A short note about the concept of the psychological test; introduction, definition, characteristics, needs, classification, types, and some selected psychological tests.

1. Psychological Tests
(Intro & Classification)
Presented by
SHIV PRAKASH
(PhD Research Scholar)
Dept. of Psychiatry
Institute of Medical Sciences,
Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi-221005, U.P. India

2. Introduction
Definition
Objectives
Classification
Characteristics
Selected Tests
Conclusion

3. Introduction
The term sample of behavior refers to an individual's performance on tasks that have usually
been prescribed beforehand. The samples of behavior that make up a paper-and-pencil test, the most
common type of test, are a series of items. Performance on these items produce a test score. A score on a
well-constructed test is believed to reflect a psychological construct such as achievement in a school
subject, cognitive ability, aptitude, emotional functioning, personality, etc.
Psychological testing is the administration of psychological tests, which are designed to
An Objective Standardized Measure of A Sample Behavior
In otherworld's; A psychological test is a systematic procedure for obtaining samples of behavior, relevant to
cognitive or affective functioning, and for scoring and evaluating those
samples according to standards.

4. History of Psychological Tests
Some Ancient Psychological Tests
• 2200 B.C.E. Proficiency testing begins in China. The Emperor evaluates public
officials every third year.
• 1800 B.C.E. Babylonians develop astrology in order to interact with the gods and
predict the future. Greeks later redefine astrology to predict and describe personality.
• 500 B.C.E. Pythagoras begins practicing physiognomy to evaluate personality.
• 400 B.C.E. Hippocrates introduces Humorology to the field of medicine for the
treatment of physical and mental illness.
• 400 B.C.E. Plato suggests people should find employment that is consistent with their
abilities.
Some Modern Psychological Tests
• 1900 A.D. Sigmund Freud publishes The Interpretation of Dreams which goes on to
influence approaches to understanding personality for the next 50 years.
• 1905 A.D. Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon publish a 30-item scale of intelligence
designed to help classify schoolchildren in Paris schools.
• 1939 A.D. David Wechsler introduces the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale which
was designed to measure adult intelligence.
• 1943 A.D. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was published.
• 1949 A.D. The 16PF Questionnaire, 1st Edition is released for public use.

5. Definition
According to Anstey (1966)-:“Psychological test can be defined as devices and techniques for the
quantitative assessment of psychological attitudes of an individual”
According to Freeman-: “A Psychological test is a standardized instrument designed to measures objectively
one or more aspects of a total personality by means of samples of verbal and non-verbal responses, or by
means of other behaviors”
According to American Educational Research Association (AERA, 1999)-: “An evaluative device or
procedure in which a sample of an examinee’s behavior in a specified domain is obtained and subsequently
evaluated and scored using a standardized process”
According to Lee Cronbach (1949/1960), “A test is a systematic procedure for comparing the behavior of
two or more persons”.

6. It may be used as important tools in the areas such mental health, research work areas.
It may be used as tools in school placement, in determining the presence of a learning disability or
a developmental delay in identifying giftedness, or in tracking intellectual development.
Psychological tests are used in research, however, most serve a practical purpose such as schooling,
job qualifications, etc.
Psychological tests specially personality tests are administered for a wide variety of reasons, from
diagnosing psychopathology (e.g., personality disorder, depressive disorder, etc.).
To measure aspects of mental ability, aptitude or personality of a person. It may be Used as par t of
the recruitment or selection process.
Objectives
Psychological tests are used to assess a variety of mental abilities and attributes, including
achievement and ability, personality, and neurological functioning.

7. Characteristics
Psychological tests tend to be objective standardized measures and require a highly controlled uniform
procedure for administration and scoring.
Objective
Psychological tests remain quantitative measures. Descriptive evaluation is not followed. There are two
types of measure: i. Quantitative ii. Qualitative. Psychological tests always use numbers and scores.Quantitative
The diagnostic or predictive value of a psychological test depends on the degree to which it serves as an
indicator of a relatively broad and significant area of behavior.
Predictive and
Diagnostic
A psychological test is a standardized measure. Standardization implies uniformity of procedure in
administrating and scoring a test.
Standardized
It is used to measure a sample behaviour among the individuals.Sample Behavior
Psychological tests usually follow an objective rule.Objectivity
A normative score form a normative table is not open to subjective interpretation.Norm
Tests should be reliable and valid. It is the most important characteristics of Psychological tests.Reliability & Validity

