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PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT LABORATORY
INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSESSMENT
[The content of this reviewer is from the handouts of Sir.
Jeemon Bacaoco. This document is solely for the purpose of
appropriating the layout to the liking of other students.]
PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST
 Test – is a measurement device or technique that is used
to quantify behavior or aid in the understanding and
prediction of behavior.
 It measures a sample of behavior, and error is
associated with a sampling process.
 Test scores are not perfect measures of behavior or
characteristic but they do add significantly to the
prediction process
 Psychological test – is a set of items that are designed to
measure characteristics of human beings that pertain to
behavior.
 It measures both the overt and covert behaviors
 It also attempts to predict future behavior
 Psychological testing – refers to all possible uses,
applications, and underlying concepts of psychological
and educational tests. The main use of these tests is to
evaluate individual differences or variations among
individuals. Such tests measure individual differences in
ability and personality, and assume that the differences
shown on the test reflect actual differences among
individuals.
TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST
 Ability tests – measures skills in terms of speed,
accuracy, or both
o Achievement tests – measures previous learning
o Aptitude tests – measures potential for
acquiring a specific skill
o Intelligence tests – measures potential to solve
problems, adapt to changing circumstances, and
profit from experience.
 Personality tests – measures typical behavior—
traits, temperaments, and dispositions
o Structured (objective) personality tests –
provides a self-report statement to which the
person responds with “true” or “false” or a “yes”
or “no”
o Projective personality tests – provides an
ambiguous test stimulus wherein response
requirements are unclear
USES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
1. Making decisions

it involves selection and placement, deciding on
the individual’s need for treatment or
rehabilitation, in personnel selection and
evaluating child needs.
2. Psychological research
 it includes cross-sectional, longitudinal, and
meta-analytic studies.
 Both cross sectional and the longitudinal
studies are observational studies. Researchers
record information about their subjects without
manipulating the environment,
 The defining feature of a cross-sectional study
is that it can compare different population groups
at a single point in time
 Longitudinal studies allows researchers to
conduct several observation of the same subjects
over a period of time, sometimes lasting for
many years
 Meta-analysis – refers to the statistical
integration of the results of independent studies,
leading to conclusions that are more reliable than
those derived in independent studies or in a
theoretical review.
3. Diagnostic purposes
 Diagnostic procedure is a significant and
delicate stage before the decision of
intervention or treatment
 The initial steps for a diagnostic appraisal
rests primarily on the clinical or psychiatric
interview
 Advances in psychological assessment
include a multi-informant assessment
approach and the use of multiple measures
aiming in more accurate clinically
appropriate conclusions
4. Risk assessment
 It is the process of identifying hazards,
analyzing, and determining appropriate ways
to diminish or control them
 Risk assessment – is a thorough look to
identify situations and processes that may
cause harm
 Common types are related to violence
prediction, suicide prevention, and
prevention of neglect and abuse.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
 Assessment – includes a broad array of evaluative
measures that yield information about a person
 Psychological assessment – refers to the gathering and
integration of psychology related data for the purpose of
making a psychological evaluation that is accomplished
through the use of tools
 Assessment procedures – include the following:
 Clinical review
 Informal assessment techniques such as:
 observation
 Rating scales
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PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT LABORATORY
 Classification methods
 Environmental assessments,
 Records and personal documents
 Performance based assessment
 Personality tests such as:
 Objective tests
 Projective tests
 Interest inventories
 Ability tests
 Achievement tests
 Aptitude tests
USES OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment in the cognitive domain (ability testing)
 These are tests that measure what a person can do in
the cognitive realm
 Achievement testing – are tests that measure what
one has learned.
o Survey battery tests – are tests that are usually
given in school settings with the intention to
measure broad content areas, and to assess
progress in school
o Diagnostic tests – are tests that assess problem
areas of learning. It is often used to assess
learning disabilities
o Readiness test – tests that measure one’s
readiness for moving ahead in school. It is often
used to assess readiness to enter first grade
 Aptitude tests – are tests that measure what one is
capable of learning.
o Intellectual and cognitive functioning – are
tests that measure a broad range of cognitive
functioning in the domains such as general
intelligence, intellectual disabilities, giftedness,
and changes in overall cognitive functioning. It
includes testing that leads to an IQ score and
neuropsychological assessment that assesses the
changes in cognitive functioning over time
o Cognitive ability tests – are tests that measure a
broad range of cognitive ability. It is usually
based on what a student has learned in school
and are useful in making predictions about the
future
o Special aptitude tests – are tests that measure
one aspect of ability. It is often useful in
determining the likelihood of success in a
vocation
o Multiple aptitude tests – tests that measure any
aspect of ability. It is often useful in determining
the likelihood of success in a number of
vocations.
Assessment in the affective domain (Personality
assessment)
 These are tests in the affective realm that is used to
assess habits, temperament, likes and dislikes,
character, and similar behaviors.
 Objective personality testing – is a multiple choice,
true-false tests that assess various aspects of
personality. It is often used to increase client insight,
to identify psychopathology, and to assist in
treatment planning
 Projective personality tests – tests that represent a
stimulus to which individuals can respond.
Personality factors are interpreted on the individual’s
response. It is often used to identify psychopathology
and to assist in treatment planning
 Interest inventories – these are tests that measure
likes and dislikes as well as one’s personality
orientation toward the world of work. It is generally
used in career counselling.
Informal assessment procedures
 Often developed by the user, these tests tend to assess
broad areas of ability or personality and tend to be
specific to the testing situation
 Observation – involves observing an individual in
order to develop a deeper understanding of one or
more specific behaviors
 Rating scales – scales developed to assess any of a
number of attributes of the examinee
 Classification methods – a tool whereby an
individual identifies whether he or she has, or does
not have, specific attributes or characteristics
 Environmental assessment – a naturalistic and
systematic approach to assessment in which
information about clients is collected from their
home, work, school, or other places through
observation, self-reports, and checklists
 Records and personal documents – include items
such as diaries, personal journals, genograms, and
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PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT LABORATORY
school records that are examined to gain a broader
understanding of an individual
 Performance-based assessment – the evaluation of
an individual using informal assessment procedures
based on real-world activities that are not highly
loaded for cognitive skills. These procedures are seen
as an alternative to standardized testing.

SOURCES:

Kaplan, R. M. & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2018). Psychological

testing: Principles, applications and issues (9th ed.)
Boston: Cengage Learning.

Coulacoglou, C. & Saklofske, D. H. (2017). Psychometrics

and psychological assessment: Principles and
applications. London: Academic Press.

Hunsley, J. (2002). Psychological testing and psychological

assessment: A closer examination. American Psychologist,
57, 139–140. doi:10.1037/0003-066X .57.2.139.

Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. (2018).

Psychological testing and assessment: An
introduction to tests and measurement (9th ed.).
New York: McGraw Hill.

Neukrug, E. S. & Fawcett, R. C. (2015). Essentials

of testing and assessment: A practical guide to
counselors, social workers, and psychologists
(3rd ed.). Stamford: Cengage Learning.

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