Psychological tests and measures

Psychological tests (also known as mental measurements, psychological instruments, psychometric tests, inventories, rating scales) are standardized measures of a particular psychological variable such as personality, intelligence, or emotional functioning. They often consist of a series of questions that subjects rank as true or false, or according to a Likert-type scale, however tests can use written, visual or verbal methods.

Published tests, also known as commercial tests, must be purchased, and their publishers may require proof that the users have sufficient professional credentials to administer the test. Some well-known commercial tests include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire.

Unpublished tests are not available for purchase from a publisher and can be obtained from the creator or from professional literature written by test authors.

Tests that have been published in journal articles or books are readily available and may meet your research needs. Many articles and books provide information about tests, but only some include the actual test instruments.

The PsycInfo database has a "Tests & Measures" field that shows which tests are discussed in an article. If the full test is included in the article, you’ll see the word “Appended” next to the test name.

To search for articles that include the actual test:

1. Go to the PsycInfo and click on Advanced Search.
2. Enter your keywords in the search box(es).
3. Scroll down to the Tests & Measurements field, and type Appended.
4. Click the Search button to run your search.

Books

Published tests

UW-Green Bay Libraries do not have access to published/commercial tests and measures, but there are library resources that provide descriptive and evaluative information about them.