Factors Influencing Point System

A points system is used when making decisions about a person's mental health status. This scoring procedure allows subjective ideas to be measured and evaluated in a fair way. Still, many factors influence how to measure a situation, all affecting the overall outcome of the evaluation. Outside factors are particularly relevant in children, who might be heavily influenced by others and the surroundings.

Mood and Feelings

• When assessing the psychological stability of a person, take into account the mood of the person being tested. While some feelings may be relevant to the overall scoring of the evaluation, other moods and feelings might make the test less accurate. For example, if a person feels forced to take the test, there is already an assumption of a problem. This likely affects how the person answers and feels about himself. This can have a huge impact on the final score.

Parental or Outside Perception

• How others view a person can be internalized and can change how the person views herself. This can cause a mental problem or the perception of a mental disorder. Recognize the difference between the truth in the feelings and ideas being forced on the person being evaluated. In addition, psychologists often ask for parental or peer ratings of a person to help get a full picture. This can offer a slanted view of what is really happening.

Testing Conditions

• The area where the test is performed makes a big difference in the outcome of the numbers. If the facility features significant interruptions or an overall uncomfortable atmosphere, the person might respond badly to the test. This can register as hostile in the scoring process. If there are multiple observers, this can make the person edgy and alter the overall results.

Comfort with Testing Procedures

• A person's comfort level with tests affects the overall score. If someone is comfortable with rating systems and questioning, she is likely to score better than someone who does not respond well to such interrogation. While this can be an indicator of a deeper mental issue, it is sometimes just a personality quirk. It does not mean the person is mentally unstable.

Observations by Psychologists

• Part of the scoring comes from observations made by the evaluator or psychologist. While a psychologist does his best to remain impartial, the person observing cannot help but have a viewpoint. The scoring takes this into account by requiring the psychologist to explain all the numbers, who chose the rating and his or her relationship to the patient. This gives an outside observer a feel for how the final score happened. Further documentation of particular behaviors or oddities that led to the evaluation help ensure scoring accuracy.