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1. Rationale of Psychological Testing
Counseling is much more than providing assistance to the clients.

2. What is a Psychological Test?
• A Psychological test is a standardized instrument designed to measure objectively one or
more aspects of total personality by means of samples of verbal and nonverbal responses or
by means of other behaviors. Freeman, 1965
• Psychological test refers to an objective and standardized measure of an individual’s mental
and/or behavioral characteristics.
• psychometrics n. the branch of psychology concerned with the quantification and
measurement of mental attributes, behavior, performance, and the like, as well as with the
design, analysis, and improvement of the tests, questionnaires, and other instruments used
in such measurement. (APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2nd Edition, 2015)
• Also called psychometric psychology; psychometry.

3. Principles of Psychological Testing
The principles of conducting psychological testing include:
• 1. Standardization: All steps including procedures in conducting psychological tests must base on consistency and under
the same environment so as to achieve the same testing performance or results from the group or individuals being
tested.
• 2. Objectivity: psychological tests scoring must be objective that is free from subjective judgments, free from all biases,
based on the fact that the same results or performance can be obtained on the test by anybody.
• 3. Test Norms: Psychological tests must have the norms that specifies the average test scope within a large group of
people where can be compare to the results of others by establishing a point of comparison or frame of reference
• 4. Reliability: Psychological tests results must be the same results that will be obtained after multiple testing
• 5. Validity: A psychological test being designed and administered must measure what it is intended to measure.

4. Purposes of Testing
1. Prognosis or prediction: which career choice fit a student, which candidate
should be selected, which therapy can be used,
2. Diagnosis Purpose: diagnosis of learning difficulty, diagnosis of mental
health parameters such as level of stress, adjustment etc. Diagnosis of Mental
Health problems like Depression, Anxiety etc.
3. Research Purpose: Effect of indigenous techniques, gender studies etc.

5. Manovaigyanik Parikshan ki Upyogita

6. Testing helps to
resolve real-life
problems.
Many psychologists work with
people at important decision points
in their lives: placing children in
schools, consulting in medical
situations, or advising in medical
and clinical situations.
How will you help a child whose
academic performance is suddenly
becomes a badly affected one. ?

7. Identifying the
problem
Psychological tests are used for
diagnosing or identifying
personality problems, dysfunction
and learning difficulties so that
appropriate remedial steps can be
taken

8. Predicting
Psychological tests such as aptitude
tests are used for predicting students
or clients’ future in a specific field
such as language-fluency, music,
academic specializations.
Tests are used for selecting
candidates into either vocations or
educational programs

9. Promoting
Tests are used to promote and
improve learning

10. Self Assessment
The feedbacks provided by
psychological tests are used for
self-assessment and counseling
purposes.

11. Research
Psychological tests results are
need for research purposes

12. Assessment in
Couple
Counselling
Sexological tests are used to
examine the various aspects of
discomfort, problem or
dysfunction.

13. Knowing about the
interests
Interest tests are used for the
assessment of a person’s or group
interests and preferences

14. Assessment of
Skills
Aptitude tests are used for
measuring specific abilities skills
Attitude tests are used for the
assessment of individual or group
feelings about an event, person or
object

15. Infants and preschool assessment are
used for the assessment of reflexes,
developmental milestone, sensory
and motor skills, language skills and
simple cognitive skills in infants and
preschool aged children ages birth to
six years of age.

16. Building Rapport
Personality test measures and
outcomes are useful in developing
therapeutic rapport between
counselor (therapist) and the client.
In addition, they are also useful in
creating inferences अनुमान to follow-
up with other therapeutic methods.

17. Testing can provide more data than observation or
interviewing alone.
• Observation in Recruitment: teaching a demonstration lesson or making a
digital presentation. Time constraints sometimes make this a less desirable
option.
• Testing provides comparative data

18. Testing can discover
strengths and weaknesses.

19. Testing can serve both individuals and groups
• In many situations, testing may be
conducted to help an individual: a
college student takes an alcohol
screening test to see if drinking has
progressed beyond experimenting”
and has become a problem; an
MMPI may be given to a middle-
aged man at repeated intervals to
see if his depression is responding
to medication.
• In USA regular evaluations for
special education students
mandated testing every three years.

20. Reasons for making a formal pre-counselling
assessment
Table 13.2 Reasons for making a formal pre-counselling
assessment
Establishing rapport
Making a clinical diagnosis
Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the client
Giving information
Enabling the client to feel understood
Arriving at a case formulation or plan
Giving hope
Gathering information about cultural needs and expectations
Explaining the way that therapy works; obtaining informed consent
Opportunity for the client to ask questions
Giving a taste of the treatment
Motivating the client; preventing non-attendance
Arranging for any further assessments that might be necessary (e.g.
medical)
Selecting clients for treatment
Selecting treatments or therapists for the client
Giving the client a basis for choice of whether to enter counselling
Making practical arrangements (time, place, access)
Providing data for research or audit

21. Psychological Assessment in counselling
The beginning of counselling is also marked by a process
of assessment.
In some places, assessment is carried out by someone
other than the eventual counsellor.
Halgin and Caron (1991) suggest a set of key questions that
counsellors and
psychotherapists should ask themselves when considering
whether to accept or
refer a prospective client:
• Does the person need therapy?
• Do I know the person?
• Am I competent to treat this client?
• What is my personal reaction to the client?
• Am I emotionally capable of treating the client?
• Does the client feel comfortable with me?
• Can the client afford treatment under my care?