HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

Summary

This video delves into the rich history of psychological testing and assessment, highlighting significant milestones and figures. From ancient Chinese emperors' use of testing for officials to the development of modern intelligence tests by pioneers like Alfred Binet and Henry H. Goddard, the narrative underscores the evolution of psychological measurement. It also touches on the contributions of Hermann Rorschach and the emergence of personality testing, emphasizing the importance of understanding this history to inform current practices.

Takeaways

• 📚 The history of psychological testing dates back to 2200 BC with Chinese emperors testing officials' fitness for office.
• 🔍 Early psychological testing was influenced by early psychiatry and the examination of the mentally ill in the 19th century.
• 🧠 In 1885, Hubert von Grassy developed a memory drum to test brain-injured patients, contributing to the evolution of psychological testing.
• 🌟 Wilhelm Wundt is credited with founding the first psychological laboratory in 1879, which was pivotal for the development of psychological testing.
• 🏛️ The 'brass instruments era' of psychological testing in the late 1800s focused on measuring sensory thresholds and reaction times, mistakenly equating these with intelligence.
• 🔬 Sir Francis Galton, obsessed with measurement, attempted to quantify various human traits, including intellect and beauty.
• 🏫 James Cattell, a student of Wundt and Galton, continued the study of reaction time and sensory discrimination as indicators of intelligence.
• 🌐 Alfred Binet, alongside Simon, developed the first modern intelligence test in 1905 to assess the intelligence of children for educational purposes.
• ✈️ World War I accelerated the development of group testing, with Robert M. Yerkes convincing the US military to use intelligence tests for recruit classification.
• 🧐 The Rorschach test, developed by Hermann Rorschach, is an example of projective testing, which assumes that individuals reveal their unconscious conflicts when responding to ambiguous stimuli.
• 📊 The development of psychological testing has been marked by both empirical approaches and the integration of psychoanalytic theories, shaping the field into what it is today.

Q & A

What is the significance of studying the history of psychological testing and assessment?

Studying the history of psychological testing and assessment is significant as it provides a fascinating story with abundant lessons and is relevant to present-day practices.

When did rudimentary forms of testing exist, and what was the purpose?

Rudimentary forms of testing existed as early as 2200 BC when the Chinese emperor had its officials examined every third year to determine their fitness for office.

Who is credited with founding the first psychological laboratory?

Wilhelm Wundt is credited with founding the first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany.

What was the 'brass instruments era' of psychological testing?

The 'brass instruments era' refers to the period when early experimental psychologists used brass instruments to measure sensory thresholds and reaction times, mistakenly believing these abilities were at the heart of intelligence.

Who is considered the father of mental testing and why?

James McKeen Cattell is considered the father of mental testing because he adapted time-consuming psychophysical procedures to simple and quick sensory motor measures to study individual differences.

What was the first major textbook on the treatment of mental degradation?

The first major textbook on the treatment of mental degradation was 'Idiocy and its Treatment by the Physiological Method' published by O. Edward Seguin in 1866.

Who developed the first modern intelligence test and in what year?

Alfred Binet developed the first modern intelligence test in 1905.

What was the purpose of the intelligence tests given to US Army recruits during World War One?

The purpose of the intelligence tests given to US Army recruits during World War One was for classification and assignment of soldiers to appropriate roles.

Who developed the Rorschach test and what was its basis?

Hermann Rorschach developed the Rorschach test, which was based on the projective hypothesis that individuals reveal their innermost needs, fantasies, and conflicts when responding to ambiguous stimuli.

What is the significance of the MMPI in the history of psychological testing?

The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), published in 1942, is significant as it was one of the first comprehensive personality inventories designed to assess various aspects of personality and psychopathology.

What was the unethical experiment conducted by Henry Murray at Harvard that involved undergraduates?

Henry Murray conducted unethical experiments in which he subjected 22 Harvard undergraduates to vehement sweeping and personally abusive attacks, one of whom was Theodore Kaczynski, later known as the Unabomber.

Outlines

00:00

📚 History of Psychological Testing

This paragraph delves into the origins of psychological testing, dating back to 2200 BC with Chinese emperors assessing officials. It highlights the evolution of testing methods over centuries, including the introduction of written exams during the Han Dynasty. The influence of early psychiatry is noted, with the 19th-century development of various tests to examine the mentally ill, although these were not standardized. The paragraph also mentions significant figures like Hubert von Grashy, Wilhelm Wundt, and Sir Francis Galton, who contributed to the field with their experiments and theories on intelligence. The 'brass instruments era' is discussed, where sensory processes were mistakenly linked to intelligence, and the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus in memory testing is acknowledged.

