What is the Meaning & Definition of psychological Test

Measurement of personal characteristics and mental health
The psychological test, also referred to as psychological testing, is an instrument of experimental type which is used to measure or assess a specific psychological feature, mental health or General and essential traits that mark and distinguish the personality of a person.
These types of tests can be and are usually applied in different contexts and with different purposes: from a company that is in the search for specific personnel to fill a vacant post, to determine the vocational orientation of someone, adaptation needs of children at the school, among others.
The importance of be carried out by qualified professionals
Meanwhile, these tests must be carried into practice by specialized professionals, i.e., psychologists, psychologists, people who have studies on the subject may be since they have the knowledge necessary to do so. Anyway, we should highlight that in some cases are carried out by people who do not have this knowledge with which the results should be considered with the reserves of the case.
Psychology professionals have in their favor the provision of knowledge of the typical conflicts, traumas and ways to respond that people have certain facts, therefore, in the indictment of the test may be used to identify, discard personality disorders, for example.
It is, however, important that let us underline that the professionals who perform the tests, as the indictment, is less intrusive as possible so this not melle against the comfort of the patient or the person who is subjected to the test.
How are the tests carried out?
Individual behavior causing the reagents for the test shall be assessed by comparing them, whether statistical or qualitatively with other individuals who are subjected to the same test, being able to get through this experimental method to a particular classification of the subject or subjects in question. And also that specific behavior that note the individual to a specific reagent should represent as faithfully as possible the run that would have this subject in certain everyday situations in which capacity is assessed you put in actual execution.
Types of psychological tests
There are two types of test, psychological, the psychometric and the Proyectivos.
The first, measuring and assigned a value to certain quality or psychological process, such as intelligence, memory, attention, cognitive performance and verbal comprehension, among others. They are aimed at activities of evaluation and selection, this would be the case of the job interviews. Almost always, when one applies for a job, in addition to be evaluated in terms of experience and knowledge, he will undergo a psychological test to determine whether it meets the psychological characteristics demanded by the post in question. Many companies throw hand of these tests to ensure the hiring of personnel that is normal in the psychic field and avoided clear is future surprises by hiring people who have psychological problems.
Also, psychometric tests, are used at the behest of the clinical diagnosis. Your organization, understanding, administration, interpretation and even correction tend to be standardized and defined.
And projective tests, on the other hand, are enrolled in what is known as the current dynamics of psychology. They are based on a less structured than the previous hypothesis and which will test the individuality of each individual's response in order to infer their character traits. This type of test is often used in clinical, forensic, and children's areas.
Traditionally, and also to avoid falling into serious lack of professionalism, is that the realization of the psychological test is mostly reserved to psychologists, although, as already noted above, in some jurisdictions allow that they are made by professionals not received in psychology but with the proper training of a psychologist before making them either leaving these tasks of interpretation and correction of them.
Now, we must emphasize that the psychological test even though they are a very important and fundamental resource in the contexts described above, because as we said they allow to achieve an intimate knowledge of the evaluated people, are not quite enough to explain very intimate aspects for example.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.