Psychological testing: methods, categories, reliability, and validity

Psychological testing regards the tests used to measure the behavior of individuals via a standardized set of questions. The tests range in focus, from identifying/measuring aptitude, emotional development, and personality to cognition and more (Anastasi, Urbina, 1997). The term test refers to the instrument used to give a measurement of latent elements/variables that an individual possesses that would otherwise go unnoticed or unknown. The test is the tool whereby the unknown becomes known; just as a ruler gives the measurer a sense of distance, so too does the test give the measurer a sense of the latency within.

The major categories of tests can be divided into the following based on assumptions about what they tell about the takers: there are IQ tests which are designed to measure one's intellectual capacity; these are typically used in schools and by individuals interested in gauging their intellectual "level." There are attitude tests designed to measure personal feelings/emotions regarding a specific subject (commonly measured using the Likert scale -- a simple 1 to 5 numeric range of choices from one extreme (not at all) to the other (very much); these may be conducted in a clinical setting but also may be used in schools and by individuals interested in understanding themselves more fully. There are personality tests designed to provide an assessment of an individual's personality type (these are various and one traditional personality test is based on the four humors -- sanguine, melancholy, etc.); these are utilized in multiple settings -- by employers, educators, individuals, clinicians, etc. There are neuropsychological tests designed to assess the cognitive process and are typically used in clinical settings. There are direct observation tests which measure a dynamic -- typically a family dynamic -- say a child's interaction with a parent. These are the major categories.

The concepts of reliability and validity are situated within the framework of the tests themselves, which serves to affect the field of psychological testing by supporting it with data culled from participants. These tests, moreover, are formed using principles of psychological testing, such as standardization, objectivity, test norms, reliability and validity. In terms of reliability, these tests are shown to have provided the same findings following several takings. In short, they are consistent. In terms of validity, these tests have shown that they do indeed measure that which they set out to assess; in short, they are effective measuring tools (Schultz, 2010). Reliability can be compared to validity in the sense that both are assessed by a degree of consistency (over time vs. accuracy) while they may be contrasted in the sense that the former is historically a suitable indicator if proper conditions are met, while the latter has simply been demonstrated as capable of indicating what is being tested.