Chapter 1: Psychological Testing and Assessment

What a Test Is
• Measurement device
– Designed to do what?
– What does it allow?
– Narrow focus

Tests
• Psychological Tests
– Overt
– Covert

Categories of Psychological Tests

• Ability Tests
– Achievement
– Aptitude
– Intelligence
• Personality Tests
– Structured
– Projective

Testing and Assessment

• WHAT IS IT?? (not a rhetorical question)

Testing and Assessment Defined

• Testing: refers to all possible uses, applications, and underlying concepts of psychological
tests.
• Assessment: any systematic method of obtaining evidence from tests, exams, and surveys
to draw inferences about characteristics of people, objects, or programs for a specific
purpose.

The Tools of Psychological Assessment

• The portfolio
• Case history data
• Behavioral observation
• Computers as tools
• Other tools

Who, What and Why?

• Who Are the Parties?
– The test developer
– The test user
– The test taker
– Society at large
• What Types of Settings Are Assessments Conducted in and Why?
 – Educational settings
– Counseling settings
– Clinical settings
– Business settings
– Other settings

Evaluating the Quality of Tests

• What is a “Good” Test?
– Reliability
– Validity
– Other settings
• Reference Sources for Test Information
– Test catalogues
– Test manuals
– Journal articles
– Online and CD-Rom databases
– Other sources
• Reference Sources for Test Information
– Test manuals
– Journal articles
– Online and CD-ROM databases
– Other sources