University of San Agustin

General Luna St., 5000 Iloilo City, Philippines

www.usa.edu.ph

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS, SCIENCES, & EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCH 13: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Transcribed by: JOHN P. JANOLINO, BS Psych 3A (2023-2024)
th
Reference: Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to Tests and Measurement 9 Edition (2018)
By: Ronald Jay Cohen & Mark E. Swerdlik

CHAPTER 1: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING Outcome

AND ASSESSMENT Typically, testing yields Typically, assessment
a test score or series of entails a logical
Psychological Testing - as the process of test scores. problem-solving
measuring psychology-related variables by approach that brings to
means of devices or procedures designed to bear many sources of
obtain a sample of behavior. data designed to shed
light on a referral
Psychological Assessment - as the question.
gathering and integration of psychology-related Typically done by
data for the purpose of making a psychological Psychometricians Psychologists
evaluation that is accomplished through the use
of tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, Tools for Psychological Assessment
behavioral observation, and specially designed
apparatuses and measurement procedures. 1. The Test - A test may be defined simply as a
measuring device or procedure. When the word
MAJOR DIFFERENCES OF TESTING AND test is prefaced with a modifier, it refers to a
ASSESSMENT device or procedure designed to measure a
variable related to that modifier.
Testing Assessment  Pencil/paper or computer aided
Objective  Group or individually administered
Typically, to obtain Typically, to answer a  Scoring and interpretation
some gauge, usually referral question, solve
numerical in nature, a problem, or arrive at 2. The Interview – body language and face-to-
with regard to an ability a decision through the face-talk.
or attribute. use of tools of
evaluation. 3. The Portfolio – Usually on institutions,
Process patients have handicrafts and other physical
Testing may be Assessment is typically products available which can be used as data for
individual or group in individualized. In assessment.
nature. After test contrast to testing,
administration, the assessment more 4. Case History Data - refers to records,
tester will typically add typically focuses on transcripts, and other accounts in written,
up ―the number of how an individual pictorial, or other form that preserve archival
correct answers or the processes rather than information, official and informal accounts, and
number of certain types simply the results of other data and items relevant to an assessee.
of responses . . . with that processing.
little if any regard for 5. Behavioral Observation - monitoring the
the how or mechanics actions of others or oneself by visual or electronic
of such content‖ means while recording quantitative and/or
(Maloney & Ward, qualitative information regarding those actions.
1976, p. 39).
Role of Evaluator 6. Role-Play Test - may be defined as acting an
The tester is not key to The assessor is key to improvised or partially improvised part in a
the process; practically the process of simulated situation.
speaking, one tester selecting tests and/or
may be substituted for other tools of 7. Computer as Tools – statistics, motion-
another tester without evaluation as well as in capture, Computer Assisted Psychological
appreciably affecting drawing conclusions Assessment (CAPA).
the evaluation from the entire
evaluation. 8. Other Tools – Medical Tests, ECG, MRI,
Skill of Evaluator fMRI, CT-Scan.
Testing typically Assessment typically
requires technician-like requires an educated Who, What, Why, How, and Where?
skills in terms selection of tools of
of administering and evaluation, skill in Who Are the Parties?
scoring a test as well evaluation, and Parties in the assessment enterprise include
as in interpreting a test thoughtful organization developers and publishers of tests, users of tests,
result. and integration of data. and people who are evaluated by means of tests.

Psychological Assessment / JANOLINO, J.P.Page 1

  The Test Developer - Test developers institutions. These tools are used to help
and publishers create tests or other screen for or diagnose behavior problems.
methods of assessment. The American  A private psychotherapy client wishes
Psychological Association (APA) has to be evaluated to see if the
estimated that more than 20,000 new assessment can provide any
psychological tests are developed each nonobvious clues regarding his
year. Includes IFAT, Pearson, Wechsler, maladjustment.
etc.  A school psychologist clinically
evaluates a child experiencing
 The Test User - Psychological tests and learning difficulties to determine what
assessment methodologies are used by a factors are primarily responsible for it.
wide range of professionals, including  A psychotherapy researcher uses
clinicians, counselors, school assessment procedures to determine
psychologists, human resources if a particular method of
personnel, consumer psychologists, psychotherapy is effective in treating a
experimental psychologists, and social particular problem.
psychologists.  A psychologist-consultant retained by
 Psychometricians – Main job is to an insurance company is called on to
administer/score psychological test give an opinion as to the reality of a
(except projective tests) and do basic client’s psychological problems; is the
interpretation of test result. client really experiencing such
 Psychologists – They can problems or just malingering?
administer, score and interpret  A court-appointed psychologist is
psychological tests (including projective asked to give an opinion as to a
tests), diagnose mental disorders, and do defendant’s competency to stand trial.
psychotherapy.  A prison psychologist is called on to
give an opinion regarding the extent of
 The Testtaker – the consumer, some a convicted violent prisoner’s
cheat the tests, some have test anxiety, rehabilitation.
some have coaching, some are not
motivated to do the tests, some cannot  Counseling settings
speak English. It is the test user’s job to
manage them.  Geriatric settings

