Psychological Assessment is a process that involves the integration of information from multiple sources such as tests of normal and

abnormal personality , tests of ability or intelligence , tests of interests or attitudes, as well as information from personal interviews. A useful psychological measure must be both valid and reliable.
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Interview
Valuable information is gained through interviewing. When its for a child, interviews are conducted not only the child, but the parents, teachers and other individuals familiar with the child. Interviews are more open and less structured than formal testing and give those being interviewed an opportunity to convey information in their own words.
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Interview Cond..
Two kinds of Interviews. Structured - It is designed to provide a diagnosis for a client by detailed questioning of the client in a "yes/no" or "definitely/somewhat/not at all" forced choice format. structured interviews for specific information gathering. Examples of closed questions are "When did this problem begin? Was there any particular stress or going on at that time? Can you tell me about how 4 this problem started?"

Interview Cond..
Unstructured - Other interviews can be less structured and allow the client more control over the topic and direction of the interview. Unstructured interviews are better suited for general information gathering. Unstructured interviews often use open questions, which ask for more explanation and elaboration on the part of the client. "What was happening in your life when this problem started? How did you feel then? How did 5 this all start?"

Behavioral Observations
How does the person act? Nervous, calm, smug? What they do and do not do? Do they make and maintain eye contact? How close to you do they sit? Often, behaviour observations are some of the most important information you can gather. Behavioural observations may be used clinically (such as to add to interview information or to assess results of treatment) or in research settings (to see which treatment is more efficient or as a DV)
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Behavioral Observations Cond...

Observations of the person being referred in their natural setting . Especially if its a child can provide additional valuable assessment information In the case of a child, how do they behave in school settings, at home, and in the neighbourhood? Does the teacher treat them differently than other children? How do their friends react to them?
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Psychological testing is a field characterized by the use of samples of behavior in order to assess psychological constructs, such as cognitive and emotional functioning , about a given individual. The technical term for the science behind psychological testing is Psychometrics.
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Testing leads to savings in the decision-making process The costs of making a wrong decision are high. The job requires attributes that are hard to develop / change. Hard-to-get information can be obtained more easily and efficiently. Individuals are treated consistently. Large number of applicants.
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Costs Fear of legal action. Practical constraints.

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Legality of test. Possibility of rejection of qualified candidates. Privacy issues i.e. what can & should be asked? Tests cannot make 100% prediction of an individuals on the job success. Ethical issues: Test users ,Test security , Test interpretation, Test publication.

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Types Of Psychological Tests

Psychological tests can be grouped into several broad categories. Personality tests measure personal qualities, sometimes referred to as traits. Achievement tests measure what a person has learned. Aptitude tests are designed to predict future behaviour, such as success in school or job performance. Intelligence tests measure verbal and/or nonverbal skills related to academic success. Interest inventories are used to help individuals 12 make effective career choices.

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Psychological tests fall into several categories. 1. Achievement and aptitude tests are usually seen in educational or employment settings, and they attempt to measure either how much you know about a certain topic (i.e., your achieved knowledge), such as mathematics or spelling, How much of a capacity you have (i.e., your aptitude) to master material in a particular area, such as mechanical relationships.
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Psychological Tests Cond

2. Neuropsychological tests attempt to measure deficits in cognitive functioning (i.e., your ability to think, speak, reason, etc.) that may result from some sort of brain damage, such as a stroke or a brain injury. 3. Occupational tests attempt to match your interests with the interests of persons in known careers. The logic here is that if the things that interest you in life match up with, say, the things that interest most school teachers, then you might 14 make a good school teacher yourself.

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4. Personality tests attempt to measure your basic personality style and are most used in research or forensic settings to help with clinical diagnoses. Two of the most well-known personality tests are the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), or the revised MMPI-2, composed of several hundred yes or no questions, and the Rorschach (the inkblot test), composed of several cards of inkblotsyou simply give a description of the images and feelings you 15 experience in looking at the blots.

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5. Specific clinical tests attempt to measure specific clinical matters, such as your current level of anxiety or depression.

Personality Tests
Personality tests are either objective or
projective.
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Personality Tests Cond

Objective Tests
Objective tests present specific questions or statements that are answered by selecting one of a set of alternatives(eg. true or false). Objective tests traditionally use a "paper-andpencil" format which is simple to score reliably. Although many objective tests ask general questions about preferences and behaviours, situational tests solicit responses to specific scenarios. 17

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The MMPI - The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is the leading objective personality test. Its hundreds of true-false items cover a broad range of behaviours. A major advantage of the MMPI is the incorporation of validity scales designed to detect possible response bias, such as trying to present oneself in a socially desirable way.
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Personality Tests Cond

Projective Techniques Projective personality tests use ambiguous stimuli into which the test take presumably projects meaning. This indirect type of assessment is believed by many to more effectively identify a person's real or underlying personality. Two leading projective tests are the Rorschach and the Thematic Apperception Test(TAT). .
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Personality Tests Cond

The Rorschach Test In the Rorschach, individuals are asked to describe in detail their impressions of a series of inkblots. Scoring involves analysis of both the structure and content of responses. The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) In the TAT, individuals construct stories to describe a series of pictures. TAT analysis traditionally focuses on the role played by the main character in each story 20

Reliability of Test
Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. A test is considered reliable if we get the same result repeatedly. Thus, refers to standardization of the procedure of administering and scoring the test results. Reliability can be improved by
i. Getting repeated measurements using same test. ii. Getting many different measurements using slightly different techniques and methods.
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Types of Reliability
1. Test-Retest Reliability The test-reset method of estimating a tests reliability involved administering the test to the same group of people at least twice. Then the first set of sources is correlated with the second set of process. Correlation ranges between 0(low reliability) and 1 (high reliability). 2.Inter-Rater Reliability This type of reliability is assessed by having two or more independent judges. The scores are then compared to determine the consistency 22 of the rater estimates.

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Parallel-forms Reliablity Parallel-forms reliability is gauged by comparing two different tests that were created using the same content. This is accomplished by creating a large pool of tests items that measure the same Quality and randomly divide the items into two separate tests. The two tests should then be administered to the same subject at the same time. Internal-Consistency Reliability This form of reliability is used to judge the consistency of results across items on the same test. Essentially test items that measure the same construct are23 compared to determine the tests internal consistency.

Validity of Tests
Validity asks Is the test measuring what you think its measuring? It is a test, which helps predict whether a person will be successful in a given job. A test that has been validated can be helpful in differentiating between prospective employees who will be able to perform job well & those who will not. Though no test will be 100% accurate in predicting job success, a validated test increases possibility of success. Validity of test is expressed in terms of a Co-Efficient of Correlation in which the test scores correlated with some performance criterion. For e.g.: the validity of an intelligence test can be determined by correlating the test score with the students'24 marks in the examinations.

Types of Validity
1.Preductive Validity, 2.Concurrent Validity 3.Synthetic Validity 4.Content Validity 5.Construct Validity 6.Face Validity.

Classification of Validity
a. Logical b. Empirical c. Factor

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Relationship between Reliability and Validity

If a test is unreliable, it cannot be valid. For a test to be valid , it must reliable. However , just because a test is reliable does not mean it will be valid. Reliability is a necessary but not sufficient for Validity

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Thank You!