2. History of Psychological Assessment Flashcards
involves the use of tests, interviews,and observation, cognition and amotions.
Psychological assessment
- Identifying mental health issues, cognitive abilities, personality traits, and educational placement.
Purpose of Assessment
Understanding how methods evolved helps improve modern practices.
Importance of History
- The earliest known systematic forms of assessment were the civil service exams in ___, which tested candidates on competence and morality for government positions.
- Assessments focused on subjects like law, military strategy, agriculture, and Confucian philosophy.
Ancient Civilizations: China (2000 BCE)
- Early ___ (e.g., Plato and Aristotle) proposed theories about intelligence, memory, and personality.
Greek Influences
They used methods to assess individuals for educational purposes, focusing on memorization and rhetoric.
Egyptian Influences (1500-300 BCE)
: Suggested that bumps on the skull reflect personality traits.
- Though discredited, it was the first attempt to link physical traits with psychological characteristics.
Phrenology (Late 1700s — 1800s) Franz Joseph Gall’s Theory
The study of facial features to determine personality.
* While it was pseudoscience, it contributed to early thought on linking physical and psychological attributes.
Physiognomy (19th century)
* Johann Lavater’s Ideas:
He studied human intelligence and sensory capacities.
- He used reaction time tests and questionnaires to measure intelligence.
- Coined the phrase “nature vs. nurture.”
Galton’s Interest in Individual Differences
- Developed the correlation coefficient and introduced the concept of normal distribution in psychological testing
Statistical Contributions
- Developed by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon to identify children needing educational assistance in France.
- Focused on mental age, assessing memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.
- Considered the foundation of modern IQ tests.
Binet-Simon Scale
He Revised the Binet-Simon scale to create the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test.- Introduced the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) formula: IQ = (Mental Age /Chronological Age) × 100.- Established norms for intelligence in the U.S. population.
Lewis Terman’s Adaptation (Stanford University)
this test became the gold standard for intelligence testing and was widely used in schools and clinical settings.
Stanford-Binet
This Army was a verbal test for literate recruits.
Alpha
this Army was a non-verbal test for illiterate or non-English-speaking recruits.
Army Beta
