Psychological assessment

Outline
 Introduction
a) Testing vs assessment
b) Evaluation vs assessment
What is Testing?

Psychological testing also called psychometrics. Almost everybody has experienced testing
during his or her life. Grammar tests, driving license test etc. A test is used to examine
someone’s knowledge of something to determine what that person knows or has learned. It
measures the level of skill or knowledge that has been reached. An evaluative device or
procedure in which a sample of an examinee’s behavior in a specified domain is obtained and
subsequently evaluated and scored using a standardized process.

What is psychological assessment?

Psychological assessment is a process of testing that uses a combination of techniques to help

arrive at some hypotheses about a person and their behavior, personality and capabilities.
Psychological assessment is also referred to as performing a psychological battery on a person.
Psychological testing is nearly always performed by a licensed psychologist, or a psychology
trainee (such as an intern). Psychologists are the only profession that is expertly trained to
perform and interpret psychological tests. Psychological assessment should never be performed
in a vacuum. A part of a thorough assessment of an individual is that they also undergo a full
medical examination, to rule out the possibilities of a medical, disease or organic cause for the
individual’s symptoms. It’s often helpful to have this done first, before psychological testing (as
it may make psychological testing moot).

What is the difference between testing vs assessment?

Basics of Psychological Psychological assessment

differences testing

Degree of Simpler; involves one More complex; each assessment involves various
complexity uniform procedure. procedures (interviewing, observation, testing,
etc)
Duration Shorter (lasting from Longe r(lasting from few hours to few days or
minutes to few hours) more)
 Sources of data One person, the test Often collateral sources, such as relatives or
taker. teachers are used in addition to the subject of the
assessment.
Focus How one person or The uniqueness of a given individual, group or
group compares with situation(idiographic).
others(nomothetic)
Qualification for use Knowledge of tests, Knowledge of testing and other assessment
and testing procedures. methods as well as of the specialty area assessed
(psychiatric area, job requirements).
Procedural basis Objectivity required; Subjectivity; in the form of clinical judgement
quantification is required quantification rarely possible.
critical.
Cost Inexpensive; especially Very expensive , requires intensive use of highly
when testing is done in qualified professional.
groups.
Purpose Obtaining data for use Arriving at a decision concerning the referral
in making decisions. question or problem.

What is Evaluation?

Evaluation focuses on grades and may reflect classroom components other than course content
and mastery level. Evaluation is a final review on your instruction to gauge the quality. It’s
product-oriented. This means that the main question is: “What’s been learned?”. Finally,
evaluation is judgmental.

Example:

You’re gifted a flower.

Evaluation: “The flower is purple and is too short with not enough leaves.”

Evaluation is judgmental
Assessment: “I’ll give the flower some water to improve its growth.”

Assessment increases the quality

Relationship between Assessment and Evaluation

Besides the differences, there are also some similarities between assessment and evaluation. The
both require criteria, use measures and are evidence-driven.

So, what’s the difference?

Assessment Evaluation

Is ongoing Provides closure

Improves quality Judges quality

Individualized Applied against standards

Not graded Graded

Provides feedback Shows shortfalls

Process-oriented Product-oriented