 Society at Large – it exerts to determine  Business and military settings

what tests must be developed or be
removed.  Governmental and organizational
credentialing
 Other Parties – Organizations,
companies, and governmental agencies  Academic research settings
sponsor the development of tests for
various reasons, such as to certify How Are Assessments Conducted?
personnel.
 Familiarity with the test administration and
In What Types of Settings Are protocol (test forms)
Assessments Conducted, and Why?  Establishing rapport
 Having a conductive testing condition
 Educational settings - type of tests  Accommodation of people with disability –
administered in the classroom. people who are blind or deaf must be
 Achievement Test - which evaluates accommodated when they are given a
accomplishment or the degree of test
learning that has taken place. It also
measures a person’s current cognitive CHAPTER 2: HISTORY AND CULTURE OF
ability. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
 Aptitude Test - Test that measure a
person’s potential cognitive ability. A Historical Perspective Antiquity to the
 Diagnostic Test – Test that measure Nineteenth Century
what a person knows about a certain
topic or subject. A tool of assessment  It is believed that tests and testing
used to help narrow down and identify programs first came into being in China
areas of deficit to be targeted for as early as 2200 B.C.E. Testing was
intervention instituted as a means of selecting who, of
 School Grades many applicants, would obtain
government jobs.
 Clinical settings - Tests and many other  Also intriguing from a historical
tools of assessment are widely used in perspective are ancient Greco-Roman
clinical settings such as public, private, writings indicative of attempts to
and military hospitals, inpatient and categorize people in terms of personality
outpatient clinics, private-practice types. Such categorizations typically
consulting rooms, schools, and other included reference to an overabundance
Psychological Assessment / JANOLINO, J.P.Page 2
 or deficiency in some bodily fluid (such as  The development of psychological
blood or phlegm) as a factor believed to measurement can be traced along two
influence personality. distinct threads: the academic and the
 Francis Galton (1869) aspired to classify applied.
people ―according to their natural gifts‖  Researchers at universities throughout
and to ascertain their ―deviation from an the world use tools of assessment to help
average‖. Along the way, Galton would be advance knowledge and understanding of
credited with devising or contributing to human and animal behavior (Academe)
the development of many contemporary  Most through are in the applied setting.
tools of psychological assessment, Government, business, corporations are
including questionnaires, rating scales, using tools of assessment to improve their
and self-report inventories. products and services.
 Wilhelm Max Wundt (1832–1920), tried
to formulate a general description of Culture and Assessment
human abilities with respect to variables
such as reaction time, perception, and  Culture - the socially transmitted behavior
attention span. Wundt focused on how patterns, beliefs, and products of work of
people were similar, not different. a particular population, community, or
 Testing later returned in World War 1 for group of people.
recruitment.  Culture must always be considered in
doing assessment.
The Measurement of Intelligence  Immigrants and people in multicultural
countries are susceptible to culture bias.
 Alfred Binet (1857–1911) – collaborator
Theodore Simon published a 30-item Evolving Interest in Culture-Related Issues
―measuring scale of intelligence‖ designed  Verbal Communication – language
to help identify Paris schoolchildren with barrier, lost in transition
intellectual disability. Later became the  Nonverbal Communication and Behavior
Stanford-Binet Test of Intelligence which – Some non-verbal cues are not
is its 5th edition as of 2019. universal. Facial expressions, finger and
 David Wechsler, conceptualized hand signs, and shifts in one’s position in
intelligence as ―the aggregate or global space may all convey messages
capacity of the individual to act  Standards of Evaluation
purposefully, to think rationally, and to
deal effectively with his environment Tests and Group Membership
(1939)‖. Originally christened the  Tests and other evaluative measures
Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, the administered in vocational, educational,
test was subsequently revised and counseling, and other settings leave little
renamed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence doubt that people differ from one another
Scale (WAIS). on an individual basis and also from
group to group on a collective basis.
The Measurement of Personality  Conflict - when groups systematically
differ in terms of scores on a particular
 World War I had brought with it not only test.
the need to screen the intellectual  Affirmative Action - ―level the playing field‖
functioning of recruits but also the need to between groups of people. voluntary and
