Psychological Testing

Essay by jopr908College, UndergraduateB, July 2010

download word file, 4 pages 0.0

Running Head: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING � PAGE �2�

Amber Guthrie

University of Phoenix

April 20, 2010

Syard Evans

PSY/475

Psychological Testing

The psychological testing field is complex and confusing to some but very necessary in ones society. The most important thing to understand about psychological testing is that the principle of testing is the comprehension, function and analysis of tests. When the word test is brought up in a conversation, the primary thing that one thinks would be the education version definition of testing, which is "tool used to systematically obtain a sample of what a student knows or can do" (Madaus, Russell, and Higgins, 2009). However, there are many tools that one can use to find a mass of information. In psychological testing, there are four main ways to assess an individual and to name a few; neuropsychology testing, attainment, character, and mental ability. Psychologists study these types of tests when involved in how an evaluation can be utilized, trying to get information needed.

Mental ability tests are used to measure ones cognitive ability and intellectual functioning (Hogan, 2002). Even though mental ability tests are mainly used to review stages of intellect, there is also mental ability tests that are not necessarily intelligence based. There are three types of mental ability tests that are used the most and they are group administered intelligence tests, individually administered intelligence tests, and other ability tests. A relevant example of an individually administered intelligence test would be the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. An example of The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale would be where a client meets with a qualified psychologist, who oversees a test that will help asses a persons mental capacity. The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test falls in the group administered intelligence category and these types of tests are taken within a group atmosphere.