Psychological Assessment, Psychological Test, seed test, group test, individual test, power test, achievement test, aptitude test, Intelligence test, interest test, occupational test, personality test, neuropsychological test,

1. PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSESSMENT AND TESTS
Prepared By-
Dr. Rahul Sharma
HOD of Mental Health Nursing
PH.D. Coordinator
Associate Professor
Seedling School of Nursing,
Jaipur National University, Jaipur

2. Psychological assessment refers to the types of tests that we use to
help identify strengths and areas for growth that affect one’s
emotional, personal and professional development or adjustment.
Psychological tests are standard measures devised to assess behaviour
objectively and used by psychologists to help people make decisions
about their lives and understand more about themselves.

3. Types of Psychological Test:
• Individual and group tests: Individual tests are designed to be
administered, to one person at a time. Group tests are designed to be
administered to a large number of people at the same time.
• Speed and power tests: Speed tests have a fixed time limit at which
point everyone taking the test, must stop. Power tests have no time
limit, applicants are allowed as much time as needed to complete the
test.
• Computer-assisted tests: It is a means of administering psychological
tests to large groups of applicants in which an applicant’s response
determines the level of difficulty of succeeding items. For example, in
computer-assisted testing individual does not have to waste time
answering questions below his level of ability.
• Paper-pencil and performance tests: These tests are in printed form;
answers are recorded on a standard answer sheet. Performance tests
assess complex skills, such as word processing or mechanical ability
for which paper-pencil tests are not appropriate.

4. CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
Based on tests of knowledge, skills and abilities psychological tests have been divided
into following:
• Achievement tests: Achievement tests are used in educational or employment
settings and they attempt to measure the achieved knowledge such as mathematics
or spelling. For example, term ending exams.
• Aptitude tests: These tests measure specific abilities such as mechanical or clerical
skills. These include measurement of perceptual speed and accuracy, attention to
detail, the capacity to visualize and manipulate objects in space, principles of
mechanical operation, ability to operate computers. For example, general aptitude
test battery (work-related cognitive test), differential aptitude test (it is designed to
measure Grades 7-12 students' and some adults' ability to learn or to succeed in
selected areas).
• Intelligence tests: These tests attempt to measure intelligence, i.e. basic ability to
understand the world around. For example, Stanford-Binet Scale (It is a cognitive
ability and intelligence), Army Alpha Test(it is a verbal test, measuring such skills as
ability to follow directions), Army General Classification Test (Army General
Classification Test).
• Interest tests: These psychological tests are meant to assess a person’s interests and
preferences; used primarily for career counselling. For example, interest inventory.

5. CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Neuropsychological tests: These tests measure deficits in cognitive functioning
(ability to think, speak, reason, etc.). The deficit in cognitive functioning may
result from some sort of brain damage such as stroke or a brain injury.
• Occupational tests: They attempt to match interests with the interests of
persons in known careers. For example, Occupational Test.
• Personality tests: They attempt to measure basic personality style. For
example, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Rorschach
inkblot test.
• Specific clinical tests: They attempt to measure specific clinical matters, such
as current level of anxiety or depression. For example, Hamilton rating scale
for depression, Brief psychiatric rating scale.

6. DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Analysis of the situation: In the first step detailed analysis of the psychological
processes required for successful performance of the task in question is carried out.
• Tentative selection of the test items: In the second step after the analysis has been
made the psychologist selects tests already available or devices tests, which he feels
will measure the processes.
• Development of standardized procedures: Psychological tests are administered and
scored in the same way for every individual tested in order to obtain consistent
results.
• Administration of the test to a representative group: In this step the psychologist
administers the test to a representative group of subjects to see if they score the
way expert judgment or other evidence suggests. In this way psychologists are able
to determine the effectiveness of the test.
• Final selection of the test items: In this process many test items are either discarded
or revised, so that they contribute more directly to the overall purpose of the test.
This procedure is called item analysis. The final selection of items is based on
empirical findings.
• Evaluation of the final test: Effectiveness of the final test is evaluated in terms of a
specified criterion.

7. • PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• Psychological tests should have three components, i.e. the standard, content
and the procedure, that make it possible for anybody to administer it
anywhere, anytime.
• Tests should have norms to compare an individual test score to the score of a
known group, who have taken the test.
• Test items are of high technical quality prepared by experts, pretested and
selected on the basis of difficulty, discriminating power and relationship to a
clearly defined rigid set of specifications.
• Directions for administrating scores are precisely stated, so that procedures
are standard for different users of the test.
• A test manual and other accessory materials are provided as a guide for
administration, scoring, evaluating its technical qualities and for interpreting
and using the results.

8. • USES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• It is easier to get information from tests than by clinical interview.
• The information from tests is more scientifically consistent than the information
from a clinical interview.
• They assist in diagnosis. For example, Rorschach Inkblot Test.
• They assist in the formulation of psychopathology and identification of areas of
stress and conflict. For example, Thematic Apperception Test.
• They help to determine the nature of deficits present. Example: Cognitive
neuropsychological assessments.
• They help in assessing severity of psychopathology and response to treatment. For
example, Hamilton rating scale for depression, brief psychiatric rating scale. They
help in assessing general characteristics of the individual. Example: assessment of
intelligence, assessment of personality.
• These tests are also used in forensic evaluations, family court issues or criminal
charges.
• These tests assess level of functioning or disability, help direct treatment and assess
treatment outcome.

9. • LIMITATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• No psychological test is ever completely valid or reliable, because the human
psyche is just too complicated to know anything about it with full confidence.
• Many applicants experience considerable test anxiety.
• Negative attitudes toward psychological tests may also lower applicant’s
motivation to perform well on the tests, which in turn, reduces the predictive
validity of the tests.
• Administration and interpretation of the test is done only by qualified
psychologists.

10. • ROLE OF A NURSE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
• Nurses should become familiar with the many standardized psychological
tests that are available to enhance each stage of the nursing process.
• These tests will help in providing care and provide measurable indicators of
treatment outcome. For example, if the nurse is caring for a patient with
depression, it would be helpful to use one of the depression rating scales with
the patient, at the beginning of care/treatment to establish a baseline profile
of the patient’s symptoms and help confirm the diagnosis. The nurse might
then administer the same scale at various times during the course of
treatment to measure the patient’s progress.
• A nurse should have knowledge about all the psychological tests, which will
enable her to clarify the patient’s and relative’s doubts regarding the
psychological tests they have to undergo.
• The nurse should reassure the patient about the safety of the tests and
confidentiality of the observations of the psychologist. Psychological tests are
another source of data for the nurse to use in planning care for the patient.