screen for recruits’ general adjustment mandatory efforts undertaken by federal,
under the disguise of ―personal data state, and local governments, private
sheet‖ employers, and schools to combat
 Robert S. Woodworth was assigned the discrimination and to promote equal
task of developing a measure of opportunity for all in education and
adjustment and emotional stability that employment (American Psychological
could be administered quickly and Association, 1996a, p. 2).
efficiently to groups of recruits.
 Personality Test are usually self-report in LEGAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
nature. Code of Ethics (PAP and APA)
 Self-report refers to a process whereby
assessees themselves supply  Laws are rules that individuals must obey
assessment-related information by for the good of the society as a whole—or
responding to questions, keeping a diary, rules thought to be for the good of society
or self-monitoring thoughts or behaviors. as a whole.
 Projective Test - is one in which an  Ethics is a body of principles of right,
individual is assumed to ―project‖ onto proper, or good conduct.
some ambiguous stimulus his or her own  Code of Professional Ethics is
unique needs, fears, hopes, and recognized and accepted by members of
motivation. a profession, it defines the standard of
care expected of members of that
The Academic and Applied Traditions profession.
 Standard of Care as the level at which
the average, reasonable, and prudent
Psychological Assessment / JANOLINO, J.P.Page 3
 professional would provide diagnostic or understand, of the nature of the findings
therapeutic services under the same or with respect to a test they have taken.
similar conditions. They are also entitled to know what
recommendations are being made as a
The Concerns of the Public consequence of the test data. If the test
results, findings, or recommendations
 Some people are not convinced that made on the basis of test data are voided
Testing is sufficient or useful. for any reason (such as irregularities in
 Others are even fearful about tests the test administration), testtakers have a
because they think it might be used right to know that as well.
against them (like firing them in a job)  The Right to Privacy and
 Republic Act 10029 – The Philippine Confidentiality - recognizes the freedom
Psychology Act of 2009 “An Act to of the individual to pick and choose for
Regulate the Practice of Psychology himself the time, circumstances, and
creating for this purpose a Professional particularly the extent to which he wishes
Regulatory Board of Psychology, to share or withhold from others his
Appropriating Funds thereof and for other attitudes, beliefs, behavior, and opinions.
purposes”.  Confidentiality - Professionals such as
psychologists who are parties to such
The Concerns of the Profession special relationships have a legal and
ethical duty to keep their clients’
 Text User Qualification – APA Committee communications confidential.
on Ethical Standards  The Right to the Least Stigmatizing
 Level A – Achievement or proficiency Label - The Standards advise that the
 Level B – Aptitude Tests, adjustment least stigmatizing labels should always be
inventories (needs background in assigned when reporting test results.
Psychology)  The Right to Withdraw
 Level C – Projective Tests, individual  Informed Consent or consent form
mental tests (Substantial provides potential clients or research
understanding in Psychology) participants sufficient written information
 In the Philippines to decide whether they will participate in
 Psychometricians – Test the therapy or research.
administrations and Scoring of  It includes the nature and purpose of
Standardized test the assessment/therapy/study,
 Psychologists – Test administration, confidentiality and its limits, perceived
scoring, interpretation of standardized risks or benefits, the right to withdraw
test and projective test at any time and fees if applicable.
 Testing people with disabilities - (1)  This is to protect both the client and
transforming the test into a form that can the practitioner against any legal or
be taken by the testtaker, (2) transforming privacy issues that can happen during
the responses of the testtaker so that they or after the
are scorable, and (3) meaningfully research/assessment/therapy.
interpreting the test data.
 Computerized test administration, scoring
and interpretation
 Access to test administration, scoring
and interpretation software (pirate
copy)
 Comparability of pencil-and-paper and
computerized versions of tests
 The value of computerized test
interpretations
 Unprofessional, unregulated
―psychological testing‖ online

The Rights of Testtaker

 The Right of Informed Consent -

Testtakers have a right to know why they
are being evaluated, how the test data will
be used, and what (if any) information will
be released to whom.
 General purpose of testing
 Specific reason it is being undertaken
in the present case
 General type of Instruments to be
administered
 The Right to be Informed of Test
Findings - Testtakers have a right to be
informed, in language they can
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