Types Of Psychological Tests: Their Functions And Characteristics
Within psychology, mental status assessment of the subject who comes for consultation or who requires our services is a necessary and essential element.
Psychology professionals have a series of tools in order to carry out this evaluation, including among them: different types of psychological tests
It is considered a psychological test any test, method or instrument used for the purpose of evaluating or measuring one or more of one of the different characteristics that are part of the individual’s psyche. Psychological tests are based on the observable behavior and the expression of the subjectivity of the patient in order to infer the characteristics and mental state of the subject, requiring a subsequent analysis in order to extract information with clinical significance.
Psychological tests try, as far as possible, that the information obtained through its implementation is valid and reliable trying to reflect what is intended to be measured (let us not forget that psychological characteristics are constructs that are not directly observable) and that they can be replicated by other professionals (that is, the information that a person obtains about a subject can be obtained by another professional if you make the same measurement).
Likewise, the scores obtained have to be transformed so that they have a meaning, generally being compared either with the average obtained by representative samples of the population, with one’s own previous performance or with a criterion established in advance.
Based on this concept, numerous types of psychological tests have been formulated, created following different criteria and with different objectives
Dimensions and types of derived psychological tests
When carrying out a psychological test there are numerous aspects that we have to take into account when evaluating what type of information we want to obtain and how we are going to obtain it.
Some of the main dimensions that must be evaluated are the following.
1. Structuring level
The different types of psychological tests can vary enormously depending on whether the information is requested in a more or less concise way or whether the patient is left more or less free to express themselves.
This aspect is essential in order to obtain information Having a very structured test will allow you to obtain short and concise answers, directing the evaluation to the aspects considered most relevant. However, a large amount of relevant information may be lost that could help better adjust and understand the subject’s mental state.
In this sense we can find types of unstructured psychological tests (in which the content of the evaluation varies according to the subject’s answers), semi-structured (in which, although freedom of response is offered and the questions vary depending on the information which is reflected, an attempt is made to follow a more or less predetermined script) or structured (in which, although the responses issued are taken into account, the evaluation follows a predefined course)
By voluntariness we mean the degree to which the subject has control over the response issued. For example, if an electroencephalogram is performed, the subject has no control over what response he gives, while in some tests the individual can decide the type of response he gives.
3. Masking level
Masking is understood as the degree to which the subject knows the purpose of the test or test that is being applied and/or the connotations of their answers. In this sense, tests can be masked (such as the Rorschach test, in which the individual does not know what his or her answers mean) or unmasked.
4. Level of objectivity
The level of objectivity of the data refers to the degree to which the responses are derived from the patient’s subjectivity or are empirical and visible data. In this sense we can find different types of psychological tests, objective tests and subjective tests although all measurement instruments can be evaluated in this sense.
According to the number of evaluated
When we think of a psychological evaluation we generally imagine a situation in which a person is being analyzed by a professional, generally in the clinical or human resources field.
However, whether in these or other contexts, it is possible to make a joint evaluation of several individuals, or even carry out an evaluation of a group as such. So we can find:
1. Individual tests
These are those types of psychological tests in which the characteristics or performance of a single subject These are usually tests that require a certain level of specialization to perform, and provide a lot of information regarding the same individual. Likewise, it allows establishing a relationship with the evaluator that can allow him to see and analyze various aspects that may or may not be included in the test.
2. Collective or group tests
Collective tests are those that are carried out in groups. They usually require a lower level of training for their application than individual ones. Yes ok save time and money usually involve a certain loss of information regarding the individual and the evaluation by a psychologist or evaluator is greatly difficult.
Depending on the content
Tests can also be classified according to what type of mental content are they dedicated to evaluating In this sense we can find the following types of psychological tests.
1. Intelligence Test
Intellectual capacity is one of the aspects that has been evaluated the most throughout history. With its use the aim is to discover the potential and ability to adapt and use various strategies along with the ability to store and use one’s own mental resources, is evaluated with these tests.
2. Aptitude test
But mental abilities are not limited only to intelligence, there are many other characteristics that allow our behaviors to be more or less effective in one or more areas. Especially applied in personnel selection these types of tests reflect the ability in specific aspects of reality and allow the subject’s effectiveness and performance to be predicted.
3. Personality test
People tend to behave and see the world in a certain way, a pattern that we acquire partly by inheritance and partly according to our experiences throughout development. Measure these behavioral patterns beliefs, emotions and thinking allows us to get an idea of the way the person being evaluated is, as well as the way they usually see or act in the world.