8. NEED FOR
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
Maruish (1999) has discussed the ways in which psychological test has helped in treatment planning:
1 Problem identification: this is the most primitive use of psychological testing when we have to plan
treatment. By the help of psychological tests we come to know an individual’s problems especially in cases
where patient is hesitant or has less insight into illness. Also we come to know whether patient has answered
honestly or not.
2 Problem clarification: assessment procedures clarify the known problem. We can also draw an inference
about the severity of the problem, the complexity of the problem and the degree of impairment in the patient’s
socio-occupational functioning due to illness.
3 Identification of important patient’s characteristics: this is most important especially in the psychological
management of the illness. We come to know the strengths and weaknesses of that particular individual and
can better plan treatment.
4 Monitoring of progress along the path of expected improvement: test help us to keep the baseline
measurement so as it would become easy to know whether the patient’s condition is improving and also the
pace at which he is improving.

9. Classification
Psychological tests can be classified in different ways. Singh, A.K (2006) has classified
psychological tests as below:
Scoring Objective tests: in such tests there is no scope for subjective judgment. Scoring is done as
per prescribed method. e.g. MMPI-II.
Subjective tests: includes tests where there is scope of subjectivity in scoring. The
examiner can include his opinion and judgment.
Administration Individual tests: simply involve those tests that are administered on a single person at a
given point of time. e.g. Kohs Block Design Test.
Group tests: this includes tests that can be used on more than one person at a given
point of time. e.g. Bells adjustment inventory.

10. Classification
Time Limit Power Tests: includes tests that have generous time limit but the difficulty increased as
one takes the test.
Speed Tests: in this category, are those tests that have more or less same difficulty level
but one has to finish it in given amount of time but generally it assesses how rapidly a test
taker responds.
Content/ Nature of
Items
Verbal tests: includes tests that emphasizes on reading, writing and oral expression as a
primary mode of communication.
Non-Verbal tests: in such tests emphasis is not on language but at the same time does not
completely eliminate role of language. Test items are usually presented in figures or
symbols. e.g. Raven’s progressive Matrices.
Purpose or
Objective
Personality tests, Neuropsychological tests, intelligence tests, achievement tests, aptitude
tests and interest tests.

11. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Mode of Administration
Rate of Performance
Behavioral Dimension
Measured
According to Medium of
Tests
On the basis of nature of
Items
According to mode of
Interpretations
According to mode of
Scoring
According to scope
Individual Group
Speed Test Power Test
Paper Pencil
Test
Performance
Test
Verbal Test
Non Verbal
Test
Norm
Referenced
Criterion
Referenced
Self Scored Test
Expert Scored
Test
Culture Specific
Test
Culture Free
Test
Personality Tests
Intelligence Tests
Aptitude Tests
Achievement
Tests
Creativity Tests
Interest Tests
Value Tests
Attitude Tests

12. Some
Selected Test
Intelligence Tests Personality Test Attitude Test Neuropsychological Test
Stanford Binet Test Rorschach inkblot test Opinion about mental
Illness
Mini International
Neuropsychiatric Interview
(MINI) Screen
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
(WAIS)
Thematic Apperception Test
(TAT)
Kogan's Attitudes to Older
People Questionnaire
Memory Assessment
Scales (MAS)
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for
Children (WISC)
Holtzman inkblot test (HIT) Perceived Stigma
Questionnaire (PSQ)
The Mini-Mental State
Examination (MMSE)
Bhatia’s Performance Test of
Intelligence
Somatic Inkblot Series (SIS) Teacher Attitude Inventory
(TAI)
General Health Questionnaire
GHQ-12, 28
Alexander Pass Along Test Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory (MMPI)- II
Attitude Scale Towards
Family Planning
Beck Depression/Anxiety
Inventory
Raven’s Progressive Matrices Eysenck Personality
Questionnaire
Marriage Attitude Scale Young Mania Rating Scale

13. Stanford -Binet test
for Intelligence
•Since the development of the Stanford-Binet, it has been revised several times.
Currently it is in its fifth edition assesses intelligence and cognitive abilities in
children and adults aged 2 to 85 years. It was introduced in 2003 by Roid. The
items of this scale were reviewed for gender, race, ethnic, cultural, regional, and
socio-economical biases. It assesses five factors: (i) fluid reasoning, (ii)
knowledge, (iii) quantitative reasoning, (iv) visual-spatial processing (v) working
memory Hindi adaptation of 1960 version was done by S.P. Kulshrestha.

14. Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
In 1955 Wechsler-Bellevue scale was revised and renamed the Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale (WAIS), which consisted of 11 separate subtests, which include the
Verbal scale (6 subtests) and the Performance scale (5 subtests). It was called WAIS-R
after a revision done in 1981 and again in 1997 (WAIS-III). The WAIS-III consists of
seven verbal and seven performance tests. The reliabilities for the WAIS-III are
generally quite high (Psychological Corporation, 1997). Areas of note are that average
split-half reliability for the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) is .98, Verbal IQ (VIQ) is .97, and
Performance IQ (PIQ) is .94.

15. Bhatia’s Performance
Test of Intelligence
•The test is developed by C.M. Bhatia in 1955.This test consist of five sub tests – (i)
Block Design Test, (ii) Alexander Pass along Test, (iii) Pattern Drawing Test, (iv)
Immediate Memory and (v) Picture construction Test. The test can be administered on
persons of 11 years of the age and above. All five sub tests are administered in a
sequence as given above. The obtained raw score are converted into mental age (MA)
which can be used to calculate I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) of a person. This test is not to
be use on mentally retarded persons (Bhatia, 1955).

16. Rorschach Inkblot
Test
It was developed by Herman Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist in 1921. Binet proposed the
idea of using inkblots to assess personality functioning when Rorschach was only ten years
old (Binet & Henri, 1896). First standardized inkblot test was made by Whipple (1910) but
Rorschach receives the credit for introducing original and important use of inkblots as well
as in relation to clinical settings. Rorschach test includes ten inkblots in which card no.
VIII, IX and X are fully chromatic while as card no. II and III are called semi chromatic
cards and include black, red and shades of gray. Card no. I, IV, V, VI, and VII are called
achromatic cards and includes black and shades of gray. Test includes administration with
specific instructions and seating arrangement.

17. Thematic
Apperception
Test
It includes a number of pictures on which a subject is asked to make a story. This test
was first published by Murray in 1935, “A method for investigating fantasies: the
Thematic Apperception Test”. TAT includes thirty cards and one blank card. There are
specific cards for male and female similarly for young and old ones. Thus cards are
selected as per sex, age and if some specific issues are needed to be assessed. A standard
administration of the TAT includes 19 cards plus one blank card, though the
administration also depends upon the different issues that an examiner wants to know
and also on the professional experience of the examiner.

18. Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory
MMPI)- II
This measure is formulated by Starke Hathaway and J. Charnley McKinley, published first
article on the test in 1940 and was initially called as Minnesota Personality Schedule
(Hathaway & McKinley, 1940). By the technique of empirical keying approach, which
includes determination of items that differentiate between groups of people, MMPI’s scales
were formed. MMPI-II consists of 567 affirmative statements. The scale has 10 clinical
scales: (Hs) - Hypochondriasis, (D) - Depression, (Hy) - Hysteria, (Pd -) Psychopathic
Deviate, (Mf) - Masculinity-Femininity, (P)- Paranoia, (Pt) - psychasthenia, (Sc) -
Schizophrenia, (Ma) - Hypomania and (Si) - social Introversion. Recently, there has been a
development of this scale in 2008 and is known as MMPI-II-RF (Restructured form). This
test is used on age group 18 and above and consists of 338 items. But MMPI-II-RF is just
alternative to MMPI-II test and not the full replacement.

19. CONCLUSION
Psychological testing is a series of test that measure traits. It also
measures feelings, beliefs and abilities that can possibly lead to
peoples problems. It is helpful to know the test results. As par t of
a psychological test a tool is used, which can detect psychological
characteristics, such as, current conditions, or endurance
characteristics of persons, groups or organizations.