The American Psychological Association article titled “Understanding psychological testing and assessment” enlightens about the process of psychological testing and evaluation by psychologists who typically deploy standard assessment and tests tools to understand a patient’s behavior to reach a diagnosis and provide treatment. Psychological assessments and testing serve a similar purpose as medical investigations since they help psychologists to diagnose and understand the nature of patients’ issues and offer appropriate and personalized interventions.
The article reveals the nature of tests used by psychologists, which tend to be formal tests such as checklists and questionnaires dubbed “norm-referenced” tests. The phrase infers that the tests are universally standardized, allowing test-takers to generate a similar result. For instance, a norm-referenced test administered to a child regarding abilities may place that child’s capacity compared to others of the same grade level and age.
Alternatively, some psychological assessment tools encompass interview information, surveys, informal tests, observational data, medical evaluation, and medical records. The goal of an assessment tool is to establish the nature of the information to use following the precise questions. For example, an assessment can help to determine if an individual might have a learning disorder or traumatic brain injury (American Psychological Association, 2022). Clinical interview remains one of the predominant assessment tools. It involves taking history of a patient, which allows the assessor to observe and understand the patient’s way of reasoning, thinking, and interaction.
In conclusion, the article demonstrates that assessment and testing permit a psychologist to obtain an entire picture of an individual’s limitations and strengths. Whereas psychological tests are not multipurpose, some instances necessitate psychologists to refer patients to other specialists for further treatment after evaluation. Some psychologists also administer tests and provide psychotherapy treatment to patients. Therefore, the assessment and testing process ensures that a patient receives tailored intervention based on individual needs.
Reference
American Psychological Association. (2022). Understanding psychological testing and assessment. Web.