The presence of mental problems and even disorders is an increasingly common element in today’s society. Diagnose these problems It allows us to guide the individual regarding different measures and treatments to apply in order to solve the difficulties they suffer.
5. Neuropsychological tests
This type of psychological test is used in order to help determine the mental and perceptual state of an individual, generally applied to subjects who have suffered an injury of some type. Therefore, the objective with which they are designed is the extent of possible damage to different types of mental processes.
6. Development/aging test
This type of test is used to assess the degree to which an individual develops throughout the life cycle observing the presence of alterations and comparing the degree of development in relation to regulations.
7. Test of interests/professional vocation
They are based on the analysis of the subject’s preferences, allowing its orientation towards certain goals or objectives They are normally applied to young people who are going through adolescence or post-adolescence and who need to be guided to decide their educational path.
Depending on performance criteria
Another fundamental aspect when taking a test is to take into account how it will be evaluated. In this aspect we can find two main types of psychological tests.
1. Maximum execution test
Maximum performance tests aim to evaluate a person’s maximum potential in a psychological characteristic or aspect. Therefore, the efficiency of the individual is taken into account, being relevant the time it takes to finish a task and evaluating the measured characteristic based on its correctness and speed. Objective and sometimes psychometric techniques tend to use this type of criterion, as in intelligence or neuropsychological tests.
2. Typical execution tests
This type of test is characterized because it seeks to evaluate the performance or typical characteristics of the subject in certain tasks or aspects, that is, what is habitual and daily for the individual. The time it takes to perform the requested task is not of interest or significant per se. Within this group subjective and projective techniques are usually found which evaluate aspects such as personality.
Pervin’s classification
Taking all of the above aspects into account, various authors throughout history have generated different classifications of the types of psychological tests. One of the most widespread and accepted classifications is Pervin’s which considers the existence of the following categories.
1. Psychometric tests
Psychometric tests are those used in the measurement of specific characteristics of the psyche, such as intelligence or aptitude tests. It is one of the types of psychological tests that considers that individuals will respond honestly, applying unmasked tests, in which the responses are voluntarily controlled by the subject.
They are highly structured and are frequently used both in clinical settings and in areas such as work and education.
2. Objective tests
Highly structured, this type of tests and tests are based on physiological correlates in order to measure a certain element. Due to this, the answers given are not voluntary nor can they be modified. However, the objective of the test is usually clear, so it would be considered unblinded. Different instruments and devices are used to record the individual’s responses, not depending on the evaluator for the recording per se. Typical examples of objective tests could be the polygraph or biofeedback.
These are the most common type of psychological tests when measuring aspects of the subject’s personality and experiences based on self-verbalizations or self-descriptions provided by the subject himself according to a series of items. Voluntary response, the individual may try to falsify the information provided, although in order to detect such attempts different reliability scales are usually applied. They tend to be semi-structured and adapted to the objective or specific element that is sought to be measured.
4. Projective tests
Subjective tests are usually used to analyze the deeper aspects and personality traits of the individual. It is the least structured type of psychological test, not restricting in any sense the response issued by the analysed and all the subject’s responses having a valid meaning that must be analyzed and evaluated.
These answers are subjective, since represent the internal world of the subject in question The individual in question does not know the meaning or meaning of their answers, being one of the types of masked psychological tests. Each response and aspect represented is important, but it only makes sense and can be given significance in relation to the whole.
The main problem with this type of test is found in the wide freedom of possible responses and the low level of standardization of these, and the same response can be interpreted from different points of view depending on the interpretation method used. He usually does not know the psychological meaning of his answers.
Within subjective tests we can find different typologies. Specifically, they stand out:
Structural tests In them the patient must make sense and organize visual material. One of the most famous is the Rorschach Test.
Thematic tests You are asked to narrate a story based on the material presented in sheets (the TAT or Thematic Apperception Test is usually the best known).
Expressive tests The subject is asked to draw a specific element (one of the best known is the HTC, a test in which the subject is asked to draw a person, a house and a tree)
Constructive tests The individual is asked to, with the pieces provided, build a specific element (the Imaginary Village Test is a good example of this)
Associative tests In this type of projective psychological tests, the patient is asked to associate a word (either orally or in writing) with another word or stimulus that is provided. The Word Association test is one of the most used.
Refractory tests It is based on the analysis of personality based on the products of the subject’s activity, such as his writing.
Buela-Casal, G. and Sierra, JC (1997). Manual of psychological evaluation. Ed. Siglo XXI: Madrid.
