PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING 1
NATURE AND USES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
CREATED BY: VILLAHERMOSA, GIAN F. (LDCU - PSYCH 3B)
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Definition: Psychological tests are standardized, objective measures used to observe, measure, and
describe an individual’s mental, emotional, and behavioral characteristics
• Purpose: To systematically assess cognitive abilities, personality traits, aptitudes, and behaviors
using quantitative scales
NATURE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Standardized: Administered and scored consistently for comparability across individuals.
• Objective: Results are free from examiner bias.
• Reliable: Provide consistent results over time and across situations.
• Valid: Accurately measure what they claim to assess (content, construct, criterion validity).
RELIABILITY ISSUE
VALIDITY ISSUE
TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Cognitive tests (e.g., intelligence, memory)
• Personality tests
• Neuropsychological tests (e.g., brain injury assessment)
• Achievement and aptitude tests
CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Based on administration: Individual vs. Group tests
• Scoring types: Objective (right/wrong answers) vs. Subjective (interpretative)
• Nature of items: Verbal vs. Nonverbal (performance)
• Time aspects: Speed vs. Power tests
• Application: Diagnostic, vocational, educational, or research purposes
USES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Identify individual strengths and weaknesses.
• Educational placement and academic counseling.
• Vocational guidance and job selection/screening.
• Diagnosis of psychological disorders and developmental delays.
• Monitoring progress in therapy or education.
• Research on human behavior and psychological phenomena.
• Legal and forensic evaluations (e.g., parole assessments).
• Helping administrative decisions like promotions or placement in organizations
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Helps in objective decision-making.
• Supports individualized treatment and educational plans.
• Provides quantifiable data in clinical and research settings.
• Assists in predicting future behaviors such as job performance or academic success.
• Enhances understanding of mental health conditions for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST
• Objectivity
• Reliability
• Validity
• Norms (established standards for comparison)
NORM-REFERENCED INTERPRETATION
• Definition: Interprets a person’s score by comparing it to the scores of a defined group (the “norm
group”), such as peers or the general test-taking population.
• Purpose: Shows how an individual did relative to others. For instance, being in the 80th percentile
means the person scored better than 80% of peers taking the test.
• Use Cases: Standardized tests like the SAT, IQ tests, national school achievement exams, or any
scenario where ranking, selection, or identifying top performers is important.
• Result Meaning: The focus is on relative performance—not whether the student met a specific
learning objective, but whether they did better or worse than others.
• Example: If you scored in the top 10% of test-takers, you may qualify for a scholarship based on
that result, regardless of your actual raw score.
CRITERION-REFERENCED INTERPRETATION
• Definition: Interprets a person’s score by comparing it with a fixed set of pre-established criteria,
learning standards, or objectives.
• Purpose: Determines whether the individual has mastered specific skills or knowledge, regardless
of how other test-takers performed.
• Use Cases: Classroom assessments, professional certifications, driver’s license exams, or any
setting where the goal is to establish basic competence or mastery.
• Result Meaning: The focus is on absolute performance—did the person achieve a predetermined
standard or learning outcome?
• Example: Scoring 80% or above on an end-of-unit math test demonstrates mastery of those math
concepts, even if most others also passed.
SUMMARY
• Psychological tests are essential tools in psychology that measure mental, emotional, and
behavioral traits through standardized and objective procedures.
• Their uses span educational, clinical, vocational, and research fields.
• Properly constructed tests provide reliable, valid, and fair assessments crucial for informed
decision-making.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING 1
RELIABILITY
CREATED BY: VILLAHERMOSA, GIAN F. (LDCU - PSYCH 3B)
RELIABILITY BY GURPREET SIDHU
WHAT IS RELIABILITY?
- Giving the same or compatible result in
different experiments, situations, is called
RELIABILITY. So by reliability of a test
means how dependable, trustworthy, or
faithful the test is.
DEFINITIONS OF RELIABILITY
• Gronland and Linn: Reliability refers to the consistency of measurement that is, how consistent
test scores or other evaluation results are from one measurement to others.
• Anastasi: Reliability refers to the consistency of scores obtained by the same individuals when re-
examined with the same test on different occasions or with different sets of equivalent items or
under variable examining conditions.
METHODS OF RELIABILITY
• Test Retest Method: a measure of reliability obtained by administering the same test twice over a
period of time to same group of individuals.
• Split Half Method: a method of determining the reliability of a test by dividing the whole test into
two halves and scoring the two halves separately.
• Parallel Forms Method: a measure of reliability obtained by administering different versions of
an assessment tool (both versions must contain items that probe the same construct, skill,
knowledge, base, etc) to the same group of individuals.
• Internal Consistency Method: a measure of how well the items on the test measure them same
construct or idea.
• Scorer’s Reliability
