psychological testing: what is it and why is it important?
One of the first things clients say when they come for testing is, “We need answers!” Often, they have hit up against a “brick wall” and they can’t quite seem to figure out why they are having such a hard time in a certain area in their life. Unfortunately, this often results in them thinking there must be something “wrong with them”, they are “not smart”, or “not good enough”, whether it be in their personal, professional, and/or academic lives. Utilizing psychological testing, we take a strength-based and collaborative approach with our clients and their families to help find those answers.
Our goal for every testing client is to help provide answers to the questions that brought them in for testing in the first place. Through psychological testing, the client gets a better understanding of themselves, how they see and engage with the world, and can walk away feeling “gotten” and empowered. They know that they have strengths, as well as vulnerabilities/challenges. We strive for them to walk away from the testing experience with a road map of options for how they might move forward.There can be a tendency to mystify psychological testing, which can lead to assumptions and misunderstanding of the process and its value.
To help demystify psychological testing, let’s look at the basic questions:
1. What exactly is psychological testing? 2. What is it used for? 3. How can it help me and/or my child, loved one etc.?
What Is Psychological Testing?First, let’s talk about the broad term “Psychological functioning.” This term often includes a variety of abilities. For example, when health care professionals refer to “psychological functioning”, they may be referring to an individual’s intellectual abilities or some other cognitive skill (such as attention), personality characteristics, or emotional functioning. Clinical psychologists use psychological testing as a way to understand a person’s behavioral functioning and mental health. The testing incorporates relevant background information gathered in the intake process (client’s early childhood developmental history, family history, medical history, academic history, work history, and relationship/social history), clinical observations, standardized tests, and finally, interpretations from the cumulative data. The various standardized measures used as part of the testing process have their value in being “objective”. This means this kind of testing involves comparing a client’s responses to standardized measures as compared to a normative group (usually based on the person’s age) to see how well they are functioning compared to their peers. (Think of the standardized testing such as the ACT or SAT often taken by high school students.) What is Psychological Testing Used For? Results from the testing process can help diagnose or rule out conditions including but not limited to: anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, personality disorders, learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, testing can help understand a person’s cognitive abilities, like problem-solving skills, intellectual functioning, and memory. How Can Psychological Testing Help Me or My Loved One? Psychological testing can: - Help individuals and their families better understand the nature of their struggles and the options available for addressing them. - Diagnose conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others. - Identify mental health conditions and other issues that may be impacting an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. - Provide a more complete understanding of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, which can be useful in making decisions about treatment and support. - Assess an individual’s cognitive abilities, such as memory, problem-solving skills, and intellectual functioning. - Identify the underlying causes of an individual’s symptoms and provide a basis for developing a treatment plan that is tailored to their needs. - Monitor an individual’s progress in treatment and make any necessary adjustments.
In summary, psychological testing is an essential tool used to understand an individual's behavioral and mental health. By demystifying the testing process, individuals and their families can better understand the nature of their struggles and the options available for addressing them, providing a sense of empowerment and a roadmap for moving forward.
Miller, L. A., & Lovler, R. L. (2018). Foundations of psychological testing: A practical approach. Sage publicationStaley Shumaker, B. E., & Hoyt, T. (2020). A place for psychological testing in the assessment of adult ADHD. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 46, 119-131.Fischer, C. T. (2012). Individualizing psychological assessment: A collaborative and therapeutic approach. Routledge.Jensen, C. M., & Steinhausen, H. C. (2015). Comorbid mental disorders in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a large nationwide study. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 7, 27-38. Michelle Morlock, Psy.D.
What Is Psychological Testing?First, let’s talk about the broad term “Psychological functioning.” This term often includes a variety of abilities. For example, when health care professionals refer to “psychological functioning”, they may be referring to an individual’s intellectual abilities or some other cognitive skill (such as attention), personality characteristics, or emotional functioning. Clinical psychologists use psychological testing as a way to understand a person’s behavioral functioning and mental health. The testing incorporates relevant background information gathered in the intake process (client’s early childhood developmental history, family history, medical history, academic history, work history, and relationship/social history), clinical observations, standardized tests, and finally, interpretations from the cumulative data. The various standardized measures used as part of the testing process have their value in being “objective”. This means this kind of testing involves comparing a client’s responses to standardized measures as compared to a normative group (usually based on the person’s age) to see how well they are functioning compared to their peers. (Think of the standardized testing such as the ACT or SAT often taken by high school students.) What is Psychological Testing Used For? Results from the testing process can help diagnose or rule out conditions including but not limited to: anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, personality disorders, learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, testing can help understand a person’s cognitive abilities, like problem-solving skills, intellectual functioning, and memory. How Can Psychological Testing Help Me or My Loved One? Psychological testing can: - Help individuals and their families better understand the nature of their struggles and the options available for addressing them. - Diagnose conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others. - Identify mental health conditions and other issues that may be impacting an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. - Provide a more complete understanding of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, which can be useful in making decisions about treatment and support. - Assess an individual’s cognitive abilities, such as memory, problem-solving skills, and intellectual functioning. - Identify the underlying causes of an individual’s symptoms and provide a basis for developing a treatment plan that is tailored to their needs. - Monitor an individual’s progress in treatment and make any necessary adjustments.
In summary, psychological testing is an essential tool used to understand an individual's behavioral and mental health. By demystifying the testing process, individuals and their families can better understand the nature of their struggles and the options available for addressing them, providing a sense of empowerment and a roadmap for moving forward.
Miller, L. A., & Lovler, R. L. (2018). Foundations of psychological testing: A practical approach. Sage publicationStaley Shumaker, B. E., & Hoyt, T. (2020). A place for psychological testing in the assessment of adult ADHD. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 46, 119-131.Fischer, C. T. (2012). Individualizing psychological assessment: A collaborative and therapeutic approach. Routledge.Jensen, C. M., & Steinhausen, H. C. (2015). Comorbid mental disorders in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a large nationwide study. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 7, 27-38. Michelle Morlock, Psy.D.