What Are the Key Features of Psychological Tests?

The science of psychological testing is called psychometrics, and includes many forms of measurement of psychological functioning. Such testing is usually done with large groups of participants in experimental studies. Methods can include surveys, questionnaires, interviews and behavioral observations. Usually, psychological tests are designed to measure ability, personality or mental health. Psychological testing and assessment can also be performed on an individual basis.

Ability Testing

• IQ tests can include puzzles and problem-solving activities.

  Tests designed to evaluate ability usually use measures of intelligence and reasoning, such as an IQ test. Aptitude tests also fall in this category, and include those designed for educational systems, such as the SAT, GMAT and GRE. These tests usually evaluate problem solving abilities and rational thought. Skills and achievement can be measured by testing specific job or subject-related topics, either with written or computerized exams, or by conducting behavioral experiments in a laboratory or field setting.

Personality Testing

• Personality testing is used for many purposes, including job placement.

  Personality tests come in many forms and are used for a variety of purposes, including job interviews, psychological counseling sessions, career counseling and matchmaking. Carl Jung was the first psychologist to categorize people into different personalities in the 1920s, using pairs of attributes such as introverted or extroverted; thinking or feeling; sensing or intuitive; and judging or perceiving. Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs further refined Jung's theories in the 1950s and 1960s and developed their own personality testing, based on his basic principles. Many personality tests are available free online, and can be quite interesting to take. Knowing your personality traits can aid in a job search or companion search, and can help you not only find life conditions that suit your personality but also highlight areas for improvement.

Mental Health Testing

• Inkblots are used to help patients express their feelings.

  Mental health testing measures psychological or emotional stability and looks for signs or patterns of dysfunction or neurological disorders. These tests can include methods used in psychoanalysis and counseling sessions, such as Rorschach tests (inkblots), word association, personal data sheets and sketching. Behavioral and physiological tests fall into this category, and range from observations of reaction time, to MRI testing to measure brain activity during various levels of stimulation.

The Value of Psychological Testing

• Much of current psychological research is focused on the link between physiology and behavior.

  Psychological tests are varied in their methods and applications. However, they provide key insights into the psyche on an individual and global basis. More and more measures are being developed in each area to help scientists get closer to answering the most fundamental questions about the way our minds and emotions work, and how humans think about and interact with the world around them.