Introduction to Psychological

Introduction to Psychological Testing Paper

Roberta Parker

PSY/475 Version 2

July 12, 2012

Dr. Sharon Friedman

Introduction to Psychological Testing Paper

Psychological Testing has become a widespread practice in many facets of the American environment. Recognized an integral part of clinical psychology, psychological testing is not only being used to assess individuals who are employed in workplaces such as law enforcement, military, and aviation but in most our public school setting as well. Individuals who administer these assessments are commonly known as skilled clinical psychologists who have undergone rigorous theory and practice and earned a post secondary degree in psychology. The primary purpose of psychological testing is to gain specific knowledge of an individual’s behavior, to inform others of diverse behaviors, and how to predict behavior and its function in the future

In this paper the author will give a brief definition of the term test; describe the major categories of psychological tests; and identity the major uses and users of these tests. Additionally, the author will compare and contrast the concepts of reliability and validity and discuss how they affect the field of psychological testing.

Define the term test

According to Hogan (2007), historically the term test was first used to describe a cup “used for smelting gold or silver ore, perhaps an apropos reference for some high-stakes testing today” (Hogan, 2007, p, 38). However in our present society, the term test is typically defined

as any assessment that is designed to measure an individual s’ abilities, knowledge, behaviors, personalities, or skills. Test is also been defined as “any means, often formally contrived, used to elicit responses to which human behavior in other contexts can be related” (psychological testing, 2011). Hogan (2007) suggests that regardless of the various definitions for the term test, there are only six common elements that specifically...