Assessment and Testing

There are important differences in many aspects of human functioning from birth to death. Thus, humans are administered tests from the moment of birth (such as the Apgar score, which measures basic neurological and health function of a neonate) to advanced age (such as assessment for dementia to determine level of care and assistance or supervision). Tests measure diverse aspects of human functioning, including behavior (e.g., reaction time, strength, coordination), emotion or mood, and cognitive abilities (e.g., intelligence, memory, attention).

Tests also use diverse methodologies. For example, assessment of emotion or mood may include self-report questionnaires, ratings of behavioral observations, or face-to-face administration of a structured interview. Assessment of behavior and [Page 152]cognitive functioning is best conducted with measures of actual performance but could include face-to-face or computerized tests. This entry discusses testing and assessment of humans across the lifespan with an emphasis on the important differences between them.

When tests are administered in a standard way to large groups of individuals, they can be useful for establishing the range of “normal” scores. This is helpful when a test is then given to one person, because that person’s scores can then be compared to a group of peers who are like him or her in demographic characteristics. For example, knowing that an individual has scored well above the normal range on a self-report measure of depression may help an assessor make decisions about the need for further assessment or treatment.

Tests can also identify a person’s own relative strengths and weaknesses. For example, tests of intelligence often measure different components of intelligence; it is typical for people to show strengths and weaknesses on different components of intelligence, even if all their scores on an intelligence test fall in the broadly normal range. However, knowing that one is relatively stronger in verbal abilities relative to nonverbal abilities, for example, may benefit that individual in career planning.

For these reasons, tests are useful in clinical settings, because establishing that someone has unusual levels of performance may indicate the presence of a disease or disorder or a need to receive particular services or that information may have implications for that person’s ability to function independently. For example, establishing that a child has cognitive difficulties on an intelligence test may help guide appropriate school placement or provision of specific academic interventions or accommodations. Similarly, determining that an older adult with dementia shows cognitive impairments related to problems with driving may help a clinician make safety recommendations about driving. Furthermore, scores on tests assessing psychological variables may influence the types of interventions recommended or the need for more significant care (such as hospitalization).

However, there are important distinctions between testing and assessment. Through the rest of this entry, those distinctions are explained, and implications for the use of both tests and assessment throughout the lifespan are presented.