Introduction to Psychological testing [Heading page]

1 Psychological Tests

Psychological testingrefers to the administration of psychological tests. A psychological test is

"an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior". The termsample of
behavior refers to an individual's performance on tasks that have usually been prescribed
beforehand. 

Performance on the items produces a test score. A score on a well-constructed test is believed to
reflect a psychological construct such as achievement in a school subject, ability, aptitude,
emotional functioning, personality, etc. Differences in test scores are thought to reflect individual
differences in the construct the test is supposed to measure. The technical term for the science
behind psychological testing is psychometrics.

Types of tests

Tests have been developed to measure many different human developments. They are classified
as:

 On the basis of Administration – Group test and individual test

 On the basis of Behaviour – Ability tests [Intelligence tests and achievement tests],
Personality Tests [structures personality tests, projective techniques and behavioral
analysis]
 On the basis of context – Verbal tests, non-verbal tests, performance tests

[Define the above-mentioned from chapter 1 NCERT Psychology Book]

2. Fundamental Concept of Psychological Testing

Proper psychological testing is conducted after vigorous research and development in contrast to
quick web-based or magazine questionnaires that say "Find out your Personality Color," or
"What's your Inner Age?" Proper psychological testing consists of the following:

 Standardization - All procedures and steps must be conducted with consistency and
under the same environment to achieve the same testing performance from those
being tested.
 Objectivity - Scoring such that subjective judgments and biases are minimized, with
results for each test taker obtained in the same way.
  Test Norms - The average test score within a large group of people where the
performance of one individual can be compared to the results of others by
establishing a point of comparison or frame of reference.
 Reliability - Obtaining the same result after multiple testing. It refers to the
consistency of scores obtained by the same person when re-examined with the same
test with different set of questions at another time.

 Validity - The type of test being administered must measure what it is intended to measure.

Types of Validity

Face Validity

Face validity is a measure of how representative a research project is ‘at face value,' and whether
it appears to be a good project.

Content Validity

Content validity is the estimate of how much a measure represents every single element of a
construct.
 Criterion Validity

Criterion Validity assesses whether a test reflects a certain set of abilities.

 Concurrent validity measures the test against a benchmark test and highcorrelation indicates
that the test has strong criterion validity.
 Predictive validity is a measure of how well a test predicts abilities. It involves testing a
group of subjects for a certain construct and then comparing them with results obtained at
some point in the future.
 Construct Validity
Construct validity defines how well a test or experiment measures up to its claims. A test
designed to measure depression must only measure that particular construct, not closely related
ideals such as anxiety or stress.

3. Application of Psychological testing

a. Detection of specific Behavior

Psychological test is used to measure and to detect the abilities of a person.
b. Individual Differences
A psychological test is used to measure the individual differences, that is different between
abilities of different persons and the performance of the same person at different time.
c. To diagnose by the Psychological Test
The psychological tests are usually used in clinical psychology.In clinical psychology a test's
function is to diagnose mental disorders.So tests are used in mental hospitals and coaching and
guidance centers for the assessment and diagnose of mental disorders.
d. Legal Classification
A psychological test helps in classifying a number of people into different categories For
example normal and abnormal, criminal and innocent, intellectual and mental retarded, able and
disable etc.
e. Promoting Self Understanding
A psychological test provide standardized information about the abilities, capabilities, aptitudes,
potential competencies interest, trait and states of a person which helps in understanding one's
 personality and planning future prospective.
f.Program Evaluation
Effectiveness of a particular program is assessed by the applications of some kind of test. This
function is usually performed by an achievement test.
g. Scientific Inquiry or Research
Some experts use tests for research purpose which provide information about the mental level
and personality of the subject.
h. Military Selection
A closely related application of psychological testing is to be found in the selection and
classification of military personal. From simple beginnings in the World War-I, the scope and
variety of psychological tests employed in military situations underwent a phenomenal increase
during World War-II. Subsequently research on test development has been containing on a large
scale in all brands of the normed services.
i. Industry
In industry and business tests are helpful in selection and classifying personal for placement in
jobs that range from the simpler semiskilled to the highly skilled, from the selection of filling
clerks and sales-person to top management for any of these position, however test results are
only one source of information , though an important one.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology (also known as I-O psychology, industrial-
organizational psychology, work psychology, organizational psychology, work and
organizational psychology, industrial psychology, occupational psychology, personnel
psychology or talent assessment) applies psychology to organizations and the workplace.

Common research and practice areas for I-O psychologists include:

 Job performance
 Job analysis
 Personnel recruitment and selection
 Performance appraisal/management
 Individual assessment (knowledge, skills, and ability testing, personality assessment, work
sample tests, assessment centers)
 Psychometrics
 Compensation
 Training and training evaluation/Development
 Employment law
 Work motivation
 Job attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction, commitment, organizational citizenship, and retaliation)
Human resources

 Organizational development (OD)

 Organizational research methods
 Technology in the workplace
 Group/team performance
 Employ safety and health
Essentially, industrial psychologists study the behavior of employees in a work setting. Although
industrial psychology didn't begin until the 1920's, the discipline has evolved rapidly and
revolutionized the workplace within the last century. Because the workplace is a social system,
the application of industrial psychology is useful in understanding its complexity.

j. Education
Psychological tests especially those of general intelligence and of specific aptitudes have very
extensive use in educational classification, selection and planning from the 1st grade (and
sometimes earlier) through the university. Prior to World War-II schools and colleges were the
largest users of psychological tests.

7. Pioneers of Psychology

Modern mental testing began in France in the 19th century. It contributed to separating mental
retardation frommental illness and reducing the neglect, torture, and ridicule heaped on both
groups.

Englishman Francis Galton coined the terms psychometrics and developed a method for

measuring intelligence based on nonverbal sensory-motor tests. It was initially popular, but was
abandoned after the discovery that it had no relationship to outcomes such as college
grades.French psychologist Alfred Binet, together with psychologists Victor Henri and Théodore
Simon, after about 15 years of development, published the Binet-Simon test in 1905, which
focused on verbal abilities. It was intended to identify mental retardation in school
children.Wilhelm Wundtestablished the first laboratory in Leipzig of psychology in 1879 and
employed introspection as a method of studying the workings of the mind.

William James
Psychologist and philosopher William James is often referred to as the father of American
psychology. His 1200-page text, The Principles of Psychology, became a classic on the subject
and his teachings and writings helped establish psychology as a science. James also contributed
to functionalism, pragmatism and influenced many students of psychology during his 35-year
teaching career.
8.Various definitions:
 Percentile Rank – An individual`s percentile rank on a test designates the percentage of cases
or scores lying below it. For e.g. Percentile 20 means the individual is situated above 20% of
the group fall below this person`s rank.
 Percentage – A rate, number or amount in each hundred. Any proportion or share in relation
to a whole.
 Stanine scores – According to this method the standard population is divided into 9 groups.
Stanine 1 is the lowest and stanine 9 is the highest.
 Sten Scores – standard scores on a scale of ten.
 Standrard scores – It designates the individual`s position with respect to the total range and
distribution of scores. The standard score indicates, in terms of standard deviation how far a
particular score is removed from the mean of the distribution.
 Difference between test and experiment

Test Experiment
It is standardized instrument used to The researcher tries to manipulate the
measure intellectual and non-intellectual situation and tries to prove or disapprove a
characteristics of an individual through hypothesis
verbal or non-verbal measures
It evaluates certain attributes of an It determines cause and effect relationship
individual. between variables.
It does not have a hypothesis It has a hypothesis.
It is standardized and has norms. It does not have norms and is meant for
verification of various principles.