05:00

🧠 Pioneers in Mental Health and Intelligence Testing

Paragraph 2 focuses on the contributions of French physicians and the shift in understanding mental retardation as a lifelong condition distinct from mental illness. It discusses the humanitarian approach of O. Edward Seguin and his influential work in the United States. The paragraph also covers James McCosh Cattell's work on reaction time and sensory discrimination as indicators of intelligence, and the impact of his students, particularly Clark Whistler, on the field. Whistler's findings led to a temporary abandonment of certain testing methods. Alfred Binet's development of the first modern intelligence test is mentioned, as well as Henry H. Goddard's work at Ellis Island, which was influenced by societal fears about mental deficiency and immigration.

10:05

🌟 Milestones in Psychological Assessment

This paragraph discusses the introduction of the IQ concept by William Stern and the development of the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales by Lewis Terman. It covers the impact of World War I on group testing and the efforts of Robert M. Yerkes in classifying army recruits through intelligence tests. The beginnings of modern personality testing are explored, with a focus on Woodworth's work and the influence of Hermann Rorschach's projective tests. The paragraph also mentions the establishment of the Psychological Corporation and the contributions of various psychologists like Florence Goodenough, Edward K. Strong, and Henry Murray to the field of psychological testing and assessment.

15:07

🌐 Global Expansion and Ethical Considerations in Psychology

Paragraph 4 discusses the global expansion of psychological testing, with the establishment of the Philippine Psychological Corporation in 1961. It also touches on the creation of culturally specific measures like the 'Panukat na Makatao ng Filipino' by Anna Deisse and Carlotta. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the lessons that can be learned from the history of assessment psychology, encouraging viewers to consider the ethical implications and the importance of cultural sensitivity in psychological assessment.

Keywords

💡Psychological Testing

Psychological testing refers to the assessment of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional traits through standardized procedures and tools. In the video, it is highlighted as a crucial aspect of understanding human behavior and mental abilities, with a historical journey from rudimentary forms to modern, scientifically validated tests. The script mentions various pioneers in the field, such as Binet and Simon, who developed early intelligence tests, illustrating the evolution and significance of psychological testing.

💡Standardization

Standardization in psychological testing ensures that tests are administered and scored in a consistent manner across different settings and populations. The video underscores the importance of standardization by discussing how early tests were not standardized and were later forgotten, emphasizing the need for reliable and valid measures in psychological assessment.

💡Intelligence

Intelligence, as discussed in the video, is a construct that represents an individual's cognitive abilities, including learning, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. It is central to the history of psychological testing, with figures like Alfred Binet developing tests to measure it. The video also touches upon the shift from simple sensory processes to more complex assessments of intelligence.

💡Reaction Time

Reaction time is the period between the presentation of a stimulus and the initiation of a response. In the context of the video, it was initially believed by early experimental psychologists to be indicative of intelligence. Sir Francis Galton's work is mentioned, where he attempted to measure intellect through reaction time and sensory discrimination tasks, reflecting the historical exploration of different methods to assess cognitive abilities.

💡Mental Retardation

Mental retardation, now referred to as intellectual disability, is a term that describes significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. The video discusses how historical figures like J.E. D. Esquirol and O.E. Seguin revolutionized thinking about mental retardation, with Seguin's work emphasizing a more humane approach to treatment and recognizing it as a lifelong developmental phenomenon.

💡Projective Tests

Projective tests, such as the Rorschach inkblot test mentioned in the video, are designed to reveal a person's innermost thoughts, feelings, and conflicts by responding to ambiguous stimuli. These tests are based on the projective hypothesis, which suggests that individuals project their unconscious feelings onto the ambiguous stimuli. The video highlights the innovative approach of Hermann Rorschach in developing a test that could delve into the unconscious mind.

💡IQ (Intelligence Quotient)

IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a score derived from standardized tests that measure human intelligence. The video explains how William Stern introduced the concept of IQ, calculating it as the ratio of mental age to chronological age. This concept has been fundamental in the field of psychological testing, providing a quantifiable measure of intelligence.

