Psychometrics: this short article explains Psychometrics in a practical way. Next to what it is, this article also highlights the use within intelligence and for personality, criticism and the type of testing within the business world. Enjoy reading!
Psychometrics: this short article explains Psychometrics in a practical way. Next to what it is, this article also highlights the use within intelligence and for personality, criticism and the type of testing within the business world. Enjoy reading!
Psychometrics is a field of psychology that mainly deals with measurement. This concerns both the theory and the technique of measurement.
Psychometrics involves objectively measuring latent structures that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Examples of latent constructions are, for example, intelligence, psychological disorders, motivation, personality and learning performance.
The levels at which individuals undergoing this type of testing can be assessed are derived from mathematical models. The input for this is obtained from the observed reactions of people to the tests.
People who are involved in psychometrics are sometimes called psychometricians, but not everyone who is involved in this bears this title. People who work with psychometrics usually have specific training or other qualifications.
In addition to traditional academic institutions, these people also work for psychological institutions, including the Psychometric Society. This institution is committed to the promotion of quantitative measurement in psychology, education, and other social sciences.
The term psychometrics is derived from the Greek words for mental and measurement. The term has been defined by various researchers.
Galton defines psychometrics as “the art of imposing measurements and numbers on operations of the mind.”
Denny Borsboom of the University of Amsterdam defines psychometrics as a scientific discipline concerned with the construction and application of assessment tools, measurement instruments and formalized models that can serve to connect observable phenomena with theoretical attributes.
The first psychometric instruments were developed to measure intelligence. These types of tests are now known as IQ tests.
One of the first of these tests was developed in France, by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. The test was named Test Binet-Simon. This test was adapted for American use by Lewis Terman of Standard University. He then named it the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
Another important focus of psychometrics is personality. A wide range of tests and methods have been developed over the years for measuring personality. While there is no universally accepted theory or instrument for measuring personality, some of the most well-known are the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Big Five method, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI test).
Since the introduction of various measuring instruments, criticism of the discipline has also grown. This is mainly due to the fact that psychometrics is based on latent psychological processes.
These are measured by correlations. Critics note that it is very difficult to arrive at such a definition and quantification.
They also believe that such tools are misused by laymen, such as personality tests in employment procedures.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) describes the different types of tests that employers like to use to recruit and place potential employees.
The most common type of cognitive test is the IQ test for intelligence. Other types of tests evaluate people’s verbal, math, or reasoning abilities. Hiring managers use these tests to measure specific areas of knowledge or skill.
Personality tests attempt to measure aspects of a prospective employee’s personality, such as motivation, attitude, and emotional adaptability.
The aptitude test is used to see if someone can do the job if they are hired. These tests provide information about the ability to function as defined by the job requirements of a job.
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