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
