Abstract

PAIS-RIBEIRO, José Luis. Measurement in psychological assessment. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2013, vol.14, n.1, pp.245-263. ISSN 1645-0086.

The present study discusses the role of measurement in psychological assessment, criticising the abuse in the use of single numbers, as well as complex statistics with inadequate. At its inception, psychological assessment did not use complex statistics. The study defends that psychologists must base their procedures on psychological models, rather than mathematical models. We state that starting in the 1980’s, when validity became a unified concept, a combination of different and integrated procedures including - eventually- statistics, started being utilized. We argue that at a time when much of the psychological techniques and procedures originally developed by psychology are used by non-psychologists, special care with the use of psychological assessment tools should be taken, including the choice of evaluation techniques, their application, and in particular regarding the interpretation and use of results, which must be guided by the rules and ethical principles of psychology. It is this informed sequence which makes psychological evaluation an instrument that needs to be applied by psychologists. Many researchers, professionals, and fields use techniques and instruments originally developed by, or following the principles of psychology, but that does not in itself constitute psychological assessment.

Keywords : Psychological assessment; measurement; validity.

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