.
Governmental And Organizational Credentialing
- include governmental licensing, certification,
or general credentialing of professionals.
Research Setting
- Conducting any sort of research typically entails
measurement of some kind.
HOW ARE ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED?
- Different methods are used.
- responsible test users have obligations before,
during, and after testing or any measurement
procedure is administered.
- Obligations include:
➢ tests should be stored appropriately before
➢ familiarity with test materials and
procedures.
➢ ensuring that the room in which the test will
be conducted is suitable and conducive to the
testing.
➢ it is important to establish rapport during test
administration; rapport can be defined as a
working relationship between the examiner
and the examinee.
➢ test protocols should be safeguarded after.
Assessment of People with Disabilities
- the law mandates the development and
implementation of "alternate assessment," and
the definition of this is up to individual states or
school districts.
Accomodations
- the adaptation of a test, procedure, or
situation, or the substitution of one test
for another are essential to make the
assessment more suitable for an assessee
with exceptional needs.
Alternate Assessment
- is an evaluative or diagnostic
procedure or process that varies from
the usual, customary, or standardized
way a measurement is derived either by
virtue of some special accommodation
made to the assessee or by means of
alternative methods designed to measure
the same variable(s).
WHERE TO GO FOR AUTHORITATIVE
INFORMATION ON TESTS?
REFERENCE SOURCES
Test Catalogues
- Catalogues distributed by publishers of tests; they
usually contain brief and uncritical descriptions
of tests.
Test Manuals
- Contain detailed information concerning the
development of a particular test and technical
information.
Professional Books
- Books are available for assessment professionals
to supplement, reorganize, or enhance the
information typically found in the manual of a
very widely used psychological test.
Reference Volumes
- Reference volumes like the Mental
Measurements Yearbook or Tests in Print provide
detailed information on many tests.
Journal Articles
- Contain reviews of a test, updated or independent
studies of its psychometric soundness, or
examples of how the instrument was used in
either research or an applied context
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Online Databases
- Educational Resources Information Center (E
R I C) contains a wealth of resources and news
about tests, testing, and assessment; there are
abstracts of articles, original articles, and links to
other useful websites.
- The American Psychological Association
(APA) has a number of databases including
PsycINFO, ClinPSYC, PsycARTICLES, and
PsycSCAN.
Other Sources
- Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental
Measures: Source for exploring the world of
unpublished tests and measures.
- University libraries provide access to online
databases, such as PsycINFO and electronic
journals.

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