Examples of Psychometrics and How It's Used

Aptitude tests are a form of psychometrics that measure one's skills and abilities. They're most commonly used in the workplace, but have a use in education as well. Psychometrics for aptitude tests the following skills:

• verbal reasoning
• spatial reasoning
• numeric reasoning
• language skills
• mechanical reasoning
• data checking
• work sampling

Aptitude tests can determine an employee's strengths and areas of weakness. They can also guide students down possible career paths based on their skills. Popular aptitude tests include the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Princeton Review Career Quiz (PRCQ).

If you've ever taken a personality test, you know that they can help you understand your approach to the world a little better. This type of psychometrics test is usually based on research by psychologists such as Carl Jung or Isabel Briggs Myers.

These tests can be used to:

• determine basic characteristics of an individual
• assess their ability to fit into a specific work environment or with specific personality types
• increase self-awareness and improve interactions with others
• help with individual development and growth

While personality tests can't tell you everything about yourself, they can provide important insight into your prominent personality traits. Popular psychometrics tests that assess personality types include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Enneagram Type Indicator and the Big Five Personality Test.

Memory tests are another psychometrics example. They assess the way one's memory works and locate weaknesses or strengths.

They can be used for a variety of reasons, including:

• assess memory in children to uncover learning disorders
• check for memory loss in elderly adults
• determine the scale of memory impairment as a result of a brain injury
• improve memory over time by challenging both short-term and long-term memory activation
• evaluate visual and auditory memory, delayed memory and memory retrieval

Depending on the reason for a memory test, there are many options to choose from. Some common memory tests include the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT-3) and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II).

Psychometric tests can also measure psychological traits, feelings or other characteristics. These traits are known as mental health assessments and could suggest various forms of mental illness, depression or increased anxiety.

They can perform the following functions:

• diagnosing mental illness
• assessing developmental progress and stability in children
• deciding whether a patient is suffering from a physical or neurological disorder
• diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• tracing anxiety to disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• assessing suicidal or violent behavior risk factors

Depending on the results of the psychological evaluation, the individual can seek help in the appropriate way. Common psychometrics examples for mental health include the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS)

There is also a place for psychometrics tests that assess psychological traits in the employment sector. They include:

• Employee selection - Personality, knowledge and aptitude tests
• Individual development potential - Attitude and skills tests
• Team building potential - Personality and attitude tests
• Leadership development potential - Skills, personality and attitude tests
• Advancement and succession planning - Aptitude, attitude and personality tests

You'll see psychometrics examples in the educational world as well:

• Interest tests - Testing areas of motivation, aptitude and knowledge
• Aptitude tests - Testing mental and skill orientation
• Career selection - Testing what careers require the personality traits of the test taker
• Achievement potential - Testing psychological, skills, attitude and knowledge
• Personality tests - Testing psychological, personality traits and attitude

Unlike opinions, psychometrics provides a way to measure how a person's personality could affect their ability to succeed in various situations. Now you have seen examples of different types of psychometrics tests commonly used in the real world. When you're ready for more information about what psychometrics measures, check out these examples of cognitive psychology.