💡Group Testing

Group testing involves administering psychological tests to a large number of individuals simultaneously. The video discusses the acceleration of group testing development during World War I, where Robert M. Yerkes convinced the U.S. military to use intelligence tests for classifying and assigning recruits, demonstrating the practical application of psychological testing on a large scale.

💡Personality Testing

Personality testing is the assessment of an individual's personality traits and characteristics. The video mentions the beginnings of modern personality testing with the work of Woodworth, who developed an instrument to detect susceptibility to psychoneurosis in army recruits. This marked a shift towards understanding not just cognitive abilities but also personality traits.

💡Vocational Interests

Vocational interests refer to the preferences and inclinations an individual has towards certain types of work or career paths. The video references the Strong Vocational Interest Blank developed by Edward Kelllogg Strong, which is used to guide individuals towards careers that align with their interests. This highlights the application of psychological testing in career counseling and vocational guidance.

Highlights

Psychological testing has a rich history dating back to 2200 BC with Chinese emperors examining officials.

Early psychological testing was influenced by the examination of the mentally ill in the 19th century.

Hubert von Grassy developed a memory drum in 1885 to test brain-injured patients.

Wilhelm Wundt is credited with founding the first psychological laboratory in 1879.

Francis Galton, a pioneer in experimental psychology, believed in the measurability of virtually anything.

James Cattell, a student of Wundt and Galton, focused on reaction time and sensory discrimination as indicators of intelligence.

Clark Wissler's 1901 study showed no correlation between mental tests and academic performance, influencing the abandonment of certain testing methods.

Alfred Binet, alongside Theodore Simon, developed the first modern intelligence test in 1905.

Henry H. Goddard translated and adapted the Binet-Simon scale for American children.

William Stern introduced the IQ concept, calculating it as mental age divided by chronological age.

Lewis Terman revised the Binet-Simon scales, creating the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales in 1916.

Group testing advanced significantly during World War One for military classification and assignment.

Hermann Rorschach developed a projective test focusing on responses to ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious conflicts.

The Psychological Corporation, founded in 1921, was the first major test publisher.

Florence Goodenough developed the Draw a Person test, contributing to non-verbal intelligence assessment.

Edward K. Strong's Strong Vocational Interest Blank, published in 1927, became a widely used career guidance tool.

The MMPI, published in 1942, was developed to measure personality and psychopathology.

David Wechsler published the Wechsler Bellevue Intelligence Scale, a widely used test for assessing intelligence.

The history of psychological testing teaches us about the evolution of methods and the importance of understanding individual differences.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome to another video by

psychology for life

[Music]

