Psychological Assessment
Written by Clint Felker, Ph.D.
Psychological assessment is one of the major contributions of psychology to the world of mental health and education. Often referred to as 'testing', it is a scientific way of identifying how an individual compares with other people on some ability, trait, or problem area.
Most psychological tests are standardized, meaning they have been designed to be administered the same way every time, and have been developed using statistical methods to make sure the measure what they are supposed to measure. In a sense, it is like using a yardstick to see how tall a person is: the yardstick is always the same size, so everyone knows what "5 feet 6 inches" means. Standardization keeps tests fair and accurate by minimizing the influence of personal beliefs on conclusions drawn from the results. They can be true - false or multiple choice questions, open-ended questions, performance tasks, or work samples. Some tests are given done face-to-face, while others are given on paper.
Psychologists often use testing to figure out a specific question, such as "How much has this student learned?", "How well can this person perform a certain task?", "What is the person's ability level?", "How anxious, sad, angry, impulsive, timid, outgoing, organized, logical (or some other trait) is this person?", "What kind of work would be a good match for this person?", "Does this person have a drug or alcohol problem?". At times, testing is used with a more general purpose in mind, such as trying to develop a thorough description of a person's strengths and and problem areas in order to plan treatment. Assessment can produce much information in a relatively brief amount of time, helping the person (or others) better understand themselves and to make beneficial decisions.
In education, testing can help us understand student's learning capacity and achievement, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Testing also can help educators and parents identify what type of instructional program will yield the most progress, such as special education for learning disabilities, gifted services, or tutoring in a specific skill area. Psycho-educational assessment also can help identify what might be interfering with their learning, such as perceptual problems, attention deficits, or dyslexia (difficulties learning to read).
Psychological testing helps us understand a person's general characteristics, or personality: How does a client view himself and others? How does she go about dealing with day-to-day tasks? Is he typically optimistic, or generally anxious, on edge, or depressed? How does he react to problems? Is her thinking organized and realistic? What are his motivations and needs? Is she honest and open? How does he interact with others?
Assessment also can help mental health professionals arrive at a thorough and accurate diagnosis of the types of problems a person is experiencing, such as a mood disorder, thinking problem, behavior difficulty, or substance abuse. Once a correct diagnosis has been made, the mental health professional can make better decisions about what type of treatment may be most effective and can answer important questions for the client and their families.
Another type of assessment that psychologists perform concerns work and careers issues. Vocational inventories can help clarify which type of careers suit a person according to their interests. Am I more like a teacher, a farmer, a travel agent, a mechanic, or an engineer? Do I most like to work with people, things, or ideas? Do I prefer to work independently, or as part of a team? Do I like a lot of change and variability, or do I prefer consistency? Testing is also used by individuals and companies to help determine if a person is likely to be a good match for particular jobs.
Whatever type of testing is used and for whatever reason it is conducted, it is important that the testing be conducted and interpreted by a qualified psychologist. Psychologists are the only professionals who are fully trained to administer tests correctly and to interpret the results appropriately.
Clint Felker, Ph.D.
Horizons Counseling Services, Inc.
5851 Pearl Rd., Suite 305
Parma Heights, OH 44130
(440) 845-9011
www.horizonscounseling.com
Services
Psychological Assessment