What is Psychometric Assessment?
Psychometric Assessment is the process, wherein a psychologist observes and evaluates the psychological, emotional, social behaviours, liabilities and limitations of a person to arrive at certain conclusions about him/her. The word psychometric implies that we can measure the psychological traits of a person in the same way just as we measure a piece of cloth, milk or other articles. Psychometric Assessments are extensively used to understand a subject’ problems and plan comprehensive and effective intervention strategies.
Why is Psychometric Assessment conducted?
Psychometric Assessment yields important information, which complements the information obtained from other psychological measurements like - Clinical Interviews, Behavioral Observations, Cognitive Abilities and Personality Traits. These Psychometric Assessments provide objective information, which can be used to formulate a logical hypothesis to explain the subject’s problems. Subsequently, the results of these Psychometric Assessments can help plan suitable remedies for the issues faced by the subject.
What kinds of tests are used in Psychometric Assessment?
A variety of tests are used in Psychometric Assessment i.e. tests of Cognitive Abilities, Personality, Aptitude and Attitudes. Some commonly used tests of cognitive abilities include those pertaining to attention, memory, intelligence, scholastic abilities and performance.
In a nutshell, Psychometric Assessments can contribute to a much better and deeper understanding of a subject as they are designed, administered and interpreted according to well-formulated scientific procedures. However, the information obtained from Psychometric Assessments should not be taken as an alternative to other clinical information; rather, it needs to be treated as a complement to the information obtained from clinical interviews.