this video is about the history of

psychological testing and assessment

there is a saying that goes those who do

not remember the past

are destined to repeat it it is

worthwhile for us to look back at the

history of psychological testing and

assessment

because it is a fascinating story and it

has abundant lessons for us to learn

and it is relevant to present-day

practices

historians note that rudimentary forms

of testing

existed as early as 2200 bc when the

chinese emperor had its officials

examined every third year

to determine their fitness for office

such testing was modified and refined

over the centuries until

written exams were introduced in the han

dynasty

five topics were tested civil law

military affairs

agriculture revenue and geography

psychological testing owes much to early

psychiatry

in fact the examination of the mentally

ill around the middle of the 19th

century

resulted in the development of numerous

early tests

however these tests were not

standardized and were later on forgotten

they were nonetheless influential in

determining the course of psychological

testing

in 1885 the german physician hubert von

grashy developed the antecedent of the

memory drum

as a means of testing brain-injured

patients

shortly thereafter the german

psychiatrist conrad

riggier developed an excessively

ambitious test battery for

brain damage his battery took over 100

hours to administer and soon fell

out of favor most sources credit wilhelm

wundt

with founding the first psychological

laboratory in 1879 in deep sleep germany

however as early as 1862 wand was

already using his thought meter

supposedly to measure the swiftness of

thought of observers

experimental psychology flourished in

the late 1800s in continental europe and

great britain

however the new experimental psychology

was itself a dead end

at least as far as psychological testing

was concerned

the problem was that the early

experimental psychologists

mistook simple sensory processes for

intelligence

they used assorted brass instruments to

measure sensory threshold and reaction

times

thinking that such abilities were at the

heart of intelligence

hence this period is sometimes referred

to as the brass instruments era of

psychological testing

as what was propagating experimental

psychology in germany

sir francis dalton pioneered a new

experimental psychology in 19th century

great britain

galdon was obsessed with measurement and

his intellectual career

seems to have been dominated by a belief

that virtually anything is measurable

his attempts to measure intellect by

means of reaction time and sensory

discrimination tasks are well known

yet to appreciate his wide-ranging

interests he also devised techniques for

measuring beauty

personality the boringness of lectures

the effects a prayer to name a few

galdon's two most important works were

hereditary genius published in 1869

which is an empirical analysis to prove

that genetic factors were overwhelmingly

important

for the attainment of eminence and his

second work

his inquiries into human faculty and its

development

published in 1883 which is a series of

essays that emphasized individual

differences in mental faculties

calzon borrowed the time-consuming

psychophysical procedures practiced by

bond and others on the european

continent and adapted them

to a series of simple and quick sensory

motor measures

he is credited as a father of mental

testing to further a study of individual

differences galvin set up a psychometric

laboratory in london

at the international health exhibition

in bbc before

it was later transferred to the london

museum where it was maintained for six

years

at least 17 000 individuals were tested

during 1880s and 1890s

[Music]

hermann ebbinghaus was a german

psychologist to pioneer the experimental

study of memory in 1897 he created the

first

sentence completion test during those

times the western world of late 1800s

was just emerging

from centuries of indifference and

hostility toward the psychiatrically and

mentally impaired

at the forefront of these developments

were two french physicians

j e d eskerel and o.e sagin

each of whom revolutionized thinking

about those with mental retardation

escuro's diagnostic breakthrough was

noting that mental retardation

was a lifelong developmental phenomenon

whereas mental

illness usually had a more abrupt

concept

he thought that mental retardation was

incurable

for as mental illness might show

improvement

perhaps more than any other pioneer in

the field of mental reservation

o edward seguin helped established a new

humanism toward those with mental

retardation in the nuclear

conference his treatment efforts earned

him international acclaim

and he eventually came to the united

states to continue his work

in 1866 he published idiocy and its

treatment by the physiological method

the first major textbook on the

treatment of mental degradation

james mccain cattell studied the new

experimental psychology with both

wand and galton before settling at

columbia university

where for 26 years he was the undisputed

dean of american psychology

he spent his career following the

footsteps of calton studying reaction

time and sensory

discrimination as an indicator of

intelligence

cattell had many famous doctoral

students among them were

e.l thorndike who made monumental

contributions to learning theory and

educational psychology

r s woodworth who was the author of the

very popular and influential

experimental psychology

and ek strong whose vocational interest

black

since revised is still in wide use

but among catal students it was probably

clark whistler

who had the greatest influence on the

early history of psychological testing

whistler obtained both mental tests

scores and academic grades for more than

300 students at columbia university in

barnard college

his goal was to demonstrate that test

results could predict

academic performance unfortunately

results

showed virtually no tendency for mental

test force to correlate with academic

achievement

with the publication of whistler's 1901

discouraging results

experimental psychologists largely

abandoned the use of reaction time and

sensory discrimination

as measures of intelligence for his part

wesler was apparently so discouraged by

his results that he immediately switched

to anthropology

where he became a strong

environmentalist in explaining

differences between ethnic viewers

almost every student in psychology knows

that alfred

invented the first modern intelligence

test in 1945.

however less well-known about him was

that he began his career in medicine

but was forced to drop out because of a

complete emotional breakdown

he switched to psychology and later

selected an apprenticeship with the

neurologist

j m chargo for a brief period of time

binay's professional path paralleled

that of sigmund freud

later on he four studies supposedly

demonstrating that reversing the

polarity of a magnet

could induce completing changes or

transfer hysterical paralysis

in a single hypnotized subject

renee later published the recommendation

of his findings because of criticism

from other psychologists

this was a painful episode for renee and

it sent his career into temporary metoo

nonetheless he learned important lessons

from this environment first was that he

never again

used sloppy experimental procedures that

allowed for

unintentional suggestions to influence

his results

in 1904 the minister of public

instruction in paris appointed a

commission to decide upon the

educational measures

that should be undertaken with those

children who could not profit from

regular

instruction binay and his colleague

simon were called upon to develop a

practical tool for justice purpose

thus arose the first formal scale for

assessing the intelligence of children

[Music]

