What are Psychological Tests and what are they used for?

A psychological assessment is used to understand an individual's functioning and behaviour to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment. Psychologists and psychiatrists conduct tests to understand an individual's functioning and behavior to arrive at a diagnosis of a mental health issue and the corresponding treatment.

What is a Psychological Assessment?

Psychological assessment is a series of tests conducted by a psychologist, to gather supatirmation about how people think, feel, behave and react. The findings are used to develop a report of the person's abilities and behavior—known as a psychological report—which is then used as a basis to make recommendations for the individuals' treatment. Psychological assessments and reports are used in other fields as well—like in the case of career planning for young adults or in the job application process to determine how well an applicant will fit into the open role.
The procedures used to create an assessment are:

1. Interview

2. Observation.

3. Written assessment

4. Consultation with other mental health professionals.

5. Formal psychological tests.

Psychological assessment is also used in other fields, like:

Education—to assess a student's ability to learn, and progress in the classroom.

Legal system—to assess the mental health status of a person.

What is a Psychological Test?

A psychological test is used to measure an individuals different abilities, such as their aptitude in a particular field, cognitive functions like memory and spatial recognition, or even traits like introvert Ness. These tests are based on scientifically tested psychological theories. The format of a test can vary from pencil and paper tasks to computer-based ones. They include activities such as puzzle-solving, drawing, logic problem solving, and memory games.
Some tests also use techniques—known as projective techniques—which aim to access the unconscious. In these instances, the subjects responses are analyzed through psychological interpretation and more complex algorithms than the non-projective techniques mentioned above. For example, the Rorschach test, popularly known as the ink-blot test can provide insight into the persons personality and emotional functioning.
Psychological tests may also involve observing someones interactions and behavior. Based on the result of the test, an inference will be drawn about the individuals inherent abilities and potential.

When Should You take Assessment Tests?

The assessment tests are done to collect supatirmation to identify and evaluate your dear ones deficiency, plan for treatment and to help in diagnosing.
The assessment is done prior to counselling. Assessment tests are designed to peer deep into the problems.
The Assessment Tests Available at Aaditya Foundation are

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Test

Learning Disability (LD) Test.

Autism assessments.

Personality assessments.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Test.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Test :

Intelligence is a general term referring to the ability to learn and to social demand. The IQ score often represents a measure of the childs overall potential. An IQ score is typically used as a baseline for all psychological assessments. Based on the childs IQ score, The childs overall intellectual functioning can be evaluated. You must check your childs IQ under the following circumstances.

Poor performance in studies.

Excessively distractive or hyperactive.

Immature behaviour up to their age.

Learning Disability (LD) Test :

Intelligence is a general term referring to the ability to learn and to social demand. The IQ score often represents a measure of the childs overall potential. An IQ score is typically used as a baseline for all psychological assessments. Based on the childs IQ score, The childs overall intellectual functioning can be evaluated. You must check your childs IQ under the following circumstances.

Poor reading and writing skills.

Difficulty to perform mathematical operations.

Attention problems.

School anxiety.

Difficulty to complete homework independently.

Organizational difficulties.

Autism assessments :

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, usually diagnosed by the childs behavior and development. Autism can be detected at 18 months or younger, but by the age two the test is more reliable. Your child must take an autism assessment under the following circumstances.

Shortage in social communication and interaction.

Restricted and repetitive speech.

Motor type movement or use of objects.

Difficulty to manage emotions.

Personality assessments :

Personality assessment, is used to understand about the characteristic traits, attitudes, beliefs, values, needs, motives, emotional states, coping styles, or aspirations of an adult. A personality scale shows a specific level of personality, relative to others. For example, a personality test containing a single anxiety scale would indicate whether you are more anxious, normal level, or less anxious than people in general. An individual must take a personality test when you feel,

Frequently experiencing intense negative emotions.

You are not actively engaging with other people.

Not pleasant and cooperative to others.

Losing self-control.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Test :

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder commonly noticed by inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity. Some people with ADHD only have problems with one of these deficiencies, but some others have both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Most children have the combined type of ADHD. In preschool, the most common ADHD symptom is hyperactivity.
But a person with ADD shows enough symptoms of inattention, but the symptom of hyperactivity is absent. Indeed, people with ADD can be calm and serene. It is advisable to take an ADHD or ADD test, under the following symptoms.

Inattention.

Unfocused motor activity and impulsivity(only for ADHD).

Make careless mistakes in schoolwork or at work.

Not seem to listen when spoken to directly.

Talk nonstop.

Have trouble waiting their turn.

Interrupt in conversations, games, or activities.

What do Psychological Tests Measure?

We offer Psychological testing in a number of different areas:

1.Mental health assessment -

A mental health assessment includes supatirmation about a persons medical history, their family history, and the current status of their mental health. The assessment helps identify if there are any mental health issues present, and determine a diagnosis and treatment accordingly.
A psychologist or psychiatrist is likely to start an appointment with a mental health assessment, which will enable them to correctly diagnose and treat you.

2.Adaptive behavior assessments -

This measures the social and practical skills of a person, to determine their ability to function on a daily basis at home, school or work; and are usually conducted along with cognitive tests.
For example, it may be used to assess a childs ability to function in social activities with other students in school.

3.Aptitude testing -

An aptitude test measures a persons ability to perform different kinds of tasks. This is done to determine the areas in which their skills are the strongest. Some people may be better with quantitative tasks that require math and logical reasoning skills, some at language, and some at creative thinking.
These tests are used by vocational therapists to measure ability, and figure out the kind of professions or job roles a person may be suited for. They may also be used by career counselors to guide people towards higher education in fields where they demonstrate high ability.

4.Cognitive testing -

A cognitive test measures a persons cognitive abilities— problem solving, reasoning, vocabulary, comprehension, and memory. They are more commonly known as intelligence or IQ tests, and are used in the field of education to identify a persons strengths and potential.
For instance, a child may be given a cognitive test to measure their ability in different subjects; allowing educators to help the child work on the subjects theyre having trouble with.

5.Educational/achievement testing -

Educational testing is conducted to test how much an individual has progressed in learning a specific subject—like mathematics, reading comprehension—to identify any difficulties they may have had in it.
Achievement tests are the examinations that students take in schools and colleges.

6.Forensic psychological testing -

Forensic testing is used in the legal field, to determine whether a suspect is capable of committing the crime they have been accused of. It comprises cognitive, personality, and neuropsychological tests.

7.Neuropsychological testing -

Neuropsychological tests analyze how an individuals brain works, in order to identify any problems in its functioning.
For instance, a person with a head injury may have to undergo neuropsychological tests to check their brains ability to retain supatirmation.

8.Personality assessment -

A personality test focuses on the personality traits of an individual. It helps evaluate if a person is more introverted or extroverted, cautious or spontaneous, and how they may react or respond to various life situations.

9.Interpretation of psychological tests -

Psychological tests are not meant to be interpreted without the context of the person being tested—their environment, socioeconomic status or physical health. While the tests do use scientifically verified scales, using its results as a stand-alone criteria can lead to misinterpretation.
For example, in the case of a blood work report—it is necessary for a doctor to read the numbers in relation to your symptoms and general physical health to arrive at an accurate diagnosis.
Similarly, its important to note that even though many of the psychological tests mentioned above are easily available on the internet, taking them without consulting a mental health professional may not lead to getting an actual analysis of your personality, aptitude or behavior. This in turn, could mean not getting the help you need.

Various Tests offered by Aaditya Foundation are-