Psy/475 - Introduction to Psychological Testing

Introduction to Psychological Testing

Psychological testing is a field of psychology that focuses on measuring and observing individuals’ mental and behavioral aspects. Tests allow researchers to understand a person’s individuality while comparing that individual with others, for means of research and self-understanding. Although tests are can be inefficient and even harmful for some individuals, with the proper reliability and validity they can be strong and credible, helping psychologists and researchers to reach a better understanding of human nature.

The Definition of “Test”

Hogan (2007) explains that tests are defined as a consequence of the combination of six common elements, which the author extracted from the explanation of different authors in the field.  These elements are procedure (or device), information, behavior, sample of behavior, systematic (or standardized) procedure, and quantification (or measurement). By combining these six elements, the author can finally define test as a “standardized process or device that yields information about a sample of behavior or cognitive processes in a quantified manner” (Hogan, 2007, p. 41).

Primary Users of Tests

            In the study of tests, there are four groups of the primary users of tests. These groups include clinical, educational, personnel, and research (Hogan, 2007). The first group happens in a clinical setting, and tests are used in a context like school psychology, helping students, or neuropsychology, helping patients to find the specific nature of their problems, or even just on a counseling environment (Hogan, 2007).

            The second group, educational, uses tests to help students to find the best way to learn, as well as measuring the competence and ability of the educational system and predicting the success of certain students in the academic world. The primary users of tests in this category are teachers, parents, and educational administrators (Hogan, 2007).

            The third group, personnel, also includes the employment and professional environment. This group uses tests to help organizations to select, train, and place the most qualified individuals on the position he or she will thrive the most. The military also fits in this category, as they use tests to place individuals where they will be more efficient and successful (Hogan, 2007).

            The last group, research, uses tests in fields like education, social sciences, behavioral studies, and psychology to study and better understand human nature. This group is useful in defining the reliability and validity guidelines for tests that all the other groups will also use (Hogan, 2007).

Major Test Categories

            The five major categories included in the field of psychological tests are mental ability tests, achievement tests, personality tests, interests and attitudes tests, and neuropsychological tests (Hogan, 2007). The first category, mental ability tests, measure individual’s cognitive functions such as memory, intelligence, and creative thinking. The second kind, achievement tests, can either measure specific achievements or skills in areas like math, reading, and science. The third category, personality tests, can be considered the most used psychology test, as they compare the individual’s results to those of clinical groups, producing then information about people’s individual personality characteristics. The fourth kind, which tests the interests and attitudes of individuals, are commonly used in educational fields, like colleges and high schools. Lastly, neuropsychological tests measure individuals’ brain functions and the activity of individuals’ central nervous system (Hogan, 2007). 

Reliability and Validity of Tests

            For a test to have any value, it must have validity or reliability. Validity refers to idea that a test is measuring what it was set up to measure, while reliability refers to how consistent that measurement actually is. It is important to note that test can be reliable without being valid, but it cannot be valid unless it is also reliable. Hogan (2007) explains that a test should be replicable, dependable, and consistent. This means that the results of a reliable and valid test are not just a case of good luck, but can actually be achieved again when the test is repeated.

            Although reliability should be present in tests, the validity of a test can be considered its most important element, according to Hogan (2007). This statement is true because a test should strive to be in agreement with the inferences resulted by it. The more valid and reliable a test is, the stronger its results will be accepted by the community within which it is being performed.

Conclusion

            When trying to gather information regarding human behaviors and thought processes, tests are an extremely useful tool. They can be used in a variety of fields and disciplines, and some areas are dependent on the results of tests to evolve. As long as a test is valid and reliable, it does not need to be extremely complicated to be helpful. Even simple tests, when performed correctly, can give an insight into the human mind.

Reference

Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: a practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ:
John Wiley & Sons.