History of Psychological Testing and Assessment

Introduction

• Importance of studying the history of psychological testing.
• Quote: "Those who do not remember the past are destined to repeat it."
• Relevant to present-day practices.

Early Testing

• 2200 B.C.: Chinese emperor examined officials every three years to assess fitness for office.
• Han Dynasty: Introduction of written exams covering:
  • Civil law
  • Military affairs
  • Agriculture
  • Revenue
  • Geography

Early Psychiatry Influence

• 19th century: Examination of mentally ill led to early tests.
• Tests were not standardized and were eventually forgotten but shaped psychological testing.

Key Figures in Psychological Testing

• Hubert von Graschi (1885): Developed the memory drum for testing brain injury.
• Conrad Riggier: Created a lengthy test battery for brain damage that fell out of favor due to its complexity.
• Wilhelm Wundt: Founded the first psychological laboratory in 1879; used the thought meter to measure thought speed in 1862.

Experimental Psychology Limitations

• Mistaken identity of sensory processes with intelligence, leading to the "brass instruments era."

Francis Galton

• Pioneer of measurement in psychology, focusing on reaction time and sensory discrimination.
• Known works:
  • Hereditary Genius (1869): Analysis of genetic factors in eminence.
  • Inquiries into Human Faculty (1883): Essays on individual differences.
• Established a psychometric laboratory in London, testing over 17,000 individuals.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

• 1897: Created the first sentence completion test, contributing to memory studies.

French Contributions to Mental Rehabilitation

• J.E.E. Esquirol & O.E. Seguin: Revolutionized thinking about mental retardation and rehabilitation.
  • Esquirol: Differentiated between mental retardation and mental illness.
  • Seguin: Authored Idiocy and Its Treatment (1866), a major textbook on mental retardation treatment.

James McKean Cattell

• Studied experimental psychology with Wundt and Galton.
• Focused on reaction time and sensory discrimination as intelligence indicators.
• Influential students: E.L. Thorndike, R.S. Woodworth, E.K. Strong, and Clark Whistler.
  • Whistler's findings showed no correlation between mental test scores and academic performance, leading to abandonment of reaction time measures.

Alfred Binet

• 1905: Invented the first modern intelligence test.
• Shifted to psychology after a medical career; faced setbacks but learned from them.
• Developed the first formal intelligence assessment for children with colleague Simon.

Henry H. Goddard & Immigration Testing

• Translated the Binet-Simon scale for American children.
• Tested immigrants at Ellis Island, leading to controversial interpretations of mental deficiency and immigration.

William Stern & IQ

• Introduced the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) system.
• 1916: Louis Stern revised the Binet-Simon scales, producing the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales.

World War I Influence on Testing

• 1917: Robert M. Yerkes advocated for intelligence testing for U.S. Army recruits.
• Woodward developed early personality testing instruments.

Projective Testing

• Hermann Rorschach: Developed the Rorschach inkblot test focusing on unconscious conflicts.

Major Advancements in Testing

• 1921: The Psychological Corporation founded by key psychologists.
• Florence Goodenough developed the draw-a-person test.
• 1927: Edward Strong published the Strong Vocational Interest Inventory.
• Louis Thurstone created the Thurstone Personality Schedule.

Continued Evolution of Testing

• 1935: Thematic Apperception Test by Murray and Morgan.
• 1939: Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale by David Wechsler.
• 1942: Introduction of the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory).

Ethical Concerns in Psychology

• Henry Murray's unethical experiments at Harvard.
• 1961: Philippine Psychological Corporation founded.
• 1985: Introduction of the Panukat ng Pagkataong Pilipino, the first measure of Filipino personality.

Conclusion

• Summary of the history of assessment psychology.
• Reflective question: What are the lessons learned from the history of assessment psychology?