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Testing and Assessment

Testing and assessment of individual differences have been an essential part of professional work of scientists and practitioners in psychology and related disciplines. It is generally acknowledged that psychological tests, along with the existing conceptualizations of measurements of human potentials, are among the most-valuable contributions of behavioral sciences to society. The majority of psychological phenomena, or theoretical constructs, are not observable directly. Because of their latent nature, they are typically measured indirectly, that is, by registering behavior on appropriate tasks or responses to test items. Psychological testing is regarded as the process of measuring human attributes by procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior. The meaning of assessment is broader to some extent and includes gathering and integration of test- related data, and those from other sources, to make an evaluation, professional decision, or recommendation about a person. Within more than a century of testing and assessment practice, different conceptual frameworks have been proposed and have served as a foundation of psychological test development, including the methods for evaluation of their usefulness and quality. Despite the controversies surrounding both classical and modern formulations of test theory, they appear to be widely used today and complement each other in designing and evaluating psychological and educational tests. Testing practice is for many reasons an extremely sensitive issue. It is most often not only a professional but also a public issue. Because the decisions based on test results and their interpretations often entail important individual and societal consequences, psychological testing has been the target of profound public attention and a long-standing criticism.

psychological testing, psychometric theory, assessment of individual differences

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