Psychological Assessment is the evaluation of a person’s psychological characteristics by trained evaluators. The scores are thought to reflect differences in individuals and groups. A psychological assessment can be performed in a variety of ways, including psychiatric assessment, behavioral assessment, and legal settings.
Psychiatric disorders affect functioning in more significant ways
Mental disorders are defined as clinically significant disturbances in the way a person thinks, behaves or feels. These can include depression, anxiety, substance abuse and schizophrenia. Many symptoms can be controlled through medication, talk therapy and other treatments. However, the severity of the condition will determine the effectiveness of these methods.
One in six adults in the United States has a serious mental disorder, and one in five adolescents suffer from it. There are also a number of disorders related to intellectual development. Among these, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affect children.
Aside from their effects on the individual, mental disorders can impact the family and school, and in some cases, may lead to suicide. If not treated, mental disorders can lead to unnecessary disability, homelessness, and substance abuse.
Physiognomy
Physiognomy is a theory of character evaluation, based on the idea that a person’s physical appearance can be used to predict his or her personality. The concept has its roots in ancient Greek astrology and was widely used in 16th century Europe.
Physiognomy is often considered pseudoscience, but it is actually an ancient form of psychological testing. The earliest known systematic treatise on physiognomy is the book written by Aristotle. He devoted six chapters to studying general signs of character. Some of his ideas include the belief that small-headed people are steadfast and magnanimous, while round faces indicate courage.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, physiognomy was a large part of literature and art in European nations. It also was used in descriptions of characters in novels and travelogues. Amelia Opie, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, and others utilized the idea in their writing.
Inventories and checklists
Inventories and checklists for psychological assessment are not widely used by clinicians, but their use is increasing as technologies such as electronic health records evolve. While not all checklists are created equal, there are a number that stand out as particularly useful. Some of the most impressive examples include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the plethora of tests and measures for measuring student success. For example, in a test of organizational skills, students may be asked to fill out a checklist before and after class. Likewise, checklists may be used to assess student interest in certain learning objects such as e-books and lectures.
Most checklists are a bit clunky, but they are more than enough to get the job done. They can be distributed to students prior to a tutorial, or to a lecturer during a seminar. In addition, they have the advantage of being one size fits all, and as a result, can be reused time and again.
Behavioral assessment
The Behavioral assessment is a powerful psychological assessment paradigm. It emphasizes reciprocal determinism. Often, the objective of the behavioral evaluation is to identify patterns of behavior that may be indicative of a disorder.
Some of the behaviors that are assessed with behavioral assessments include communication skills, motivation, personality, and skills. This is important to companies because they want to hire people who are a good fit for their workplace.
Behavioral assessments are a way for employers to better understand their workforce. Using behavioral assessments can help hiring teams find candidates who are compatible with their values and are motivated to perform well. They can also predict the performance of an individual once they are hired.
Behavioral assessments can be used with other pre-employment skills tests. Usually, they are administered in conjunction with a general screening interview. Employers can use behavioral assessments to evaluate their candidates’ communication styles, work styles, and other key job skills.
Legal setting
Psychologist’s play a role in many legal scenarios. They help in assessing the credibility of witnesses, predicting danger and developing treatment plans.
One of the most important roles psychologists play in the law is the evaluation of the competency of an accused person. Psychological assessments can also be used to help determine parental fitness for child custody. Forensic psychology is a subspecialty of clinical psychology. It involves specialized training and a knowledge base in legal parameters.
A recent study examined the efficacy of psychological assessment tools in the courtroom. Researchers looked at three years worth of legal cases from all U.S. courts and compiled a hefty bibliography of research. The researchers analyzed the scientific and legal merits of 364 commonly used psychological assessment tools.
In the process, they identified the tools most likely to be accepted by the legal system. This is not a comprehensive list of tools, and some of them may be more relevant to the legal inquiry than others.
