Psychological tests are traditionally used to measure differences between individuals or the reactions of the same individual in different situations. Galton was a pioneer in the application of rating-scale and questionnaire methods; he developed statistical methods to analyzed data on individual differences. Cattell applied rating-scale techniques to mental tests. Binet and Simon searched for new measures of intelligence and developed the first Binet-Simon Scale. This 1905 scale consisted of 30 problems arranged in ascending order of difficulty. The 1908 was the first age scale. Wechsler prepared intelligence scales (adults and children) based on increasing order of difficulty rather than age levels (Anastasi, 1982; Schultz & Schultz, 1992). Scale types, scale construction and scaling, and Likert scaling are discussed.
Needs for groups tests and aptitude testing brought the study of trait organization. Statistical studies of intelligence found interrelations among scores. This led to factor analysis brought about by Kelley and Thurstone and others, which resulted in the development of multiple aptitude batteries (Anastasi, 1982).
Multiple aptitude batteries measured a number of aptitudes and provide a profile of scores for each aptitude. Scaling resulted in the development of intelligence and aptitude tests. The early self-rating scale techniques were next applied to the measure of personality (Anastasi, 1982).
Types of scales are many. Intelligence scales include the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Scales. Tests for infant and preschool testing include Bayley Scales of Infant Development, McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, Piagetian Scales, The Ordinal Scales of Psychological Development. Tests for assessment of mental retardation include the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, the Adaptive Behavior Scale. Tests for the physically handicapped include the Pintner-Paterson Performanc
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