Psychological Tests
- Psychological testing
- Refers to the use of psychological tests. Also refers to all possible uses, applications and
underlying concepts of psychological tests
- Psychological Test
- A device for measuring characteristics of human beings that pertain to overt (observable
- mannerisms etc.) and covert (intraindividual - anxiety etc.) behavior
- Measures past, present or future human behavior
- Essentially an objective and standardized measure of sample of behavior
- Psychometrics is a specialized branch of psychology dealing with mental tests. The branch
of psychology dealing with the development and application of statistical and other
mathematical procedures to psychology
- Test is a measurement device that quantifies behavior
- Test administration is the act of giving a test
- Test administrator is a person giving a test
Nature of a Psychological Test
- A psychological test is a measurement instrument that has 3 defining characteristics
1. A psychological test is a sample of behavior
2. The sample is obtained under standardized conditions
3. There are established rules of scoring and interpreting, or of obtaining quantitative
(numeric) information from the behavior sample
Purpose of testing
- Identification of abilities
- Classification for grouping purposes
- Selecting individual for placement
- Planning education and vocational steps
- Adjustment of a person
Kinds of Instruments
1. Intelligence Test
- Measured objectives of intelligence tests (general ability tests) are designed to provide
an estimation of a person’s probable intellectual behavior; his innate potentials
- Mental Ability Tests - measures the mental age of the client
- 2 types - Verbal and Non Verbal test (Advocates Inclusion)
2. Achievement Test
- Designed to measure the outcome of the instructional.
- Measure what a student has already learned in a particular subject area or areas ;
measure actual learning rather than potential for learning
3. Aptitude Test
- Attempt to measure an individual's potentialities for future development
, 4. Personality Test
- Attempt to inventory an individual’s feelings about himself and other people
- Identifying the number of consistent patterns of traits
5. Interest Inventories
- A person’s preferences, his likes and dislikes, His experience and perhaps his innate
tendencies and forced choices
Other Classification of Tests
A. Performance vs. Pencil and Paper Tests
1. Performance tests - examinee is required to manipulate objects or perform a task
2. Pencil and Paper test - test which represents questions or items to which a person
responds by writing or marking answers
B. Objective vs Subjective Tests
1. Objective tests - require the person scoring the test to exercise little or if any judgment
2. Subjective tests - scorer use considerable judgement and training
C. Standardized vs. Teacher Made Tests
1. Standardized test - administered and scored according to specific instructions for
uniformity. Norms are available for standard interpretation of scores
2. Teacher Made tests- constructed by the teacher for the purpose of an informal
evaluation of her classroom teaching
D. Speed vs Power Tests
1. Speed tests - requires the examinee to complete as many test items or complete tasks
as possible in a specified time limit
2. Power tests - require the examinee to demonstrate the extent of his knowledge or depth
of his understanding with the time factor eliminated as much as possible
E. Individual vs. Group Tests
1. Individual tests- administered one person at a time, allows the tester to observe carefully
the examinee’s behavior
2. Group tests - test designed to be administered to a group of examinees at a time, saves
time, money and effort
Review
1. Designed to measure what a student has already learned - Achievement
2. Require the scorer to use considerable judgement and training in evaluating the examinee’s
responses - Subjective
3. Require the examinee to complete as many test items or complete some task as possible in
a specified time limit - Speed
4. The type of test that saves time, money and effort - Group
5. Administered and scored according to specific instructions for uniformity - Standardized
Criteria for Test Selection
- Psychological testing
- Refers to the use of psychological tests. Also refers to all possible uses, applications and
underlying concepts of psychological tests
- Psychological Test
- A device for measuring characteristics of human beings that pertain to overt (observable
- mannerisms etc.) and covert (intraindividual - anxiety etc.) behavior
- Measures past, present or future human behavior
- Essentially an objective and standardized measure of sample of behavior
- Psychometrics is a specialized branch of psychology dealing with mental tests. The branch
of psychology dealing with the development and application of statistical and other
mathematical procedures to psychology
- Test is a measurement device that quantifies behavior
- Test administration is the act of giving a test
- Test administrator is a person giving a test
Nature of a Psychological Test
- A psychological test is a measurement instrument that has 3 defining characteristics
1. A psychological test is a sample of behavior
2. The sample is obtained under standardized conditions
3. There are established rules of scoring and interpreting, or of obtaining quantitative
(numeric) information from the behavior sample
Purpose of testing
- Identification of abilities
- Classification for grouping purposes
- Selecting individual for placement
- Planning education and vocational steps
- Adjustment of a person
Kinds of Instruments
1. Intelligence Test
- Measured objectives of intelligence tests (general ability tests) are designed to provide
an estimation of a person’s probable intellectual behavior; his innate potentials
- Mental Ability Tests - measures the mental age of the client
- 2 types - Verbal and Non Verbal test (Advocates Inclusion)
2. Achievement Test
- Designed to measure the outcome of the instructional.
- Measure what a student has already learned in a particular subject area or areas ;
measure actual learning rather than potential for learning
3. Aptitude Test
- Attempt to measure an individual's potentialities for future development
, 4. Personality Test
- Attempt to inventory an individual’s feelings about himself and other people
- Identifying the number of consistent patterns of traits
5. Interest Inventories
- A person’s preferences, his likes and dislikes, His experience and perhaps his innate
tendencies and forced choices
Other Classification of Tests
A. Performance vs. Pencil and Paper Tests
1. Performance tests - examinee is required to manipulate objects or perform a task
2. Pencil and Paper test - test which represents questions or items to which a person
responds by writing or marking answers
B. Objective vs Subjective Tests
1. Objective tests - require the person scoring the test to exercise little or if any judgment
2. Subjective tests - scorer use considerable judgement and training
C. Standardized vs. Teacher Made Tests
1. Standardized test - administered and scored according to specific instructions for
uniformity. Norms are available for standard interpretation of scores
2. Teacher Made tests- constructed by the teacher for the purpose of an informal
evaluation of her classroom teaching
D. Speed vs Power Tests
1. Speed tests - requires the examinee to complete as many test items or complete tasks
as possible in a specified time limit
2. Power tests - require the examinee to demonstrate the extent of his knowledge or depth
of his understanding with the time factor eliminated as much as possible
E. Individual vs. Group Tests
1. Individual tests- administered one person at a time, allows the tester to observe carefully
the examinee’s behavior
2. Group tests - test designed to be administered to a group of examinees at a time, saves
time, money and effort
Review
1. Designed to measure what a student has already learned - Achievement
2. Require the scorer to use considerable judgement and training in evaluating the examinee’s
responses - Subjective
3. Require the examinee to complete as many test items or complete some task as possible in
a specified time limit - Speed
4. The type of test that saves time, money and effort - Group
5. Administered and scored according to specific instructions for uniformity - Standardized
Criteria for Test Selection
