Introduction to Psychological Testing
Consuelo Mumford
PSY 475
June 1, 2015 Maureen Clifford
Introduction to Psychological Testing
Tests are theoretical concepts which provide professionals in psychology with pertinent data related to the human behaviors, thoughts, and personalities. There are five major categories of testing which are important to testing, with the four major uses and users of testing. Testing has a purpose in education, clinical, intelligence, and neuropsychological in psychological measurement. Testing must have reliability and validity for psychological testing, the assessment must be reliable and valid functional.
Definition of Test
Test is an old French name initially utilized in the English origin, the cup’s purpose is to caste gold or silver ore. Test are used to test mental, physiological, academic, conditions and qualities of humans (Hogan, 2007, p. 38). The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing defines test as, “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” (p. 38). Test with several definitions, meaning information, evaluation, conclusion, inference and reference. (p. 40). Test is obtainable information of behavior or cognition procedures in quantified manner (p. 41). In an assessment evaluation, test are not used in the process, the test helps answers areas of functioning, diagnostic question, and conducting research.
Five Major Categories of Psychological Tests
There are five major categories of psychological testing are mental, achievement, personalities, interests and attitudes, and neuropsychological tests. The five major categories acronym is known as MAPPIN. Mental ability are intelligence tests and cognitive abilities primarily for education and clinical psychology. Personality testing are answers of true or false information about a human personality (Damor & Hansell, 2008). The personality testing are used for individual responses to personality test, clinical groups, and psychological symptoms of mental disorders. Achievement testing is the knowledge of individual’s education assessments from math, science, history, reading, writing, or skills in other areas. Interest and attitudes measures specific topics, practices and groups on individuals in high school and colleges expounding on their interests and attitudes. Neuropsychological test obtains information about the brain, the functioning, memory, intelligence, thinking, and coordination (Hogan, 2007). The only category that uses test from the other categories. Neuropsychology uses the tests from clinical, neurological and educational fields (Damor & Hansell, 2008).

Four Primary Users and Uses
The four primary users’ and uses are divided into four specific categories clinical, educational, personnel, and research (Hogan, 2007). In the clinical categories consist of clinical testing, school psychologist, counseling and neuropsychology helping individuals with their problems, no matter the severity. In the educational category users are school administrators, teachers, parents, school board members, legislators, and the public. The educational test consist of individual levels of learning, annual achievement testing, American College Testing (ACT) and licensing or certifications for several of professions (Hogan, 2007). The personnel or employment category pertains to military and business personnel, testing allows organizations to select who is best qualified for the position or job. The military testing has the ability to assign personnel to their skill level, training levels, and duty location. The research category has diverse testing areas of social/behavioral sciences, psychology, and