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Psychological Testing Articles, Research & Resources

Catrina Cowart
Last updated:
Erin L. George, MFT
Erin L. George, MFT
Medical editor

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What Is Psychological Testing?

Psychological testing includes measurable assessments that help identify, measure, and diagnose patients. They also help observe patients and guide future treatment. (1) Psychological testing works much like other medical tests because licensed professionals look at people who show symptoms and perform evaluations to assess the underlying cause.

Also known as psychometrics, psychological testing has the potential to quantify psychophysical behavior or abilities. That means that with the right testing, the psychologist can identify problems or make predictions about the patient’s behaviors or psychology. (2)

Psychological testing attempts to measure abstract properties and attributes, such as introversion, extroversion, or intelligence, so it often uses inference. When patients go through a psych evaluation, they receive a “battery” or variety of tests, usually taking several assessments. They may also go through “interviews,” which is a different way of saying they’re having a psychological assessment during the visit with their psychologist.

Adults and children can undergo psychological testing to determine if they have underlying mental health conditions requiring treatment. Psychological testing also looks for behavioral strengths or weaknesses that might affect them. If they receive a diagnosis, the psychologist working with them can formulate a treatment plan to help them cope with it.

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Common Psychological Tests

When someone goes through psychological testing, the most common battery of tests includes personality tests, such as the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) or Rorschach. (3) They may also take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), which assesses patients for psychopathology and general personality traits. (4) Other tests in the battery include the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Test. Both are intelligence tests.

The exact testing a patient goes through depends on their specific symptoms and needs. For example, someone who wants to know their IQ might take the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale assessment to find out how they rank. Someone struggling with emotions may take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to have an assessment for psychological conditions, such as psychopathy. (3)

It’s common for people to go through a full battery of tests, rather than an abbreviated battery. The abbreviated testing battery isn’t recommended because it doesn’t give as thorough of an assessment. A single test, for example, may not tell the whole story about the patient. Additionally, personality tests, in particular, are only helpful when the person interpreting them is confident in their use. A psychologist chooses the testing battery based on their experience and comfort level with the testing protocol. (3) Take the first step towards better mental health - start with a mental health test.

Psychological Testing in Children

Psychological testing in children works a little differently than testing for adults. Children go through a series of interviews and tests that look at their weaknesses and strengths across several categories. The assessments look at the following: (5)

Intelligence

The psychological test looks for signs of developmental delays, disabilities, and intellectual gifts.

Achievement

The tests measure the child’s ability to read or perform mathematics, for example, to identify academic weaknesses or strengths. Depending on the results, they may support the need for a Special Education Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Development

This part of the testing looks for anxiety, signs of depression, and other kinds of social deficits that may negatively impact a child’s home or school life.

Attention and Memory

Children having trouble with concentrating or learning in school may go through a psychological assessment or series of assessments to determine the underlying cause. This assessment looks for signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as other conditions that may affect memory or attention span.

Parents seeking psychological testing for their children should expect to fill out questionnaires about their children’s behavior, academic history, medical history, and social interactions. They should also prepare information about the child’s weaknesses or strengths. After that, the child goes through a number of testing sessions to examine their behaviors. (5) Following this, the specialist produces a report to go over the findings.

Psychological Testing in Adults

Adults going through psychological testing can learn much about themselves, just as their mental health support team may learn about them. Psychologists use tests or assessment tools to observe and measure behaviors. Then, they use those findings to guide treatment for any diagnoses they make. (1)

There are all kinds of tests that might go along with a psychological assessment, including a clinical interview and norm-referenced psychological tests and surveys. The testing may also include interviews with friends, family, or colleagues (with patient approval).

Since the required psychological testing isn’t the same for everyone, psychologists choose the assessments or tests they want to give the patients in their care. Patients may, in some cases, ask for specific tests. For example, an adult wondering if they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may ask for ADHD-related testing.

When adults go in for psychological testing, they should expect to participate in multiple tests and assessments aimed at helping the psychologist reach a diagnosis. There's no need to study for these tests or to take steps to prepare, as practicing ahead of time could lead to inconsistent results. (1)

What Is the Intelligence Quotient (IQ)?

Intelligence refers to a person’s intellectual functioning, which is their ability to answer complex math questions, identify patterns, and more. Intelligence quotients, or IQ tests, compare the scores of people of the same age who take the same test to see who is more or less intelligent.

Of all the IQ tests that exist today, one of the most common is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. It's currently in its fourth edition and claims to offer the “most advanced measure of cognitive ability.” (6)

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale looks at 10 unique subtests. Those subtests include tests such as:

  • Figure weights
  • Cancellation
  • Visual puzzles

The current test works on an Index Score structure and measures important intelligence processes such as:

  • Processing speed
  • Fluid reasoning
  • Working memory

While these tests provide a score that signifies how well a person’s brain works, they don't identify social intelligence, such as how self-aware a person is. (7)

What Is the Myers-Briggs Personality Test?

Personality testing and the theory of psychological type became prominent in the 1920s. Isabel Briggs Myers worked on this assessment process in the 1940s and 50s, but the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is younger. It didn’t become prominent until after its publication in 1962. (8)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, is a kind of personality assessment that breaks people’s personalities down into one of 16 types. The assessment includes questions in varied categories. These questions ask about the patient’s favorite world (the outer world or their own inner world), how they deal with structure, how they learn new information, and how they make decisions. The results describe the person’s answers as:

  • Extroversion (E)
  • Introversion (I)
  • Sensing (S)
  • Intuition (N)
  • Thinking (T)
  • Feeling (F)
  • Judging (J)
  • Perceiving (P)

After answering the assessment questions, the person receives an MBTI personality type code. It's one of 16 types including:

  • ISTJ
  • ISFJ
  • INFJ
  • INTJ
  • ISTP
  • ISFP
  • INFP
  • INTP
  • ESTP
  • ESFP
  • ENFP
  • ENTP
  • ESTJ
  • ESFJ
  • ENFJ
  • ENTJ

These personality type codes provide insight into the way a person thinks, feels, and experiences life. It also shows basic differences in how individuals use judgment and perception.

What’s important to understand about the test is that all types remain equal. No single type is better than another or seen as the “goal” personality. Personality typing gives therapists or human resource departments, for example, more information on the way people or groups of people experience the world.

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