in 1906 henry h goddard was hired by the

vinland training school in new jersey

to do research on the classification and

education of people-minded children

he soon realized that a diagnostic

instrument would be required

and was therefore pleased to read of the

1908 renee simon scale

he quickly set about translating the

scale making minor changes so that it

would be applicable to

american children

in 1910 goddard was invited to ellis

island by the commissioner of

immigration

to help make the examination of

immigrants more accurate

a dark and foreboding popular had grown

up around mental deficiency and

immigration in the early 1900s it was

believed that the people-minded were

degenerate beings

responsible for many if not most social

problems

that they produced at an alarming rate

and menaced the nation's overall

biological fitness henry h goddard

became one of the most influential

psychologists during his time

he is most remembered for testing

immigrants at ellis island

unfortunately he interpreted the results

of testing to mean that they were

human-minded

william stern was a german psychologist

who introduced the iq or intentions

potion

the mental age divided by chronological

age

previously vinay and simon had

subtracted the mental age from the

chronological aid

[Music]

in 1916 lewis turman revised the binay

simon scales

and published the stanford binet

intelligence skills

that continues to be used up to now

the slow pace of developments in group

testing picked up dramatically as the

united states entered

world war one in 1917 it was then that

robert

m yerkes a well-known psychology

professor at harvard

convinced the us government and the army

that all of its 1.75 million recruits

should be given intelligence tests for

purposes of classification and

assignment

modern personality testing began when

woodward

attempted to develop an instrument for

detecting army recruits

who were susceptible to psychoneurosis

virtually all the modern personality

phenomena's

schedules and questionnaires all adapt

to woodward's personal data sheet

[Music]

while the americans were pursuing the

empirical approach to objective

personality testing

a young swiss psychiatrist hermann

rashak was developing a completely

different vehicle for studying

personality

rorschach was strongly influenced by

jungyeon and psychoanalytic thinking

so it is natural that his new approach

focused on the tendency of patients to

reveal their innermost conflicts

unconsciously when responding to

ambiguous stimuli

the rorschach and other projective tests

discussed subsequently

were predicated upon the projective

hypothesis

when responding to ambiguous or

unstructured stimuli

we inadvertently disclose our innermost

needs

fantasies and conflicts

the psychological corporation was

founded in 1921

it was the first major test publisher

founded by cattell

thorndike and whitworth

one of the few women in the history of

psychological testing was

florence gulenov she worked with louis

turman and in 1926

she published the measurement of

intelligence by drawing and created the

draw a man test

which is now called the draw a person

test but

her greatest contribution to psychology

was her advancement of sampling in 1920.

edward kellogg strong was the one who

published the strong vocational

interwest plan

in 1927 it became the most widely used

test of all time and is still used today

as the strong interest inventory it is

used in vocational guidance to guide

persons to the career that best suits

them

louise leon thurston developed the

thirst on personality schedule

an inventory of neurosis in 1935

she together with e.l thorndike and j.p

gilford

founded the journal psychometrica and

also the psychometric society and he

became its first president

henry murray together with christiana

morgan his mistress

created the thematic appreception test

which was published in 1935.

this was supposed to be a test that

measured normal personality in terms of

needs

david bacheler was a romanian american

psychologist

in 1939 together with bellavue he

published the wechsler belly view

intelligence scale

provisions of this scale were published

in 1955

1981 and 1997. it continues to be used

until now

in 1942 the mnpi was published

the mmpi is the minnesota multifaceted

personality inventory

created by mckinley and hathaway

in 1948 john n bonk published the house

three-person test to measure

intellectual ability

in 1949 the webster intelligence scale

for children was published

by david wexler in 1947 henry muir

established a psychological clinic annex

in harvard

between 1959 to early 1962

murie was responsible for unethical

experiments in which he used 22 harvard

undergraduates

and submitted them to vehement sweeping

and personally abusive attacks

one of the 22 was theodore kaczynski

a mathematics prodigy who later on

became the una bomber

targeting academics and technologists

for 18 years

meanwhile in the philippines in 1961 the

philippine psychological corporation was

founded

[Music]

in 1985 anna deisse carlotta following

the footsteps of

vergilio enriquez created the panukat

nampa catan filipino

the first measure of filipino

personality

later on gregorio h del billar created

the masakalao napanu

or mapanangdo the foregoing presentation

is a brief summary of the history of

assessment psychology

the question for reflection is what are

the lessons we can learn from the

history of assessment psychology

and there you have it thank you so much

for watching this video until the very

end

please like share and subscribe

[Music]

you