PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING: DEVELOPMENT

This paper reviews the historical development of psychological testing, together with the implications of psychological testing for multicultural issues in the United States. Among the issues addressed in the review are validity, reliability, and standardization, as these concepts related to psychological testing.

Based on the review presented in this paper, it appears unlikely that researchers purposefully build bias into psychological tests. Nevertheless, a reasonable assumption is that variations in home support and resources contribute substantially to a lag in intellectual development that current psychological tests are unable to discern. This situation does not invalidate the psychological testing paradigm; however, it does indicate that factors other than test results must influence policy development based on test outcomes.

There is growing concern about the effectiveness of social policy in the United States. Problems in primary and secondary education involving low academic performance appear to be both symptomatic of and important contributors to broader social ills. Serious criminal behaviors appear to be working their way down the age ladder. Serious performance differentials between different ethnic groups exist both in education and in the workplace. Widespread failures in social policy contribute to the development of problems that freq

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ected of having other language difficulties. It may also be used as a nonverbal measure for members of the general population" (Kellogg & Morton, 1983, p. 3). Another test of ability is the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test (BMCT). The BMCT measures mechanical ability. The test measures the abilities important for success in a wide variety of technical skilled and professional occupations (Hamilton & Dickinson, 1987). The design of the BMCT is as an individual test (Bennett, 1969, p. 1). The test specifically measures the ability of an individual to perceive and understand the relationship of physical forces and mechanical elements in practical situations (Bennett, 1969). Interest Inventories Interest inventories are psychological tests designed to identify individual interests that point to educational and career paths (Dyer & Winward, 1995). The Career Assessment Inventory (CAI), as an example, includes a set of 91 career paths. The CAI is an interest inventory similar in design to the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII) but with an orientation toward non-professional occupations. The CAI surveys a person's preferences for various job titles, work activities, leisure activities, school subjects, types of pe
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Approximate Word count = 2917
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)

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