CHAPTER 4: USES OF TESTS

Psychological tests are tools.

Essential fact: Any tool can be an instrument of good or harm, depending
on how it is used.
USES AND VARIETIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
Traditional use:
To measure differences between individuals or between the reaction of
the same individual under different circumstances
Stimulus for the development of psychological tests:

Identification of mentally retarded persons

Related critical uses of tests: Diagnosis and treatment planning

Examination of persons with severe emotional disorders and other

types of behavioral problems

A proper diagnosis conveys information about strengths, weaknesses,

etiology, and best choices for remediation and treatment.

Assessment needs arising in education (e.g. famous Binet tests that

ushered intelligence testing)

Schools are among the largest test users.

Individual counselling
Self-knowledge
Important functions in basic research (testing procedures as means of
gathering data)
Classification – encompasses a variety of procedures that share a
common purpose: assigning a person to one category rather than
another.
Variant forms of classification:
Placement is the sorting of persons into different programs appropriate
to their needs or skills.
Screening refers to quick and simple tests or procedures to identify
persons who might have special characteristics or needs.
Certification typically implies that a person has at least a minimum
proficiency in some discipline or activity.
 Selection is similar to certification in that it confers privileges such as
the opportunity to attend a university or gain employment.

Tests differ in other major characteristics:

 The way they are administered:
 Individual testing
 Simultaneous testing
 Administration of tests by computers

 Aspects of behavior that they cover:

 Cognitive traits or abilities
 Affective variables
 Personality

 How results are interpreted:

 Norm-referenced test
The performance of an examinee is interpreted in reference to a
relevant standardization sample.
 Criterion-referenced test
The objective is to determine where the examinee stands with
respect to very tightly defined educational objectives.